Francis at the Angelus: the Lord “has no ulterior motives, he wants the best for us; his joy is not watered down “
VATICAN CITY. Jesus wants «the best for us, he wants us to be happy. It does not set limits and does not ask us for interests. In the sign of Jesus there is no room for ulterior motives ». Pope Francis at the Angelus comments on the wedding at Cana: «A feast without wine is terrible. This is how God works ».
At 12 the Bishop of Rome looks out of the window of the study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Marian Prayer with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
In the introduction he recalls that today’s Gospel “narrates the episode of the wedding at Cana, where Jesus transforms water into wine for the joy of the spouses. And it concludes thus: “This was the beginning of the signs performed by Jesus; he manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him ”». We note that the evangelist John “does not speak of a miracle, that is, of a powerful and extraordinary fact that generates wonder. He writes that a sign takes place in Cana, which arouses the faith of the disciples. We can then ask ourselves: what is a “sign” according to the Gospel? ».
The Pope explains: it is a «clue that reveals the love of God, which does not call attention to the power of the gesture, but to the love that provoked it. It teaches us something about the love of God, which is always close, tender and compassionate ». The first sign occurs “while two spouses are in difficulty on the most important day of their life. In the middle of the party, an essential element is missing, the wine, and the joy risks being extinguished amidst the criticism and dissatisfaction of the guests. Let alone how a wedding party can go on with just water, it’s terrible. The bride and groom will make a bad impression ».
It is Our Lady who becomes aware of the problem and «discreetly signals it to Jesus. And He intervenes quietly, almost without showing it. Everything takes place in secrecy, “behind the scenes”: Jesus tells the servants to fill the jars with water, which becomes wine. This is how God acts, with closeness and discretion. The disciples of Jesus grasp this: they see that thanks to him the wedding feast has become even more beautiful. And they also see Jesus’ way of acting, his serving in hiding, so much so that the compliments for the good wine then go to the bridegroom ». Thus begins to develop in them “the germ of faith, that is, they believe that God, the love of God, is present in Jesus.
For Francis it is “nice to think that the first sign that Jesus makes is not an extraordinary healing or a miracle in the temple of Jerusalem, but a gesture that meets a simple and concrete need of ordinary people. He is ready to help us, to lift us up. And then, if we are attentive to these “signs”, we are conquered by his love and we become his disciples ».
But there is another distinctive feature “of the sign of Cana. Generally the wine that was given at the end of the party was the less good one, the watered one. Jesus, on the other hand, makes sure that the feast ends with the best wine ». Symbolically this says that God “wants the best for us, he wants us to be happy.” It does not set limits and does not ask us for interests. In the sign of Jesus there is no room for ulterior motives, for claims towards the spouses. No, the joy that Jesus leaves in the heart is full and selfless. It is never watered down! ».
The Pontiff then suggests an “exercise that can do us a lot of good. Let’s try today to rummage through the memories in search of the signs that the Lord has performed in our life, to show us that He loves us; that difficult moment in which God made me experience his love … And let us ask ourselves: with what signs, discreet and caring, did he make me feel his tenderness? How did I discover his closeness and has a great joy remained in my heart? ». The Pope invites us to “relive the moments in which we experienced his presence and Mary’s intercession. May she, the Mother, who is always attentive as in Cana, help us to treasure the signs of God in our life ”.
After the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his “closeness to the people affected by heavy rains and floods in various regions of Brazil in recent weeks. I pray in particular for the victims, their families and for those who have lost their homes. May God support the commitment of those who are bringing help ”.
The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, Francis recalls at the Angelus, will take place from 18 to 25 January, underlining that, as Christians, “we are pilgrims on the way to full unity and we get closer to our goal the more we keep it. gaze fixed on Jesus, our only Lord. During the week of prayer we also offer our efforts and our sufferings for Christian unity ».
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