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Homily of Pope John Paul II on the Beatification of Bl. Manuel Gonzalez and 4 Other Beatos
CAPPELLA PAPALE PER LA BEATIFICAZIONE DI CINQUE SERVI DI DIO OMELIA DI GIOVANNI PAOLO II Domenica, 29 aprile 2001 1. "When it was already dawn, Jesus stood on the shore" (Jn 21:4). At dawn, the Risen One appeared to the Apostles, returning from a night of unsuccessful fishing on Lake Tiberias. The evangelist explains that on that night, "they caught nothing" (Jn 21:3), and adds that they had nothing to eat. At the invitation of Jesus: "Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find" (Jn 21:6) They obeyed without hesitation. Their response was prompt and great reward, because their net had been empty the night, "they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes" (John 21:6). How can we not see in this episode, which St. John mentions in the epilogue of his Gospel, a telling sign of what the Lord continues to work in the Church and in the hearts of believers who trust in him without reserve? The five Servants of God, which I had the joy of raising to the altars, are witnesses of the extraordinary gift of the risen Christ gives to every baptized person: the gift of holiness. Blessed are those who make this mysterious gift fruitful, allowing the Holy Spirit to conform their lives to Christ, dead and risen! Blessed are you who like bright stars shine today in the firmament of the Church: Manuel González García, Bishop, founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Eucharistic Nazareth; Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodríguez Santiago, Lay, Marie Anne Blondin, virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters St. Anne; Caterina Volpicelli, Virgin, Foundress of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart, Caterina Cittadini, virgin, foundress of the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca. Each of you, devoting himself to Christ, the Gospel has made the rule of life. Thus you became his faithful disciples, having drawn that newness of life, which was inaugurated by the mystery of his resurrection, the inexhaustible source of his love. 2. "That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter," It is the Lord! '"(Jn 21: 7). In the Gospel we have just heard, before the miracle performed, a disciple recognizes Jesus The others will do it later. The Gospel passage, in presenting Jesus, who "came and took the bread and gave it to them" (Jn 21, 13), tells us how and when we can meet the Risen Christ in the Eucharist, where Jesus is really present under the species of bread and wine. It would be sad if this loving presence of the Savior, after a long time, was still unknown by humanity. This was the great passion of the new Blessed Manuel González García, Bishop of Málaga and then Palencia. The experience in Palomares del Río in front of a deserted tabernacle marked for life, and from that moment he decided to spread the devotion to the Eucharist, proclaiming the words he subsequently chose as his epitaph: "Here lies Jesus for it is here! Do not abandon him. "Founder of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, Blessed Manuel Gonzalez is a model of faith in the Eucharist, whose example continues to speak to the Church today. Read Full Text Here >>> |
"I want to make my death a trail of peace and joy" |