JPS at Mass with Pope Francis

Our pastor at the Church of the Gesu, John P. Schlegel, SJ, concelebrated at Mass with Pope Francis Thursday morning, March 26, 2015.

You may recall that John was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer in late January of this year. What a blessing to be there to hear Francis preach and celebrate, to join in the specially called Day of Prayer, and to anticipate the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa of Avila (March 28th, Saturday)!

     Pope Francis said in his homily: “It’s only that they had a system of precise doctrines and that they clarified each and every day that no one touch them. Men without faith, without law, attached to doctrines that also become an attitude of casuistry: you can pay the tax to Caesar, can you not? This woman, who has been married seven times: when she goes to Heaven will she be the bride of those seven men? This casuistry… This was their world, an abstract world, a world without love, a world without faith, a world without hope, a world without trust, a world without God. And for this, they could not rejoice!

“The joy of faith, the joy of the Gospel is the touchstone of the faith of a person. Without joy that person is not a true believer. Let’s go home, but before that, we celebrate here with these words of Jesus: “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” And ask the Lord for the grace to be rejoicing in hope, for the grace to see the day of Jesus when we will be with Him and for the grace of joy.”

You can get a clear view of John about 8 seconds into the video.  And you can get a sense of how the pope is so personally present to those attending the liturgy.  I hope your Italian is good because the whole of the video is in Italian (!).

Please continue to pray for John’s healing. Thanks. –roc,sj