The Pope celebrates Mass at Santa Marta. Magnanimity and humility

The Pope celebrates Mass at Santa Marta.

Magnanimity and humility

Magnanimity and humility characterize the lifestyle of  Christians who truly want to be Gospel witnesses to the furthest reaches of the earth. Pope Francis sketched the outline of this way of being “missionaries of the Church” on Thursday, 25 April, at the morning Mass in the Chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae which has become a tradition.
Among the concelebrants were Archbishop Nikola Eterović, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishop and Bishop Eduardo Horacio Garcia, Auxiliary of Buenos Aires. Also taking part in this morning's celebration were the religious and lay members of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, a group of Gendarmes of Vatican City, led by their Inspector General, Domenico Giani,  and many families.
As always the Pope commented on the day's readings, on this occasion from the First Letter of St Peter (5:5-14) and from Mark's Gospel (16:15-20).
“Before ascending into heaven Jesus sent the Apostles out to evangelize, to preach the kingdom. He sent them to the ends of the earth. ‘Go into all the world’”, he urged them. He then stressed the universality of the Church’s mission, noting that Jesus did not tell the Apostles to go to Jerusalem or Galilee but sent them out to the whole world. This explains the missionary outreach of the Church which continues to preach “to the whole world. But she does not go by herself”, the Pope said. “She goes with Jesus”.
The Christian, Pope Francis explained preaches, “proclaims the Gospel with his witness rather than with his words”. And the Pope ended by asking those present to pray the Lord that they “become missionaries in the Church, but with this spirit: great magnanimity and also great humility”.