Pope Francis’ visit to Malta ended yesterday evening after meeting a group of migrants. In the morning I was honored to concelebrate with him and around 600 priests and bishops. Towards the end of the Mass he offered this message with the thousands of people present: “These islands breathe a sense of the People of God. May you continue to do so, mindful that faith grows in joy and is strengthened in giving. Forge further links in the chain of holiness that has led so many Maltese to devote their lives with enthusiasm to God and to others. I think, for example, of Saint Ġorġ Preca, canonized fifteen years ago. Finally, I would like to say a word to the young, who are your future. Dear friends, I want to share with you the most beautiful thing in life. Do you know what it is? It is the joy of giving ourselves completely in love, which makes us free. That joy has a name: it is Jesus. I wish you the beauty of falling in love with Jesus, the God of mercy, who believes in you, dreams with you, loves your lives and will never disappoint you. May the Lord accompany you, and Our Lady keep you. I will bring back many memories of the events and conversations of these days. Above all, I will remember many of your faces, as well as the luminous face of Malta! I thank all those who worked so hard to prepare for this visit, and I cordially greet our brothers and sisters of the different Christian denominations and religions whom I have met in these days. I ask all of you to pray for me, as I will for you. Let us pray for one another.” These photos were taken from TV and may not be very clear, but they give you a taste of his presence here in Malta over the last few days. More photos to come over the next few days.
Thanks Fr. Julian for the wonderful and great message and the pictures.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you!
Fr. Joseph