During his homily at Casa Santa Marta, the pope said Jesus is the cornerstone of the life of the Christian community, and that He prays for each and every member of it.
POPE FRANCIS
'And what Jesus tells Peter, He tells you, and you, and me, everybody: â??I have prayed for you, I am praying for you, I am now praying for you,â?? and when He comes onto the altar, He comes to intercede, to pray for us. As he did on the cross. And this gives us a great sense of security.â?
The pope concluded his homily by highlighting the importance of trusting that Jesus is continuously interceding for us and accompanying us.
EXCERPTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'â??Jesus went up to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to God.â?? And then the rest followed, the crowds, the choosing of his disciples, the healings, the casting out of demonsâ?¦ Yes, the cornerstone is Jesus, but Jesus who prays. Jesus is praying. He prayed and he continues to pray for the Church. The cornerstone of the Church is our Lord in front of the Father who intercedes on our behalf, who is praying for us. We pray to Him but the key thing is that He is praying for us.â?
'Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives, on the cross, he ended praying: his life ended in prayer. And this is our security, this is our foundation, this is our cornerstone: Jesus who is praying for us! Jesus who is praying for me! And each of us can say this: I am certain that Jesus is praying for me; that he is in front of the Father and naming me. This is the cornerstone of the Church: Jesus in prayer.â?
'And what Jesus tells Peter, he tells you and you and me, everybody: â??I have prayed for you, I am praying for you, I am now praying for youâ?? and when He comes onto the altar, He comes to intercede, to pray for us. As he did on the Cross. And this gives us a great sense of security. I belong to this community thatâ??s solid because Jesus is its cornerstone, Jesus who is praying for me, who is praying for us. Today weâ??d do well to reflect on the Church, reflect on this mystery of the Church. We are all like a building but its foundation is Jesus, Jesus who is praying for us, Jesus who is praying for me.â?
