Franco Pisano

Today is the Day of prayer, fasting and works of charity promoted by the High Committee of Human Fraternity. "We are all united as human beings, as brothers, praying to God, according to our culture, according to our own tradition, according to our beliefs, but brothers and praying to God, this is the important thing."

Tomorrow the day of prayer, fasting and works of charity proposed by the High Committee of Human Fraternity. "I invite and encourage everyone to join this event: let us join together as brothers in asking the Lord to save humanity from the pandemic, to illuminate scientists and to heal the sick".

“We without Jesus cannot do anything, like the branches without the vine. And it seems that without us - allow me to say this – the Lord Jesus can do nothing, because the fruit bears the branch, not the tree or vine ". In this mutual "remaining" there is fertility".

In his message for International Nurse Day, Francis calls on world leaders “to invest in health care as the primary common good, by strengthening its systems and employing greater numbers of nurses, so as to ensure adequate care to everyone, with respect for the dignity of each person.”

The peace of this world "makes you peaceful and happy too, but it "also sends you to sleep a little, it anesthetizes you and turn in on yourself": it is "a little bit selfish". What Jesus gives is "peace full of hope, which makes us fruitful, makes us communicative with others, which creates community and which always looks at the definitive peace of Heaven".

"The Holy Spirit. It teaches us: it teaches us the mystery of faith, it teaches us to enter the mystery, to understand the mystery a little more "and it is like memory, it wakes us up", it always keeps us awake "in the things of the Lord" and it also makes us remember our life, when we met the Lord or when we left him ”.

Jesus points out two "remedies" to distress: have faith and know "He has reserved a place for us in Heaven". “Today Mother's Day is celebrated in many countries. I want to remember all mothers with gratitude and affection, entrusting them to the protection of Mary, our heavenly Mother. This thought also goes to mothers who have passed on to another life and accompany us from Heaven ".

"Today is the commemoration of Saint Luisa de Marillac: we pray for the Vincentian nuns who have been running clinic, this pediatric hospital for almost 100 years and work here, in Santa Marta, for this hospital".

"Many times, in bad times, we get angry with the Lord and don't let Him come" and console us. “The consolation of the Lord is truthful, it does not deceive. It's not anesthesia, no. But it is close, it is truthful and it opens the doors of hope to us”.

Christianity is belonging to a people, to a people chosen by God for freedom. If we do not have this consciousness of belonging to a people we would be ideological Christians, with a small doctrine of affirmation of truth, with an ethics, with a morality "or considering ourselves" an elite ".

The government’s population strategy is aimed at reaching a replacement rate of two children per couple. The targets are part of a birth rate adjustment programme towards 2030.

At today's general audience, Francis began a cycle of catechesis dedicated to prayer by commenting on the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man who with his cries receives sight from Jesus. Appeal for agricultural laborers, including many immigrants, who work in the Italian countryside, often exploited.