Palm Sunday with Papa

+JMJ+
Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of holy week.  I was, once again, incredibly blessed to go to Mass in St. Peter's Square with Pope Francis.  A group of seven of us left the villa at 6am, which felt like sleeping in compared to last Mass's 5am leave time.  We didn't arrive nearly as early, but, to my surprise, there was only a small crowd gathered by the entrance.  Our group got split up when they opened the gates.  You have to understand that when they open the gates for a papal event, they are trying to send hundreds, if not thousands of people through about five or six metal detectors.  It's hilarious.  Imagine a giant funnel full of eager catholics bursting at the seams to to flow through the tiny hole in the bottom of the funnel to get into St. Peter's square, and you basically understand how the process goes.  There is much jumbling that goes on in the process.

I did manage to stay with one of the people from my group, so we ended up sitting together right along the middle aisle where the priests, deacons, bishops, cardinals, and Pope Francis would process in and out.  AND we could see the altar which meant we were also able to see the Mass being celebrated.  That spot was such generous a gift from God!!  Pope Francis passed us twice at the beginning of Mass and again after Mass.

Priests processing in 

Bishops processing in

Cardinals processing in

Pope Francis processing in!

I was able to take this picture from my spot!!!!  We were so close!!

Waiting to see if Papa will drive by after Mass.  My palm was taller than I am!

Swiss guard preparing the way for Pope Francis to pass by

In his homily, Pope Francis focused on three words: joy, cross, and youth.  His words were simple and straightforward, powerful and challenging.  Here a couple highlights from his homily, but you can (and should!) read the whole homily if you have three minutes or so.

And here the first word that I wish to say to you: joy!  Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad!  Never give way to discouragement!  Ours is not a joy born of having many possessions, but from having encountered a Person: Jesus, in our midst; it is born from knowing that with him we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even when our life’s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them!

Jesus on the Cross feels the whole weight of the evil, and with the force of God’s love he conquers it, he defeats it with his resurrection.  This is the good that Jesus does for us on the throne of the Cross.  Christ’s Cross embraced with love never leads to sadness, but to joy, to the joy of having been saved and of doing a little of what he did on the day of his death. 

The pope traditionally addresses the youth in particular on Palm Sunday.  Pope Francis continued this tradition.  He reminded the youth of their unique and important role in the Church and asked them to spiritually prepare for World Youth Day in Rio this summer.

You [young people] have an important part in the celebration of faith!  You bring us the joy of faith and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always: a young heart, even at the age of seventy or eighty.  Dear young people!  With Christ, the heart never grows old!

After Mass, we returned to the villa to find the religious brothers we share our campus with having a party!  And by party, I mean a huge catered lunch in the extensive backyard with 300 people and Lebanese music playing over a loud speaker.  They invited us to join!  I was only to happy to accept their generous invitation.  I ate delicious food, chatted with friends, and played soccer with one of the Italian boys there.  He was probably ten or eleven years old and he totally destroyed me.  I didn't expect anything less; Italians live and breath soccer from birth.

I spent the rest of the afternoon doing homework and studying in great company.  Another full, beautiful day in Roma!