Sant’Adrea delle Fratte

We on our sixth and final day of our Diocesan pilgrimage. The First Reading at Mass today from the Book of Deuteronomy contains a phrase that Pope Francis loves to quote – “what God is as close to his people as our God?”. He comments that God’s style is closeness, tenderness and compassion. I think we can say we’ve experienced God’s closeness over these past six day of pilgrimage – the closeness of God also through the closeness to one another that we lived together. Let’s review briefly the journey of these days.

On our first day, straightaway, remembering what one of the psalms says, “blessed are those who set out in their heart on a holy journey”, we processed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, carrying our personal intentions as well as those of family and relations, our neighbours and friends, parish and diocese, country and world. We entered the space of the beautiful luminous basilica reminding us of how we journey together with the apostles and saints. At our Mass later in the Church of St. Chrysogonus, we reflected on the image of Jesus Christ our anchor of hope, the One who gives us the gift of hope at a dark time in our world but also the One who set us the task of becoming bearers of hope and calls us to go into training in seeing the signs of hope in our lives and in our world.

On the second day, we passed through the Holy Door of St. John Lateran’s Basilica. We saw the Giotto icon of Pope Boniface VIII calling the first Jubilee Year. We then visited the Irish College with the wonderful explanation of various aspects of our Irish heritage and our forefathers and foremothers in the faith in Ireland. That afternoon, in the Divine Mercy Church of Santo Spirito, so much linked with St. Faustina, we recognized the deep tender compassion of God that envelops us along life’s journey. It lifted our hearts in hope.

The third day of our pilgrimage, Sunday, brought what for many was a high point – the meeting with Pope Francis, the successor Peter, Vicar of Christ, who appeared briefly from the window of the Gemelli hospital. We remember the emotion of that closeness we felt with him. His emergence from hospital after the trial of illness, was itself a sign of hope. Later at our Mass in Castel Gandolfo for the Third Sunday of Lent, the readings prompted us to focus on the Lenten theme of conversion, with the realization we have been given the gift of time to make good use of it. Again, we heard Jesus promises he will help us get ready for our encounter with the Lord.

On the fourth day, in the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, we remembered our loved ones who have died. With our hope renewed in the Resurrection, we prayed for them. Our mind travelled also to the time of the early Christians who came to that sacred place. We thought of the martyrs both past and also the many martyrs of our time. We considered briefly the end of our own earthly pilgrimage.

Yesterday, the fifth day, was spent in the company of Mary. First, we visited the beautiful Basilica of Mary Major’s. We passed through the Holy Door and in our Mass marking the Feast Day of the Annunciation, we heard of Mary’s “yes” to God, lived out with that reassuring word of the Angel: “do not be afraid”. There was much to be afraid of, but Mary kept going forward with that reassurance of faith in her soul. As well as consecrating ourselves to her immaculate heart, when we got to the Redemptorist church, we prayed the Novena prayer to her in front of the icon of Our Lady, Mother of Perpetual help. Yes, Mary is the Mother of Hope who always accompanies us. We recognized that when we declare we are “totally hers” she responds with a promise: “and I am totally yours”.

Of course, there were many other small and great moments for each of us here, sights seen, visits made, shopping expeditions, meals, cups of coffee, chats. Each of us will have personal highlights and memories - simply something someone said, a kind deed, a visit to a chapel, a confession made, a stroll in this beautiful city…

But here we are at the last day in the lovely Basilica of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, the church of the conversion of Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne associated with Miraculous Medal and where Maximilian Kolbe celebrated his first Mass. And, another sign of God’s love for us, in these days, the relics of St. Bernadette are here in the church for us to venerate. And it is fitting that our First Reading at Mass offers us fine advice: “Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children”. We are to keep the memory of these days alive in our heart but then also to go out and spread the message of hope. We are to be bearers of hope.

Pope Francis uses the expressed that we are to be “missionary disciples”, in other words, followers of Jesus who is our hope, sharing hope. On our way here this morning, we passed by the column of the Immaculate Conception. Mary, after the Annunciation, didn’t simply stand still. She went out in haste to her cousin Elizabeth, bringing Jesus within her to her cousin and to John the Baptist. She communicated hope. Afterwards we will be visiting the Propaganda Fide building that four centuries ago was established precisely to further the mission of the Church. We remember Oliver Plunkett who lectured in that college and was appointed Archbishop of Armagh there before coming back to Ireland full of missionary zeal.

This afternoon, on your way to the airport, you will pass through the final Holy Door, this time in St. Paul’s basilica. That is so appropriate. After wonderful days of pilgrimage, St. Paul the great missionary, the one who preached to the nations, is bidding us farewell from this city. He has the last goodbye as we leave the eternal city. It has been said that St. Patrick was greatly influenced by St. Paul. So we can take Paul’s word to the Ephesus community as he was about to leave them: “And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up”. Yes, we have received a grace that has built us up in these days, the grace of an increase of hope in our lives. With our Lady let’s sing our own Magnificat, thanking God for his great closeness to us in these days. A grace of hope to be shared.