"Joy" Church's "great strength to transform", Francis says in Santa Marta Mass

Pope Francis presided over Mass Thursday at his residence, the Casa Santa Marta. In the introduction, the pontiff remembered pharmacists:

“These days I have been scolded because I forgot to thank a group of people who also work… I thanked the doctors, nurses, volunteers… ‘But you forgot the pharmacists’. They also work hard to help the sick to recover from the disease. We also pray for them”.

In his homily, Francis commented on today’s Gospel (Lk 24, 35-48) in which the risen Jesus appears to the disciples – shocked and full of fear because they believed they had seen a ghost – and opens their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And they couldn’t believe because of their joy. Being full of joy is the highest experience of comfort, stressed the Pope.

Joy is the fullness of the presence of the Lord; it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit; it is a grace.

Francis quoted the apostolic exhortation of Paul VI Evangelii nuntiandi that talks about joyful evangelisers.

“The great strength that we have to transform, to preach the Gospel, to advance as witnesses of life is the joy of the Lord, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit”, said the Pope.

(With reporting by Vatican News)