38. The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society. A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through “com-passion” is a cruel and inhuman society. Yet society cannot accept its suffering members and support them in their trials unless individuals are capable of doing so themselves; moreover, the individual cannot accept another's suffering unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of purification and growth in maturity, a journey of hope. Indeed, to accept the “other” who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solatio, “consolation”, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude. Furthermore, the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie. In the end, even the “yes” to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my “I”, in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love.

[Spe salvi]

1. The "miracles and signs" that Jesus performed to confirm his messianic mission and the coming of the kingdom of God are ordered and closely linked to the call to faith. This call in relation to the miracle has two forms: faith precedes the miracle, indeed it is a condition for it to take place; faith constitutes an effect of the miracle, because it is provoked by it in the souls of those who received it, or witnessed it.

It is well known that faith is man's response to the word of divine revelation. The miracle occurs in organic connection with this revealing word of God. It is a 'sign' of his presence and working, a sign, one might say, that is particularly intense. All this sufficiently explains the special link that exists between the "miracle-signs" of Christ and faith: a link so clearly delineated in the Gospels.

2. There is in fact a long series of texts in the Gospels in which the call to faith appears as an indispensable and systematic coefficient of Christ's miracles.

At the beginning of this series are the pages concerning the Mother of Christ in her behaviour at Cana of Galilee, and before that - and above all - at the moment of the annunciation. One could say that it is precisely here that one finds the high point of her adherence to the faith, which will find its confirmation in the words of Elizabeth during the visitation: 'And blessed is she who believed in the fulfilment of the words of the Lord' (Lk 1:45). Yes, Mary believed like no other, being convinced that "nothing is impossible to God" (cf. Lk 1:37).

And at Cana of Galilee her faith anticipated, in a certain sense, the hour of Christ's revelation. Through his intercession, that first miracle-sign took place, thanks to which Jesus' disciples "believed in him" (Jn 2:11). If the Second Vatican Council teaches that Mary constantly precedes the people of God on the paths of faith (cf. Lumen Gentium, 58.63; Ioannis Pauli PP. II, Redemptoris Mater, 5-6), we can say that the first foundation of this assertion is already found in the Gospel, which reports "miracle-signs" in Mary and for Mary in relation to the call to faith.

3. This call is repeated many times . . To the leader of the synagogue, Jairus, who came to ask for his daughter's return to life, Jesus says: "Do not be afraid, only continue to have faith!" (and he says "do not be afraid" because some advised Jairus against turning to Jesus) (Mk 5:36).

When the father of the epileptic asks for the healing of his son, saying: "But if you can anything . . . help us", Jesus replies: "If you can! Everything is possible for those who believe". Then we have the beautiful act of faith in Christ of this tried man: "I believe, help me in my unbelief!" (cf. Mk 9:22-24).

Finally, we recall Jesus' well-known conversation with Martha before the resurrection of Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life . . . Do you believe this? . . Yes, O Lord, I believe . . ." (cf. Jn 11:25-27).

4. The same link between the "miracle-sign" and faith is confirmed by other negative facts. Let us recall some of them. In Mark's Gospel we read that Jesus in Nazareth "could perform no miracle, but only laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marvelled at their unbelief" (Mk 6:5-6).

We know the gentle rebuke Jesus once addressed to Peter: "Man of little faith, why did you doubt?". This happened when Peter, who at first went boldly on the waves towards Jesus, then by the violence of the wind became afraid and began to sink" (cf. Mt 14:29-31).

5. Jesus emphasises more than once that the miracle he performed is linked to faith. "Your faith has healed you", he says to the woman who had been suffering from haemorrhaging for twelve years and who, when she came up behind him, touched the hem of his cloak and was healed (cf. Mt 9:20-22; Lk 8:48; Mk 5:34).

Similar words Jesus pronounced while healing blind Bartimaeus, who at the exit from Jericho insistently asked for his help, crying out: "Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!" (cf. Mk 10, 46-52). According to Mark: "Go, your faith has saved you", Jesus answers him. And Luke specifies the answer: "Have sight again! Your faith has saved you" (Lk 18:42).

He makes an identical statement to the Samaritan healed of leprosy (Lk 17:19). While to two other blind men pleading to regain their sight, Jesus asks: "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, O Lord!" . "Let it be done to you according to your faith" (Mt 9:28-29).

6. Particularly touching is the episode of the Canaanite woman, who did not cease to ask Jesus' help for her daughter "cruelly tormented by a demon". When the Canaanite woman prostrated herself before Jesus to ask him for help, he replied: 'It is not good to take the bread of the children to throw it to the little dogs' (this was a reminder of the ethnic diversity between Israelites and Canaanites, which Jesus, son of David, could not ignore in his practical behaviour, but to which he alluded in a methodological function to provoke faith). And here the woman intuitively comes to an unusual act of faith and humility. She says: 'It is true, Lord . . . but even little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table'. Faced with such a humble, gracious and confident word, Jesus replies: 'Woman, truly great is your faith! May it be done to you as you wish" (cf. Mt 15:21-28).

It is an event difficult to forget, especially when one thinks of the countless "Canaanites" of every time, country, colour and social condition, who reach out their hand to ask for understanding and help in their needs!

7. Note how in the Gospel narrative it is continually emphasised that Jesus, when he "sees faith", performs the miracle. This is clearly stated in the case of the paralytic lowered to his feet through the opening in the roof (cf. Mk 2:5; Mt 9:2; Lk 5:20). But the observation can be made in many other cases recorded by the evangelists. The factor of faith is indispensable; but as soon as it occurs, the heart of Jesus is outstretched to fulfil the requests of the needy who turn to him for help with his divine power.

8. Once again we see that, as we said at the beginning, the miracle is a "sign" of God's power and love that saves man in Christ. But because of this, it is at the same time a call to man to faith. It must lead both the one who is miraculously saved and the witnesses of the miracle to believe.

This applies to the apostles themselves, right from the first "sign" given by Jesus in Cana of Galilee: it was then that they "believed in him" (John 2: 11). Then, when the miraculous multiplication of the loaves took place near Capernaum, with which the heralding of the Eucharist is connected, the evangelist notes that "from then on, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went with him", not being able to accept a language that seemed too "harsh" to them. Jesus then asked the Twelve: "Perhaps you also want to leave?". Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words to eternal life, we have believed and known that you are the Holy One of God" (cf. Jn 6:66-69). The principle of faith is thus fundamental in the relationship with Christ, both as a condition for obtaining the miracle and as the purpose for which it is performed. This is made very clear at the end of John's Gospel, where we read: "Many other signs did Jesus do in the presence of his disciples, but they were not written in this book. These have been written, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so that, believing, you may have life in his name" (John 20: 30-31).

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 16 December 1987]

We are the 'dream of God' who, as a true lover, wants to 'change our lives'. Out of love indeed. He only asks us to have the faith to let him do it. And so "we can only weep with joy" before a God who "re-creates" us, said Pope Francis in the Mass celebrated on Monday 16 March, in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta.

In the first reading, taken from Isaiah (65:17-21), "the Lord tells us that he creates new heavens and new earths, that is, he 're-creates' things," Francis pointed out, also recalling that "several times we have spoken of these 'two creations' of God: the first, the one that was made in six days, and the second, when the Lord 'remakes' the world, ruined by sin, in Jesus Christ." And, he pointed out, "we have said many times that this second is more wonderful than the first". In fact, the Pope explained, 'the first is already a marvellous creation; but the second, in Christ, is even more marvellous'.

In his meditation, however, Francis chose to dwell "on another aspect", starting precisely from the passage from Isaiah in which, he explained, "the Lord speaks of what he will make: a new heaven, a new earth". And "we find that the Lord has such enthusiasm: he speaks of joy and says one word: 'I will enjoy my people'". In essence, 'the Lord thinks about what he is going to do, he thinks that he, himself, will be in joy with his people'. So 'it is as if it were a "dream" of the Lord, as if the Lord "dreamed" of us: how good it will be when we will all be together, when we will be there or when that person, that other person will walk...'.

Further clarifying his reasoning, Francis resorted to "a metaphor that can make us understand: it is as if a girl with her fiancé or a boy with his fiancée thought: when we will be together, when we will get married...". Here, indeed, is 'the "dream" of God: God thinks of each of us, he loves us, he dreams of us, he dreams of the joy he will enjoy with us'. And it is precisely 'for this that the Lord wants to "re-create" us, to "re-create" our heart to make joy triumph'.

All this led the Pope to suggest some questions: "Have you ever thought: does the Lord dream of me? Does he think of me? Am I in the mind, in the heart of the Lord? Is the Lord able to change my life?". Isaiah, Francis added, also tells us that the Lord "makes many plans: we will build houses, we will plant vineyards, we will eat together: all those plans typical of a lover".

Moreover, "the Lord shows himself in love with his people" going so far as to say: "But I have not chosen you because you are the strongest, greatest, most powerful; but I have chosen you because you are the least of all". More, "one could say: the most miserable of all. But I have chosen you in this way, and this is love'.

"From there," said the Pope, "this continuous desire of the Lord, this desire of his to change our lives. And we can say, if we listen to this invitation from the Lord: 'You have changed my lament into a dance'", that is, the words "that we prayed" in Psalm 29. "I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up", the psalm goes on to say, thus recognising that the Lord "is capable of changing us, out of love: he is in love with us".

"I believe there is no theologian who can explain this: it cannot be explained," Francis remarked. Because 'on this one can only reflect, feel and weep with joy: the Lord can change us'. At this point the question arises: what should I do? The answer is clear: 'Believe, believe that the Lord can change me, that he can'. Exactly what the king's official who had a sick son in Capernaum did, as John recounts in his Gospel (4:43-54). That man, we read, asked Jesus "to come down and heal his son, because he was about to die". And Jesus answered him: "Go, your son lives!". So that father 'believed the word that Jesus had told him and set out: he believed, he believed that Jesus had the power to heal his child. And he was right'.

"Faith," Francis explained, "is making space for this love of God; it is making space for the power, the power of God, the power of one who loves me, who is in love with me and who desires joy with me. This is faith. This is believing: it is making room for the Lord to come and change me".

The Pope concluded with a significant note: "It is curious: this was the second miracle that Jesus performed. And he did it in the same place where he did the first one, at Cana of Galilee". Indeed, in today's Gospel passage we read: "He went therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he had changed water into wine". Again "at Cana of Galilee he also changed the death of this child into life". Truly, Francis said, 'the Lord can change us, he wants to change us, he loves to change us. And this, out of love'. To us, he concluded, "he asks only for our faith: that is, to give space to his love so that he can act and make a change of life in us".

[Pope Francis, S. Marta homily, in L'Osservatore Romano 16-17/03/2015]

Sharp Personal experience, which starts to become more valid than judgements

(Jn 9:1-41)

Having escaped from the Temple, Jesus encounters the excluded. He takes the opportunity to make us understand who the Eternal One is, and our own story of Faith, continuing the Father's creative work.

God's coming to us does not proceed from the decrees chiselled by the priestly class and chasing Moses (v.29), but from the attitude towards the needy.

In this way, the 'blindness' to which the passage alludes is constitutive of every woman and man: we do not always 'see' what the right choices to make are.

We realise that our journey of Faith is first and foremost a love story, but also an ever-clearer 'seeing', an 'opening of our eyes' to the whole of reality - to the point of acquiring a clear and personal judgement.

Being a figure of the human, creaturely situation, the protagonist of the Gospel passage has no name, because being born with a defect of vision and orientation brings us together; it is not a fault, but a condition.

Jesus proposes that we allow Him to open our eyes wide, so that our 'mud' and his Breath can trigger the creation of a new person.

In religious leaders there is no joy at the healing (vv.16ff). 

Jesus, on the other hand, increases the dose: once we have been sent to Life in the Spirit symbolised here by the Water, the Master goes off the scene.

To grow, you have to stand on your own two feet. God is not a paternalist who is always sticking his nose into everything: He wants us free [only then able to love].

And there remain many doors to be thrown open; many, the thresholds to be crossed.

The world of the élites defends itself by all means, attempting the usual intimidations. Don't worry: these are not signs of strength, but of imminent defeat.

Now the neighbours do not recognise the born blind. He looks like him, but he cannot be him... Those around him are puzzled.

The former blind man says: «I am» (v.9), i.e. in restored humanity he claims divine status.

When we encounter Christ, his dignity is passed on. Shyness is transformed into an ever renewed attitude to fullness.

In the Faith freed from conformity, to have an opinion of one's own is to start Exodus, aiming for the Land of Freedom - because woman and man have realised to what honour and Dream they are called.

He who has been given the Light does not stop, becoming more and more confident, mature, decisive. Now the man «sees», and is finally emancipated.

Excluded from the institution (v.34) just like the Lord (Jn 8:59), he is now truly a Person. For he begins to consider his experience more valid than the judgement of the official spiritual leaders.

It is the primacy of naturalness and personal awareness over standard or dominant thinking, roles, and codes - which are no longer able to communicate life. And that is what counts.

In fact, although put on the sidelines, it is now Christ who seeks him out and stands at his side (v.35). Without conditions.

Our instinctive and genuine common sense overrides both fixed beliefs and glamorous, current, à la page opinions.

Kicked out of the devout circle or power groups, the «born blind» - suffering from such insecurity, malformity, 'sin of origin' - will find virtue in its fullness.

By finally putting in the background the routine that makes everything banal, flat, automatic... he no longer flees.

He understands the importance of variation that disrupts plans. It makes them unique.

With new personal Energy he faces the unexpected: life of Love that realizes us, and knows how to turn over a new leaf.

4th Sunday in Lent (year A), Laetare  [March 15, 2026]

Original Sin

(Jn 9:1-41)

The encyclical Fratelli Tutti invites us to take a perspective view that inspires decision and action: a new eye, filled with hope.

It 'speaks to us of a reality that is rooted in the depths of the human being, regardless of the concrete circumstances and historical conditioning in which he lives. It speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a yearning for fulfilment, for a life lived to the full, for a measure of greatness, for that which fills the heart and lifts the spirit towards great things, such as truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love. [...] Hope is bold, it knows how to look beyond personal comfort, the small securities and compensations that narrow the horizon, to open up to great ideals that make life more beautiful and dignified" (n.55) [from a Greeting to young people in Havana, September 2015].

Having fled the Temple, Jesus encounters those excluded from the sacred precincts. He takes the opportunity to help us understand who the Eternal One is, and our own journey of faith, continuing the creative work of the Father.

For the princes of religion, going to the God of Israel depended on the fulfilment of the rules.

For the Son, the Father's coming to us does not proceed from the decrees chiselled out by the priestly class and which pursue a dead man: Moses (v. 29), but rather from the attitude towards the needy.

The Tao Te Ching [xii] says: 'The five colours blind the eye of man, the five notes deafen the ear of man, the five flavours dull the mouth of man, running and hunting enrage the heart of man'.

There are many influences that affect spontaneity from birth.

Consequently, these pressures hinder any simple solution to real problems [for which it would be enough to shift our gaze to the shadows, welcome them, and embrace them; to make room for new developments that call out to us].

The blindness alluded to in the passage is not only an existential characteristic of those who feel lost, but a constitutive condition of every woman and man: we do not always see what the right choices are.

This is why in the early centuries the newly baptised were also called 'the enlightened'.

In many aspects of life, before their conversion they were like blind people, groping their way forward - because they were bombarded and crippled by the outside society.

We realise that the journey of Faith is first and foremost a love story, but also an ever clearer 'seeing', an 'opening of the eyes' to the whole of reality - until we acquire a clear and personal judgement.

Does everyone do things in a certain way? Jesus does not want people to be like sheep, who can only see a few metres ahead and stay together, so that wherever the first one goes, the others follow, keeping close together and preventing any agile movement outside the norm.

Being a figure of the human, creaturely situation, the protagonist of the Gospel passage has no name, because being born with a defect of vision and orientation unites us.

It is not a fault, but a condition.

If you like, it is the simple way, in keeping with our limited experience, in which the Master and Lord tells of original sin - which is not "sin" and is not "original".

Jesus never deals with that memorised catechism.

Instead, he proposes that we open our eyes wide, so that our 'mud' and his Breath can unleash the blossoming, the creation of a regenerated wayfarer.

The ancient man did not know where to go: Who will open his eyes and make him live as an authentic creature? And what is the substance of the new man, reborn from the Light?

The religious leaders take no joy in the healing of humanity (vv. 16ff). 

Jesus, on the other hand, adds to the dose: once we have been sent to Life in the Spirit, symbolised here by Water, the Master leaves the scene.

The false spiritual guides were only interested in preserving their institution and position, their 'sound doctrine' and all the trappings.

They claim to still be considered 'the light of the people', 'guides of the blind' - in reality, they themselves are the first to be 'blinded' or unwilling to 'see' the real and beneficial action of the Creator (vv. 39-41).

In short, in order to grow, we must walk on our own two feet.

God is not a paternalist who is always there sticking his nose into everything: he wants us to be free [only then are we capable of loving].

Enough with the little children who only become big children. There are still many doors to open; many thresholds to cross.

The world of the past or of the elites defends itself by any means necessary, resorting to the usual intimidation tactics. Don't worry: these are not signs of strength, but of imminent defeat.

First interrogation:

The neighbours do not recognise him. He looks like him, but it can't be him... Those around him remain perplexed.

For example: why doesn't he think about his career, why doesn't he live off his position... and so on.

And why doesn't he keep his mouth shut and get himself recommended?

The former blind man says, 'I am' (v. 9), that is, in his restored humanity, he claims his divine condition.

When we encounter Christ, his prophetic dignity is transmitted to all those who welcome his Person.

Shyness is transformed into an ever-renewed attitude of fullness.

Second interrogation:

The craftsmen of light are the first enemies of Light.

Hostage to their own prejudices and common idolatrous beliefs, they imagine that if anyone dared not to bow down to their 'sacred' dispositions, they certainly would not come from God.

In reality, those who do not come from God are precisely those who stifle life and do not rejoice in it.

In a faith free from nomenclatures, chains, manners, fashions, and conformist religiosity, having one's own opinion means beginning the Exodus.

Without the imprimatur of the masters of souls, here we free ourselves from oppression.

And we aim for the Land of Freedom - because women and men have realised what honour and Dream they are called to.

Thus, they change their criteria of judgement: the absolute and non-negotiable principle is no longer observance of canon law or a disembodied ideology, but the concrete good of real man (not the fake one).

The authorities who guard custom or their social 'election' are even annoyed that someone is opening their eyes without authorisation.

What is this story of a wretch who was once a devoted and obedient son, who followed the veteran leaders in everything... but now 'sees' differently from the club of leaders and shows independence of judgement?

Third question:

Even his parents seem to be afraid of healing.

In truth, they are concerned that the 'authorities' threaten without ceremony those who do not conform to established dictates.

Being expelled from the synagogue meant becoming an outcast: civil death.

Even today, this is still the case for those who live in a highly religious, unilateral, structured, monopolistic provincial environment.

There is little to joke about with those who know how to use religion as a social weapon. Either you are with us, or you and your family are out.

Unfortunately, real power in the territory often intimidates and 'blinds' even those who have to suffer it.

Fourth interrogation:

'Give glory to God!' (v. 24) - that is, 'admit that you were wrong and you will see that we will find a way to agree'.

But those who have received the gift of Light do not stop, becoming increasingly confident, mature and decisive.

That is why he continues to say 'I do not know' - while the leaders solemnly affirm: 'We know!' remaining blind.

For the masters of the official cult, their authority is something indisputable, so they feel entitled to treat the person (who is not in line) as a heretic.

They move from insults to violence: a typical style, perhaps we know something about it.

But now the man 'sees', and is finally emancipated.

Excluded from the institution (v. 34) just like the Lord (Jn 8:59), now he is truly a Person. Because he begins to consider his experience more valid than the judgement of the official spiritual guides.

It is the primacy of naturalness and personal conscience over doctrine, roles, image, standard or dominant thinking, and codes - which are no longer able to communicate life. And that is what matters.

In fact, even if he is not well regarded by the world of false masters, conditioners and dirigistes, now it is Christ who seeks him and stands by his side (v. 35). Unconditionally.

In other words, if the leaders have branded you as profane, know that those who are truly excommunicated by God are those who do not care about respecting the intelligence of others - and they are precisely those who are not interested in goodness.

Our instinctive and genuine common sense surpasses both fixed opinions and glamorous, current, à la page convictions.

In this way, we overlook all the false doctrines that prevent us from reading the signs of the times and the events of our own history.

Cast out from the devout or influential circle, the 'born blind' - afflicted by such insecurity, malformation, 'original sin' - will find virtue in its fullness.

Finally putting the routine that makes everything banal, flat, automatic... in the background, he no longer flees.

He understands the importance of variation that disrupts plans. It makes them unique.

With new personal energy, he faces the unexpected: the life of Love that he realises, and knows how to turn the page.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lenten journey that we are taking is a special time of grace during which we can experience the gift of the Lord’s kindness to us. The Liturgy of this Sunday, called “Laetare”, invites us to be glad and rejoice as the Entrance Antiphon of the Eucharistic celebration proclaims: “Rejoice, Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice with her, you who mourned for her, and you will find contentment at her consoling breasts” (cf. Is 66: 10-11). 

What is the profound reason for this joy? Today’s Gospel in which Jesus heals a man blind from birth tells us. The question which the Lord Jesus asks the blind man is the high point of the story: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (Jn 9:35). The man recognizes the sign worked by Jesus and he passes from the light of his eyes to the light of faith: “Lord, I believe!” (Jn 9:38). 

It should be noted that as a simple and sincere person he gradually completes the journey of faith. In the beginning he thinks of Jesus as a “man” among others, then he considers him a “prophet” and finally his eyes are opened and he proclaims him “Lord”. In opposition to the faith of the healed blind man is the hardening of the hearts of the Pharisees who do not want to accept the miracle because they refuse to receive Jesus as the Messiah. Instead the crowd pauses to discuss the event and continues to be distant and indifferent. Even the blind man’s parents are overcome by the fear of what others might think. 

And what attitude to Jesus should we adopt? Because of Adam’s sin we too are born “blind” but in the baptismal font we are illumined by the grace of Christ. Sin wounded humanity and destined it to the darkness of death, but the newness of life shines out in Christ, as well as the destination to which we are called. In him, reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit, we receive the strength to defeat evil and to do good. 

In fact the Christian life is a continuous conformation to Christ, image of the new man, in order to reach full communion with God. The Lord Jesus is the “light of the world” (Jn 8:12), because in him shines “the knowledge of the glory of God” (2 Cor 4:6) that continues in the complex plot of the story to reveal the meaning of human existence. 

In the rite of Baptism, the presentation of the candle lit from the large Paschal candle, a symbol of the Risen Christ, is a sign that helps us to understand what happens in the Sacrament. When our lives are enlightened by the mystery of Christ, we experience the joy of being liberated from all that threatens the full realization. 

In these days which prepare us for Easter let us rekindle within us the gift received in Baptism, that flame which sometimes risks being extinguished. Let us nourish it with prayer and love for others. Let us entrust our Lenten journey to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church so that all may encounter Christ, Saviour of the world.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus, 3 April 2011]

Yen ndow u Gambia–munu ma nyaka dage ak yen. 

(Young people of The Gambia, I could not miss having this meeting with you). 

1. I am delighted that this gathering could take place here at Saint Augustine’s High School, as a token of appreciation and gratitude for the Church’s long involvement in education in The Gambia.

Mangi len di nuyu ku neka chi yen. Te mangay neyu ndaw yi ma deglu chi radio bi. 

(I greet each one of you. And I greet all the young people who are listening to me over the Radio).

I come to you as the messenger of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Successor of the Apostle Peter, charged with confirming the Church in faith, unity and love. In the Lord’s name I wish to encourage you, the Christian youth of The Gambia, in your fidelity to the Gospel and in your love of the Church. And I wish to encourage all of you, Christians and Muslims, to pursue the great ideals which will enable you to work together to build a better world. 

I am grateful to your representatives for their kind words of welcome, and for the bouquet and the gift which they have presented to me on your behalf. 

2. Before coming here I tried to learn as much as I could about you. I wanted to understand your hopes, your fears, your aspirations, and the difficulties you face as you grow up and take your place in society. I was especially interested to know how you live your Christian faith, how closely you follow the teachings of Jesus, how the Christian and Muslim young people of The Gambia share the same concerns and are open to each other in the search for the good of your country and its people. 

Legi mange gis sen ni muun te di daaga sen bat u neh. Yen na di dega yakar gu mag cha kanan (uelaak). 

(Now I see your smiling faces and hear your joyful voices. You really are a great hope for the future!). 

You have prepared for this meeting by reflecting on the theme of the Papal Visit: "Be the salt of the earth; be the light of the world!" Let us think together about some of the implications of this Gospel invitation. Salt is useful if it gives taste to food; light is useful if it banishes darkness. Jesus was very forceful when he said: "if the salt has lost its taste... it is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out" (Mt. 5:13). Then he said that people do not light a lamp and hide it under a tub. That would defeat its purpose. Rather, they put it on a stand, "and it gives light to all in the house" (Ibid. 5:15). Both the salt and the light must contribute to improving things. That is what is expected of the young people of The Gambia. 

Am na lu bare lo len mona defal sen bopa jangu bi ak rew mi mep. 

(There is much that you must do for yourselves, for the Church, for your country). 

3. But where will you find the strength and the incentive to work for the well–being and the true happiness of others, without ever giving in to difficulties and discouragement? The Gospel of Saint John tells us the wonderful story of what Jesus did for a person he met in the streets of Jerusalem: a man "blind from his birth" (Cf. Jn. 9:1-41). Jesus anointed the man’s eyes and sent him to wash in the nearby pool of Siloam. The whole story of the miracle is meant to teach us about Jesus himself. He says: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (Ibid. 9:5). Jesus gives the man his sight so that we might understand that he alone can give us the light we need to see things as they really are, to understand the full truth about ourselves and others, about our life and its destiny. Jesus is indeed our light. In Saint John’s Gospel he says: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Ibid. 8:12). 

The name of the pool, "Siloam", means "sent": and Jesus himself is the one sent by the Father for the life of the world (Cf. ibid. 6:51). The pool where the man has to wash his eyes is a symbol of Jesus’ own role as the Messiah, the One sent to wash away the sins of the world, to redeem us through his Death and Resurrection, to purify us through the waters of Baptism. 

4. Let us think about the experience of the blind man. He has not yet seen Jesus, he can only hear his voice and feel the Lord’s fingers anointing his eyes. But he "went and washed and came back seeing" (Ibid. 9:7). Imagine his joy and his surprise as he looks at the world for the first time! The people standing round want to know how he has been cured. He tells them that it was done by "the man called Jesus" (Ibid. 9:11). But when they ask where Jesus is, the man has no answer. He has to admit: "I do not know" (Ibid 9:12). The man born blind has already received a great gift from the Lord, but a lot must happen before he will actually see Jesus and fully believe in him. 

First, he must resist the opposition of the Pharisees. Then, even his parents were afraid, and defended him only halfheartedly. 

The cured man does not yet have a full answer to the accusations made against Christ. He has only one argument, the fact that Jesus has cured him. "One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see" (Jn. 9:25). He has one certainty, that Jesus is a good man, a prophet: "If this man were not from God, he could do nothing" (Ibid. 9:33). 

Seeing that he publicly defended Jesus, the Pharisees "cast him out" (Ibid. 9:34). The blind man was now free to follow Christ, but he was also beginning to pay the price of discipleship. 

Then the Gospel tells us something very beautiful: "Jesus heard that they had cast him out" (Ibid. 9:35). The Lord never loses contact with his followers. He never abandons them. When they are alone and lost, he searches for them. That is the work of the Good Shepherd and of all those who take the place of the Chief Shepherd in the life of the Church. 

Jesus looked for the man whom he had cured, "and having found him he said: ‘Do you believe in the Son of man?’ " (Ibid.). Here we come to the heart of the Gospel message. 

Nda ngom ngen: li di largte gi Yesu di wah chi ndaw u katolic yi neka chi rew mi tei (chi Gambia tei)

(Do you believe? This is the same question that Jesus addresses to the Catholic young people of The Gambia today). 

Is your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, strong enough to give meaning and direction to your lives? To lead you out of fear and loneliness: To fill you with an ardent desire to serve his Kingdom and make it present in your own lives, in your families, in society? 

Remember, the man has not yet seen Jesus with open eyes. But his heart is full of the desire to know the one who has done this great thing for him. He asks: "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" (Ibid. 9:36). And then comes the great moment when Jesus reveals himself: "It is he who speaks to you" (Ibid. 9:37). When we are open, the light of Christ penetrates our hearts. When we discover him as the Way and the Truth and the Life, we are transformed (Cf. Jn. 14:6). God’s truth teaches us wisdom; his love fills us with certainty, and with a great desire to do what he wants of us, and to share our discovery with others so that they too may have the marvellous experience of meeting the Lord. 

The cured man professes his faith: "Lord, I believe" (Ibid 9:38). At this moment he worships Jesus and a whole new world opens up before him. He enters into a new relationship with God. He will never again doubt God’s unique love for him. He will adapt his life in every way to the will of God, to the following of Christ, to working for the coming of God’s Kingdom in the heart of everyone he meets. 

Yesu angi len di o’ tei chi sen ngom. 

(Jesus is calling you to just such an encounter of faith). 

5. Like young people everywhere, the youth of The Gambia have many problems. You are anxious about your future. You are sometimes tempted by the false promise of happiness in drug or alcohol abuse, or in the misuse of the wonderful divine gift of human sexuality. These deceitful sirens of a would–be liberation and progress have already betrayed millions of young people like you in other parts of the world. By robbing them of their youthful ideals and the sense of responsibility and challenge, these harmful models of happiness have led many young men and women into a terrible state of frustration and alienation. Above all, a false "gospel" of materialism is being loudly "preached" to young people. It says that happiness depends on having more and more material things, and that material wealth, however obtained, is the measure of a person’s worth. Nothing could be farther from the truth! True happiness has to do with "being", not with "having". 

6. What then is the Pope’s message to you? To be what you are! 

Yen nyep dom u yalla nden, te ku neka chi yen am na legaye gu mu wara mutali chi jangom ak chi kurail gi mu boka. 

(You are all God’s children, and each one of you has a task to fulfil for the Church and society). 

God has endowed you with many gifts and talents which you must develop for his glory and for the good of The Gambia. Here I must remind you to use every opportunity to study well and educate yourselves for the tasks that life will set before you. I know that some of you may have to leave your own country in search of employment and opportunities elsewhere, but it is also true that as far as possible your vitality and skills are needed here in your homeland, in the service of your own communities. 

To some of you the Lord may give the very special gift of a vocation to the priesthood or to the religious life. Listen to his voice! Such a calling requires great sacrifice and absolute generosity. But remember the promise Jesus made to Peter and the rest of the disciples: "Every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life" (Mt. 19:29). May the Lord grant many of you the light to discover this unique grace in your lives! 

No one must think that he or she has nothing to offer. All of you, Christians and Muslims, are called to make your families and society itself places where God is truly present, where justice and peace really exist, and where people are motivated by a spirit of love and mutual respect. My message to the young people of The Gambia is this: Neka len horom u aduna si neka len ler u aduna si! 

(Be the salt of the earth! Be the light of the world!). Be for The Gambia a sign that respect for God’s law is the only true path of peace and prosperity for her people. This is what the Pope and the Church expect of you. This is what your country needs from you. 

Na yalla barkel kena ku neka chi yen. 

Na yalla barkel sen wajour, sen njabot sen jangalekat yi ak nyepa nyi len di sama chi sen hol. 

Na yalla barkel Gambia bi. 

(God bless each one of you.

God bless your parents, your families, your teachers, and all those who have your well–being at heart. 

God bless The Gambia).

[Pope John Paul II, homily in Banjul (Gambia), 23 February 1992]

At the centre of the liturgy of this fourth Sunday of Lent there is the theme of light. The Gospel (cf. Jn 9:1-41) recounts the episode of the man blind from birth, to whom Jesus gives sight. This miraculous sign confirms Jesus’ affirmation that “I am the light of the world” (v. 5), the light that brightens our darkness. Jesus is thus. He operates illumination on two levels: a physical level and a spiritual level: the blind person first receives the sight of the eyes and then is led to faith in the “Son of Man” (v. 35), that is, in Jesus. It is all a journey. Today it would be good if you were all to take a copy of the Gospel according to John, chapter nine, and read this passage: it is so good and it will do us good to read it once or twice more. The wonders that Jesus performs are not spectacular gestures, but have the purpose of leading to faith through a journey of inner transformation.

The doctors of the law - who were there in a group - persist in not admitting the miracle, and ask the healed man insidious questions. But he disconcerts them with the power of reality: “One thing I do know. I was blind and now I see” (v. 25). Amidst the distrust and hostility of those who surround him and interrogate him, incredulous, he takes a route that leads him to gradually discover the identity of the One who opened his eyes and to confess his faith in Him. At first he considers Him a prophet (cf. v. 17); then he recognises Him as one Who comes from God (cf. v. 33); finally he welcomes Him as the Messiah and prostrates himself before Him (cf. vv. 36-38). He understood that by giving him sight Jesus displayed “the works of God” (cf. v. 3).

May we too have this experience! With the light of faith he who was blind discovers his new identity. He is now a “new creature”, able to see his life and the world around him in a new light, because he has entered into communion with Christ, he has entered into another dimension. He is no longer a beggar marginalised by the community; he is no longer a slave to blindness and prejudice. His path of enlightenment is a metaphor for the path of liberation from sin to which we are called. Sin is like a dark veil that covers our face and prevents us from clearly seeing ourselves and the world; the Lord’s forgiveness takes away this blanket of shadow and darkness and gives us new light. The Lenten period that we are living is an opportune and valuable time to approach the Lord, asking for His mercy, in the different forms that Mother Church proposes to us.

The healed blind man, who now sees both with the eyes of the body and with those of the soul, is the image of every baptised person, who immersed in Grace has been pulled out of the darkness and placed in the light of faith. But it is not enough to receive the light, one must become light. Each one of us is called to receive the divine light in order to manifest it with our whole life. The first Christians, the theologians of the first centuries, used to say that the community of Christians, that is the Church, is the “mystery of the moon”, because it gave light but it was not its own light, it was the light it received from Christ. We too can be “mystery of the moon”: giving light received from the sun, which is Christ, the Lord. Saint Paul reminds us of this today: “Live as children of light; for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth” (Eph 5:8-9). The seed of new life placed in us in Baptism is like the spark of a fire, which first of all purifies us, burning the evil in our hearts, and allows us to shine and illuminate. With the light of Jesus.
May Mary Most Holy help us to imitate the blind man of the Gospel, so that we can be flooded with the light of Christ and set out with Him on the way of salvation.

[Pope Francis, Angelus, 22 March 2020]

(Lk 18:9-14)

Mechanism of retribution denies the essential experience of the life of Faith: ‘allowing oneself to be a saved person, living from Mystery’ - instead of the closed circle of narrow “justices” that have nowhere to go.

To introduce oneself into the newness of Christ it’s enough to have met oneself and to be sincere: a strange holiness, accessible to all.

It comes to reality, even the most intimate: we are not omnipotent in goodness; we cannot do much good, from sophistication, from ideas, from muscles.

By leaving room for the Father's intervention, we learn to trust in what we receive, more than relying on the expectations even of others, or on what is proposed and imposed.

Our concrete history can be reflected in the form of Prayer. But if dialogue with God doesn’t emerge from a penetrating perception and is satisfied with external goals, Listening becomes empty.

The spirit of “greatness” (also moral and spiritual) sinks inexorably - and into true misery: the epidermal one.

It doesn’t see the Father's exceptionality: He who transmits life.

Those who live by comparisons and have a contemptuous evaluation of the considered inferior ones, do not enjoy openings.

They remain without space or time for the action of the multifaceted being, in the variety of situations.

They misplace themselves in front of God and neighbor - denying themselves the joy of Gratis and Novelty.

In this way, they never trust in what’s more reliable than a worldview, or in their own leadership initiatives.

They do not grasp anything they do not already know, because they do not read inside.

They are in constant monologue: with themselves [but never reaching the self’s bottom] and those of their own circle.

So they don't pour out happiness - which comes from amazement.

In all circumstances, they find only a theater, an echo’s rumble of others’ voices, and around them.

Not the intimacy of exceptional and beloved person as it is.

The subject of archaic religious life is in fact “the our" - the ego.

If Jesus had asked which of the two could return home justified, everyone would have pointed to the pharisee, the reserved one apart.

In the life of Faith, the Subject is instead the Mystery, the Eternal, the Living One.

It’s He who works, by creating: and only He acts here too.

He justifies, that is, He places justice where there is none. The self-sufficient person has no need.

This is the real and royal Principle, engine of our realization and of authentic prayer-hearing, stripped of merits and pride, but capable of recovering the ‘opposite sides’.

God fears flawless liturgies and individual prayers in which nothing happens and from which one comes out without having experienced his «Creative Action» and his forgiveness.

Work not ours. Energy and sting that even in our innermost being brings us an Alliance of ‘faces’, a conviviality of differences.

In the spiritual and social life of the "polyhedron" and of the daily brief, we are enabled to translate the need for a ‘jointing-sentiment’, which the Father communicates in a broad manner, and giving us time.

Much more than a struggle between opposing worldviews: divine Justice is unprecedented, and growing - it cannot be bought by manner deeds.

To internalize and live the message:

When do I see myself as a pharisee and when publican?

How can I meet myself, by contemplating God? And while I meet others?

[Saturday 3rd wk. in Lent, March 14, 2026]