Before the recitation of the Marian Prayer, the Pope reflects on Sunday’s Gospel reading, February 17, from Luke in which, he says, Jesus in the form of the beatitudes “opens his eyes to us, makes us see with his gaze, beyond appearances, beyond the surface, and teaches us to discern situations with faith.”

Pope Francis explained how Jesus, “declares the poor, the hungry, the afflicted, the persecuted blessed while he admonishes those who are rich, well fed, who laugh and are acclaimed by people. He went on to say that the "woe to you" phrase, “addressed to those who are doing well today, serves to "awaken" them from the dangerous deception of selfishness and open them up to the logic of love, while they still have time.”

The Pope emphasized that “the passage of Sunday’s Gospel, therefore, invites us to reflect on the profound meaning of having faith, which consists in trusting the Lord totally... he alone can give our existence that much desired fullness, yet one that is difficult to achieve.”

The danger of idolatry
He noted that, even today, “there are many who propose themselves as dispensers of happiness”: They promise success in the short term”, Pope Francis said, “great profits to be had, magical solutions to every problem, and so on. And without realizing, it is easy to slip into sin against the first commandment: idolatry, replacing God with an idol.”

“That is why Jesus opens our eyes to reality, ” the Pope stressed, “we are called to happiness, to be blessed, and we become so from now on in the measure in which we put ourselves on the side of God, of His Kingdom, on the side of what is not ephemeral but endures for eternal life.” He continued, “we are happy if we recognize ourselves as needy before God and, if like Him and with Him, we are close to the poor, the afflicted and the hungry.”

The Beatitudes a decisive message
The Beatitudes of Jesus, Pope Francis concluded, “are a decisive message, which spurs us on not to place our trust in material and transitory things, not to seek happiness by following the sellers of smoke, the professionals of illusion.”

The Lord, he said, “helps us to open our eyes, to acquire a more penetrating look at reality, to heal from the chronic myopia that which the worldly spirit infects us. With his paradoxical Word he shakes us up and makes us recognize what really enriches us, satisfies us, gives us joy and dignity.”

In another development, the Pope invited prayers for protection of minors meeting.

Pope Francis during the Sunday Angelus also asked for prayers for the upcoming “Meeting on the Protection of Minors”.

Pope Francis, following the recitation of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, focused his attention on "the protection of minors in the Church" meeting, to be held in the Vatican from 21 to 24 February 2019.

The Pope said that all the Presidents of all the Episcopal Conferences would be there and he invited those present in St Peter’s Square to pray for the meeting, which the Pontiff said, he wanted “as an act of strong pastoral responsibility in the face of an urgent challenge of our time.”

The February Meeting will include plenary sessions, working groups, moments of common prayer, listening to testimonies, a penitential liturgy, and a final Eucharistic celebration.

Pope Francis will be present for the entire duration of the meeting, and has entrusted Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ, with the task of moderating the Plenary sessions.

According to an earlier communication from the Holy See Press Office regarding the upcoming summit: “the goal is that all of the Bishops clearly understand what they need to do to prevent and combat the worldwide problem of the sexual abuse of minors.

Pope Francis knows that a global problem can only be resolved with a global response. The Pope wants it to be an assembly of Pastors, not an academic conference – a meeting characterized by prayer and discernment, a catechetical and working gathering.”

The meeting will include a penitential liturgy February 23rd and a closing Mass February 24th.