With countless faithful gathered in Kossuth Lajos Square, Pope Francis started his third and final day in Budapest by celebrating the Holy Mass.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter's Gospel reading, which emphasizes the role of the Good Shepherd, served as the base for the Holy Father's homily. He stated that a good shepherd always sacrifices his life for his sheep. When we too were lost, Jesus came to find us, just like a shepherd who would search for his lost sheep. Pope Francis compares Jesus to a shepherd who came to save us from death. He then added that Christ who is the Good Shepherd does two things specifically for his sheep, i.e., calls His sheep by name and leads them out.
Personally Called By The Good Shepherd
Pope Francis reaffirmed to the believers that God calls all of us by name and longs to deliver us from sin and death, as well as to grant us abundant life and unending joy. He reminded everyone that Jesus came to summon us and bring us home as the Good Shepherd of humanity.
The Pope continued by saying that as Christians, we are each personally called by the Good Shepherd and entrusted with the responsibility of receiving and sharing His love, opening up His flock to everyone, and never excluding anybody. This, he asserted, means that we have a duty to promote unity, avoid separation, and widen our hearts to one another's love.
Jesus The Door That Leads Us Back
The Pope went on to say that after the Shepherd has called His sheep, He then sends them out into the world to serve as witnesses to the love that gave us new life.
When introducing the door image, Pope Francis said that Jesus is the door that leads us back into the world after bringing us into the fold of the Church.
The Pope criticized the locked doors that "even in our ecclesial communities" exist to the lonely, the poor, foreigners, and migrants; doors closed "to other people... to the world... to those who are 'irregular'... those who long for God's forgiveness."
The faithful were urged by Pope Francis to open those doors. To try to emulate Jesus by being an open door that never closes in anyone's face and that allows everyone to enter to experience the wonder of God's love in our words, acts, and daily activities.
Be Facilitators of God’s Love
The Pope urged bishops, priests, and all other "shepherds" in the Church to become more open doors and "facilitators" of God's love.
In addition, he urged the ordinary faithful—including catechists, pastoral workers, and political and social leaders—to be welcoming, inclusive, and open so that Hungary could advance down the path of brotherhood, which leads to peace.
In closing his homily, the Holy Father urged the faithful to never give up and to keep in mind that Jesus the Good Shepherd calls us by name and watches over us with an incomparably compassionate love.