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Blessing of St Francis church & Dedication of the altar, Abrahamic Family House - Homily of Bp Paolo
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November 4, 2024Homily of Bp Paolo Martinelli OFM Cap., during the ceremony of the Blessing of Saint Francis Church and Dedication of the Altar – AFH___________________________________________Your Excellency, Archbishop Christophe El Kassis, Apostolic Nuncio to the United Arab Emirates and for us a special sign of Pope Francis’ closeness to our particular Church; Msgr. Paul Hinder, my beloved predecessor, distinguished guests and authorities of the Abrahamic Family House, dear Fr. Chito, the Parish Priest, Fr. Stefano Luca, brothers in the priesthood, and beloved consecrated persons, and my dear brothers and sisters, May the Lord give you peace and joy.“Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”With these significant words Jesus describes his encounter with Zacchaeus in Jericho. These are words that help us understand the profound meaning of today’s celebration in which we bless the Church of Saint Francis in the Abrahamic Family House and dedicate the altar for the Eucharistic sacrifice.The story of Zacchaeus is significant and opens our hearts to God's tenderness for every creature. It is the story of a sinful man, known and feared by the people, who does not have the courage to meet Jesus directly. However, he is intrigued by Jesus’ presence and his fame. He decides to climb a Sycamore tree to at least have a glimpse of him, since he was small in stature. But this blessed encounter goes far beyond the expectations of this man. Jesus himself turns to him and asks to be hosted in his house.This encounter changed Zacchaeus' life forever. This public sinner completely changed his life, thanks to the encounter with Jesus. He gave half of his possessions to the poor and returned four times as much to those from whom he stole. He changed his life because he felt loved. Salvation has entered this house, and Jesus recognizes in Zacchaeus a son of Abraham. In these words of Jesus, we find the meaning of the Church: a place to meet Jesus and be met by him; a place to find salvation, forgiveness and reconciliation; a place to find that peace, which our hearts need the most. This church which is blessed today is a place of peace, where we can experience the love of God for every man and every woman.Zacchaeus was descendent of Abraham. Today we are here in the Abrahamic Family House to bless this church. The Abrahamic Family House was born as a fruit of the document on Human Fraternity signed here in Abu Dhabi by Holy Father Pope Francis and His Eminence Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, in 2019. This place is for the children of Abraham to meet, to recognize themselves as participants in a long history. We certainly recognize as richness, the value of the different places of worship in which Jews, Muslims and Christians gather for prayer according to their faith.However, we recognize like Zacchaeus that we are all children of Abraham. We are his descendants. This allows us to walk together with every person of goodwill, whatever their religion may be, and contribute to a peaceful coexistence and to the construction of a more human and fraternal world. Here we can experience the words that are at the beginning of the document on Human Fraternity: Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved. Through faith in God, who has created the universe, creatures and all human beings (equal on account of his mercy), believers are called to express this human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need.Faith in God pushes us to build the brotherhood among all people and to be compassionate with those in need, because God is compassionate and merciful. The book of Nehemiah that we have heard speaks to us of the joy of the people for the gift of listening the word of God and for the gathering of the people of God, as a prefiguration of the new house of the Lord among them, the sweet home where the faithful dialogue with God. We all need a house of prayer, where each according to their different faith, can celebrate praises to the Lord and give thanks to God. To realize our human existence, we need to recognize and believe in the living and true God.At the center of the Catholic Church as we see, is the altar. The whole building is built to allow the people to gather around the altar, which is a symbol of Christ, the rock, on which to build life in peace. Here we find mercy and forgiveness; here we nourish ourselves with the body of Christ and in this way become peacemakers together with all men of good will. On the altar the gift of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is renewed for us. This gift puts us in communion with God and with others.In this way, this Church, dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, the universal brother and peacemaker, generously donated to Pope Francis by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, wants to be, together with the other places of worship in the Abrahamic Family House, a cry to all humanity that no one forgets God and at the same time no one justifies violence in the name of God.Brothers and sisters, when we walk towards God, we never walk alone but always journey with others. This is why the image that Saint Paul offers us in the letter to the Ephesians is so evocative: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.These words of the Apostle to the Gentiles certainly refers to those who base their life on the Apostolic faith. However, we can see in this expression a prophecy of what is possible to live in the Abrahamic Family House, a new bond between people founded on God. We are no longer strangers, we are no longer enemies, we are called to a new familiarity with God and among ourselves.God is love and mercy and He created us for joy. Rooted in his love we are called to work for the good of all, for a more just and reconciled world in view of the kingdom of heaven, where God will be all in all.May Our Lady of Arabia protect us on our journey; may Saint Francis of Assisi always inspire us on the path of good. AmenArticle about the event
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