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(Vatican Radio)  If we keep our eyes constantly fixed on Jesus, we will discover with surprise that it is he who looks lovingly upon each of us. That was Pope Francis’ message on Tuesday at his morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.

Listen to Devin Watkins' report:

Jesus does not seek popularity, but is always among people

The author of Hebrews exhorts us to run in the faith "with perseverance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus." In the Gospel, Jesus looks at us and sees us. Pope Francis explained that he is close to us, he "is always in the crowd":

• “He didn’t walk around with guards to protect him, so that the people could not touch him. No, no! He stayed there and people surrounded him. And there were more people around every time Jesus went out. Statisticians might have been inclined to publish: ‘Rabbi Jesus’ popularity is falling’. But he sought something else: he sought people. And the people sought him. The people had their gaze fixed on him and he had his fixed on them. ‘Yes, yes, on the people, on the multitude’ – ‘No, on each individual!’. This is the peculiarity of Jesus’ gaze: He does not standardize people; He looks at each person.”

Jesus sees both great and small things

The Gospel of Mark narrates two miracles: Jesus heals a woman suffering from hemorrhaging for 12 years who, though pressed by the crowd, was able to touch his cloak. And he realizes that he was touched. Then, he raises the twelve year-old daughter of Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He understands that the girl is hungry and tells her parents to give her something to eat:

• “The gaze of Jesus falls on both the big and the small. That's how Jesus sees us all: He sees all things, but looks at each of us. He sees our big problems, our greatest joys, and also looks at the little things about us. Because he is close. Jesus is not afraid of the big things, but also takes account of the small ones. That's how Jesus looks at us.”

The surprise of encountering Jesus

If we run “with perseverance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus”, Pope Francis said, “we will be ‘completely astonished’, just as happened to the people after the raising of Jairus’ daughter”:

• “I go forward, looking at Jesus. I walk ahead, keeping my gaze fixed on Jesus, and what do I find? That he has his gaze fixed on me! And that makes me feel this great astonishment. This is the astonishment of the encounter with Jesus. But let us not be afraid! We are not afraid, just as that woman was not afraid to touch Jesus’ mantle. Let us not be afraid! Let us run down this road with our gaze ever fixed on Jesus. And we will have a beautiful surprise: He will fill us with awe. Jesus himself has his gaze fixed on me.”

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(Vatican Radio)  Franciscans in the United States have expressed their dismay for the government’s announcement to ‘pause’ Refugee Resettlement.

In response to President Trump’s plan, over 1,000 Franciscans signed a statement resisting a proposed Muslim registry and in support of refugees.

The statement was released by the Franciscan Action Network (FAN), a collective Franciscan voice seeking to transform United States public policy related to peace making, care for creation, poverty and human rights.

Please find below the FAN press release:
 
Washington, D.C. - The announcement by the Trump Administration to "pause" refugee resettlement for 120 days, effectively halting the resettlement process is deeply disturbing to Franciscans all over the country. The United States must not turn our backs on refugees from around the world at the very time when they are most in need of safety from war and persecution.

By effectively stopping the resettlement of Syrian refugees and narrowly preferencing religious minorities, this announcement is tantamount to the Muslim ban that was threatened during the Presidential campaign. This is a clear case of religious discrimination and must be decried as such which is why the Franciscan Action Network established Franciscan Commitment for Resistance of Muslim registry, which currently has over 1,000 individual signers and one religious community with over 1,000 members.

We stand with our refugee brothers and sisters and all those who are seeking protection. Providing protection to people seeking safety is one of our nation's proudest and longest standing traditions which we are morally obligated to uphold. This action goes back on America's promise to refugees and abdicates America's leadership role on human rights.

"The Gospels call us to welcome the stranger, so as people of faith, we advocate and support the rights and dignity of all people, especially immigrants and refugees. The United States was built by immigrants and we must continue to protect our immigrant and refugee sisters and brothers and keep families together." said Patrick Carolan, Executive Director Franciscan Action Network.

Regardless of a refugee's country of origin, everyone is equally deserving of dignity, welcome, and protection from harm. We call on the administration to do everything in their power to reverse this announcement.

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Washington D.C., Jan 31, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Tens of thousands of pro-life advocates went to the national March for Life this past weekend, but that should only be the beginning of a year-round witness to life, one pro-life leader says.

“The bishops call Catholics to witness to the beauty of life all year around,” Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for pro-life communications at the U.S. Bishops' Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities, told CNA in an interview.

The March for Life “is a particular moment, but I encourage people to be energized by it,” she said, calling on Catholics “to really take this beautiful vision of human life that we have and really invite others into it.”

Friday marked the 44th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., the world’s largest annual pro-life rally. Pro-life advocates from all over the country braved the cold winter weather to advocate for the protection of human life in the womb.

Thousands also attended the national Prayer Vigil for Life on Thursday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast Washington, D.C. An estimated crowd of around 12,000 attended the vigil mass Thursday evening said by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, as well as 40 bishops and hundreds of priests, deacons, and seminarians.

The mass began a 14-hour overnight prayer vigil that was concluded with a closing mass on Friday morning.

At the 2017 march, the theme was “the power of one.” Officials for the march explained that this referred to the good that just one person can accomplish by choosing to bring a baby into the world, adopt a baby, or pass a pro-life law that reduces abortions.

The pro-life movement must make sure to support the life of the unborn child but also the well-being of the mother, McQuade said.

“Being authentically pro-life doesn’t pit women against their unborn children,” she said. “Really, if we’re united with the most oppressed” and “the most disenfranchised, if we have a progressive view of life, we’re going to stand with the unborn in solidarity with his or her mother.”

“As Catholics, we can be united with others who stand with women and say ‘women deserve better than abortion’,” she said.

Many Catholics also participated in the U.S. bishops’ “9 Days for Life” campaign of prayer and advocacy “for the protection of human life from conception to natural death.”

The campaign included prayers for the end to abortion but also “for healing for those who have been involved in an abortion,” McQuade explained, and a prayer intention “to end domestic violence, which is so important and also tied to abortions.”

“It’s a beautiful way for Catholics and other people of faith to join in with all the tens of thousands of people who are across the country demonstrating in person,” she noted, “it’s kind of a virtual pilgrimage.”

However, the campaign and the march should only be the beginning of year-round prayer, advocacy, and works of mercy to build a culture of life, she insisted. “Your prayers and actions make a difference,” she told participants in the March for Life and the 9 Days for Life campaign.

Catholics should be “educating people about the dignity of human life from conception until natural death,” she said.

They should also be “praying for that protection and for a culture that would find abortion unthinkable, assisted suicide unthinkable and everything in between,” she added, and they should support laws that protect human life from evils like abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.

Catholics can learn more about present-day issues through signing up for the bishops’ “action alerts” at HumanLifeActionCenter.org, she said, and by following their own state’s Catholic conference.

And lastly, Catholics must work on “putting mercy into action with practical support for women who are pregnant, people who are sick or dying, people who are prisoners on death row,” she said.

“We need to be present to all of them, and according to our gifts and talents, serve them.”

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