"In the disfigured face of Christ there is a hidden beauty: the beauty of the love that saves"

"In the disfigured face of Christ there is a hidden beauty: the beauty of the love that saves"

More than 30 thousand pilgrims participated in the Palm Sunday mass at the Prayer Area of the Sanctuary of Fátima, presided over by Cardinal D. António Marto.

Cardinal D. António Marto presided over the celebration of the Palm Sunday mass and left pilgrims with an invitation to recognize the beauty of God's love in the faces of those around them.

In the homily he delivered, the bishop emeritus of Leiria-Fátima highlighted two distinct moments: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the narration of the Passion of the Lord.

In the first, Cardinal D. António Marto emphasized that it was “a scene full of beauty and light,” expressing Jesus' proximity to his people. He invited the pilgrims to welcome Jesus, "without fear, with affection and joy to walk the path with Him."

In the contemplation of the Passion, the priest evoked the suffering of Christ, noting that “in the disfigured face of Christ there is a hidden beauty that can only be discovered with the gaze of faith,” identifying it as “the beauty of the love that saves.”

To illustrate these two distinct moments, Cardinal D. António Marto turned to examples mentioned by Pope Francisco regarding the beauty of simple gestures and sacrifice for others.

“There is a beauty in the communion of the family gathered around the table,” “in the fidelity of couples who love each other in the autumn of life,” “in those elderly people who walk hand in hand,” he exemplified.

“To discover, show, and highlight this beauty, which recalls the beauty of Christ who offered himself on the cross and which our world needs so much, is our mission as Christians,” D. António Marto stated twice.

The cardinal further urged pilgrims to recognize the gestures of Holy Week, in particular the veneration of the cross on Good Friday, in an attitude of closeness to those who suffer.

In closing, the bishop emeritus of Leiria-Fátima exhorted and encouraged the pilgrims to recognize the beauty of God's love in the faces of those who surround them.

“Do I recognize the beauty of God's love in my life?” he asked, requesting the pilgrims to ask themselves this question.

The homily ended with an invocation to the Virgin Mary, asking that she always accompany the pilgrims on the path of love.

In the celebration of the Palm Sunday mass, at the Prayer Area, more than 30 thousand pilgrims were present.