Brothers and sisters 

May the Lord give you peace! 

It is a great joy for me to celebrate this Solemnity of Saint Elizabeth with you. Celebration of our community of “Kerynea”. Celebrating our saints is truly an opportunity to meditate on their lives. And what does the life of Saint Elizabeth teach us? Saint Elizabeth teaches us that following Jesus is possible…. That living the teachings of Jesus is possible…. The life of Saint Elizabeth teaches us that the Gospel, the Word of God, is not a theory. The Gospel is not theory. The liturgy is not a theatre. And above all she teaches us that living the words of Jesus in our daily lives is possible, and it is God’s will for us. Elizabeth was a princess, from a wealthy family. Despite her being rich, with money, power, Elizabeth understood that we are passing through this world. That we don’t take anything with us. Saint Elizabeth believed in eternal life. 

There are many things will change in the would if we really believe in eternal life. That the true wealth, the true value of man is the life of Jesus. For Elizabeth, Jesus was for her everything. She has a Franciscan tertiary and she really  loved the poor, the weakest, the most fragile, just as she loved Jesus. 

And the question comes naturally: How is this possible? Where to start? And the answer is: start living by listening to the Gospel. And Putting the words of Jesus into practice. In today’s Gospel, Saint Lucke reports the words of Jesus who asks us to love our enemies. And not only to love, but to pray for them. This request is not easy. And the question is even deeper: what are we doing that is extraordinary if we love the people who love us? Everyone does it! 

Brothers and sisters, to understand this commandment of Jesus, we must overcome the logic of giving and receiving. What will I receive? Here is the difference between Protestant theology and Catholic theology. Protestant theology is the theology of prosperity: I will receive power, money from God… but I have to give something… Catholic theology: being in the Church to live life united with Jesus. 

In radicality: Loving your enemies is not easy, I think we are faced with one of the most challenging pages of the Gospel; but which reflects the substance of the whole life of Jesus, who on the cross prays for those who crucified him: “father forgive them for they know not what they do”. He prayed for the Father to forgive their sin. This love and prayer save and redeem the world. With this commandment of his, Jesus brings the law of love to the height of spiritual perfection. In these two precepts of him – love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you – the height of his divine and human charity is revealed. The Crucifix is the absolute, unsurpassable perfection of the Father’s love for us. Whoever looks at Him learns to love. If you look at the crucifix you will learn to love, to forgive… 

This merciful action continues in the life of the church… with Saint Elizabeth, after the death of her husband (the King), she was chased away from the palace. The answer: with the money she built a hospital for the poor people. 

Years ago I visited the city of “corrientes”, in Argentina, and I met a lady. This lady went to the prison every Sunday to visit a young man. Who was that man? He was the man who killed his son. I asked to that lady why she visited that man who killed her son, she replied: father, these are the words of Jesus, this is what Jesus taught us. I am Christian… 

It’s not easy…. Perhaps they already come into our memory: facts, situations, wounds, memories of the past that make us think that it will not be possible to accept the words of Jesus today. But the strength of Jesus’ words is a grace…. Supernatural, which is the Grace of God. 

Brothers and sisters, let us ask the Virgin Mary for her intercession and to teach us to love those who harm us, those who have harmed us. Thus we can become the continuation of the visible love of Jesus… We also ask for the intercession of Saint Elizabeth for our Catholic Church of Cyprus, for this community of “Kerynea”, which can continue its mission, as witnesses of the Gospel here in this not an easy situation in the North of Cyprus… amèn