Pope: Christians seek unity, those who sow weeds
divide
Vatican Radio) Jesus prays for the unity of Christians, but
within the Church there are those who sow weeds (It: zizzanieri), those who divide and
destroy the community with their tongues. That was the message of Pope Francis
at the morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta.
The difficulty of unity
Jesus, before the Passion,
prays for “the unity of believers, of the Christian community,” so that they
might be one—as He and the Father are one—that the world might believe. Pope
Francis took this passage as the starting point for his homily:
“The unity of the Christian
community, of the Christian family, is a witness: a witness to the fact that
the Father has sent the Son. And, perhaps, arriving at unity—in a Christian
community, in a parish, in the Bishop’s residence, in a Christian institution,
in a Christian family—is one of the most difficult things. Our history, the
history of the Church, makes us ashamed so often: but we have waged war against
our Christian brothers! To mention just one, we think of the Thirty Years’ War.
Asking forgiveness for
divisions
Where “Christians make war
among themselves,” Pope Francis said, “there is no witness”:
We have to ask, very often, for
forgiveness from the Lord for this history! A history so many times of
division—but not just in the past… Also today! Also today! And the world sees
that we are divided and says: “But let them come to an agreement among
themselves, then we’ll see… How, if Jesus is Risen and alive, are these, His
disciples, not in accord with one another?” Once, a Catholic Christian said to
another Christian, from the East—also a Catholic—“My Christ rises the day after
tomorrow. When does yours rise?” We are not even united in Easter! And this in
the whole world. And the world does not believe.
Those who sow weeds divide and
destroy
It was “by the envy of the
devil,” the Pope explained, “that death entered the world.” So also, in the
Christian community, selfishness, jealousy, envy, divisions are “almost habitual”;
and this leads to people speaking about one another behind their backs. In
Argentina, he noted, “these people are called ‘weed-sowers’ (It: “zizzaniere”):
they sow weeds, they divide. And here divisions begin with the tongue. Through
envy, jealousy, and also being closed! ‘No! The doctrine is this!’” The tongue,
Pope Francis said, “is capable of destroying a family, a community, a society;
of sowing hatred and war.” Instead of seeking clarification, “it is easier to
talk behind people’s backs” and to destroy “the reputation of the other.” The
Pope cites the well-known anecdote of Saint Philip Neri: to a woman had
confessed gossiping about others, the saint gave the penance of plucking a
chicken and spreading the feathers around the neighbourhood—and then trying to
gather them all up. “But that’s impossible!” the woman explained. Saint Philip
responded, “It’s the same with gossip…”
Speaking about others behind
their back is like this: it dirties the other. The one who does so makes things
dirty! He destroys! He destroys the reputation, he destroys the life, and so
many times—so many times!—without reason, contrary to the truth. Jesus has
prayed for us, for all of us, that we might remain here, and for our
communities, for our parishes, for our dioceses: “That they might be one.” Let
us pray to the Lord that He might give us the grace, because the strength of
the devil, of sin, that pushes us to disunity is so great, so great. Always!
That He might give us the grace, that He might give us the gift. And what is
the gift that creates unity? The Holy Spirit! That He might give us this gift
that produces harmony, because He is harmony, the glory in our communities. And
that He might give us peace, but with unity. Let us ask for the grace of unity
for all Christians, the great grace, and the little grace of every day for our
communities, our families; and the grace to bite our tongues!
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