Pope at Mass in Medellin Colombia: 'Remain steadfast
and free in Christ'
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| Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the Enrique Olaya Herrera airport in Medellin, Colombia.-AFP |
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Saturday at
the Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, in both Latin and Spanish, in
memory of St. Peter Claver, Jesuit priest, who was an apostle to the African
slaves.
In his homily, the Pope reflected on the cost of
discipleship. He said one should not feel secure merely by following
certain precepts, prohibitions, and mandates, dispensing oneself from the
uncomfortable question: “What would God like us to do?”
Instead, the Holy Father said God wants us to follow Him in
such a way as to focus on the essential, to be
renewed, and to get involved. He said these are the three
attitudes which must form our lives as disciples.
"Missionary disciples", he said, ought to
"know how to see, without hereditary short-sightedness; looking at reality
with the eyes and heart of Jesus, and only then judging." These, he said,
are "disciples who risk, act, and commit themselves."
In conclusion, Pope Francis invited those present to remain
steadfast and free in Christ, in such a way that they manifest him in
everything they do; take up the path of Jesus with all their strength, know
him, allow themselves to be called and taught by him, and proclaim him with
great joy.
Please find below the full text of the official
English translation of the Pope's prepared Homily:
“The Christian Life as Discipleship”
Medellín – John Paul II Airport
Saturday, 9 September 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
During the Mass on Thursday in Bogotá, we heard Jesus
calling his first disciples; the part of Luke’s Gospel which opens with this passage,
concludes with the call of the Twelve. What are the evangelists reminding
us of between these two events? That this journey of following Jesus
involved a great work of purification in his first followers. Some of the
precepts, prohibitions and mandates made them feel secure; fulfilling certain
practices and rites dispensed them from the uncomfortable question: “What would
God like us to do?” The Lord Jesus tells them that their fulfilment
involves following him, and that this journey will make them encounter lepers,
paralytics and sinners. These realities demand much more than a formula,
an established norm. The disciples learned that following Jesus
presupposes other priorities, other considerations in order to serve God.
For the Lord, as also for the first community, it is of the greatest importance
that we who call ourselves disciples not cling to a certain style or to
particular practices that cause us to be more like some Pharisees than like
Jesus. Jesus’ freedom contrasts with the lack of freedom seen in the
doctors of the law of that time, who were paralyzed by a rigorous
interpretation and practice of that law. Jesus does not live according to
a superficially “correct” observance; he brings the law to its fullness.
This is what he wants for us, to follow him in such a way as to go
to what is essential, to be renewed, and to get
involved. These are three attitudes that must form our lives as
disciples.
Firstly, going to what is essential. This
does not mean “breaking with everything” that does not suit us, because Jesus
did not come “to abolish the law, but to fulfil it” (Mt 5:17); it
means to go deep, to what matters and has value for life. Jesus teaches
that being in relationship with God cannot be a cold attachment to norms and
laws, nor the observance of some outward actions that do not lead to a real
change of life. Neither can our discipleship simply be motivated by
custom because we have a baptismal certificate. Discipleship must begin
with a living experience of God and his love. It is not something static,
but a continuous movement towards Christ; it is not simply the fidelity to
making a doctrine explicit, but rather the experience of the Lord’s living,
kindly and active presence, an ongoing formation by listening to his word.
And this word, we have heard, makes itself known to us in the concrete needs of
our brothers and sisters: the hunger of those nearest to us in the text just
proclaimed, or illness as Luke narrates afterwards.
Secondly, being renewed. As Jesus “shook”
the doctors of the law to break them free of their rigidity, now also the
Church is “shaken” by the Spirit in order to lay aside comforts and
attachments. We should not be afraid of renewal. The Church always
needs renewal – Ecclesia semper reformanda. She does not
renew herself on her own whim, but rather does so “firm in the faith, stable
and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel” (Col 1:23).
Renewal entails sacrifice and courage, not so that we can consider ourselves
superior or flawless, but rather to respond better to the Lord’s call.
The Lord of the Sabbath, the reason for our commandments and prescriptions,
invites us to reflect on regulations when our following him is at stake; when
his open wounds and his cries of hunger and thirst for justice call out to us
and demand new responses. In Colombia there are many situations where
disciples must embrace Jesus’ way of life, particularly love transformed into
acts of non-violence, reconciliation and peace.
Thirdly, getting involved. Even if it may
seem that you are getting yourself dirty or stained, get involved. Like
David and those with him who entered the Temple because they were hungry and
the disciples of Jesus who ate ears of grain in the field, so also today we are
called upon to be brave, to have that evangelical courage which springs from
knowing that there are many who are hungry, who hunger for God, who hunger for
dignity, because they have been deprived. As Christians, help them to be
satiated by God; do not impede them or stop this encounter. We cannot be
Christians who continually put up “do not enter” signs, nor can we consider
that this space is mine or yours alone, or that we can claim ownership of
something that is absolutely not ours. The Church is not ours, she is
God’s; he is the owner of the temple and the field; everyone has a place,
everyone is invited to find here, and among us, his or her nourishment.
We are simple servants (cf. Col 1:23) and we cannot prevent
this encounter. On the contrary, Jesus tells us, as he told his
disciples: “You give them something to eat” (Mt 14:16); this is our
service. Saint Peter Claver understood this well, he whom we celebrate
today in the liturgy and whom I will venerate tomorrow in Cartagena. “Slave
of the slaves forever” was the motto of his life, because he understood, as
a disciple of Jesus, that he could not remain indifferent to the suffering of
the most helpless and mistreated of his time, and that he had to do something
to alleviate their suffering.
Brothers and sisters, the Church in Colombia is called to
commit itself, with greater boldness, to forming missionary disciples, as the
Bishops stated when they were gathered in Aparecida in 2007. Disciples
who know how to see, judge and act, as stated in that Latin-American document
born in this land (cf. Medellín, 1968). Missionary disciples
that know how to see, without hereditary short-sightedness; looking at reality
with the eyes and heart of Jesus, and only then judging. Disciples who risk,
act, and commit themselves.
I have come here precisely to confirm you in the faith and
hope of the Gospel. Remain steadfast and free in Christ, in such a way
that you manifest him in everything you do; take up the path of Jesus with all
your strength, know him, allow yourselves to be called and taught by him, and
proclaim him with great joy.
Let us pray through the intercession of Our Mother, Our Lady
of Candelaria, that she may accompany us on our path of discipleship, so that,
giving our lives to Christ, we may simply be missionaries who bring the light
and joy of the Gospel to all people.
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