Pope Francis at Mass: ‘Don’t
waste time being a busybody’
In his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Friday
morning, Pope Francis reminds bishops and all pastors to “love, tend the sheep,
and prepare oneself for the cross”, not wasting time meddling in the lives of
others.
Pope Francis at Mass on Friday had words of advice for all
pastors. He told them to “love, shepherd your flock, and prepare oneself for
the cross” and not to fall into the temptation of “sticking their nose in other
people’s business.”
His advice was drawn from the Gospel of John, which recounts
the last encounter between Jesus and Peter.
‘Follow me’
Pope Francis said Jesus leads Peter on a mental journey
through their relationship. Jesus, the Pope said, wants to do the same for each
of us, so that we “recall our shared journey.”
The Holy Father transformed Jesus’ last words to Peter –
“Follow me” – into concrete attitudes and behaviors, giving Peter three
directives: “love me, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself.”
Love is identity of pastor
The first step towards being true disciples of the Son of
God, he said, is love. The Pope then said tending the Lord’s sheep and caring
for them is an essential part of the pastor’s identity. “The identity of a
bishop and of a priest is to be a shepherd,” he said.
“Love me, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself. Love me
more than all others. Love me however you can, but love me. This is what the
Lord asks of pastors and of all of us. ‘Love me.’ The first step in dialogue
with the Lord is love.”
‘Carry you where you don’t want to go’
Pope Francis reminded the faithful that those who embrace
the Lord fully are destined for “martyrdom” and “to carry the cross”, that is,
to be led where they do not want to go. But this, he said, is the compass
directing the pastor.
“Prepare for trials; prepare to leave everything behind,
so that another may come and do different things. Prepare yourself for this
obliteration in life. And they will carry you along paths filled with
humiliation, possibly even to martyrdom. Those who praised you and spoke well
of you when you were a pastor will now speak poorly of you because another has
come who they like more. Prepare yourself for the cross when they carry you
where you do not want to go. Love, tend, and prepare yourself. This is a
pastor’s directional map, his compass.”
‘Don’t be a busybody’
In conclusion, Pope Francis focused on one final, pervasive
temptation: the desire to meddle in the lives of others, without being content
with minding one’s own business.
“Put yourself in your own shoes, and don’t stick your
nose in other people’s business. The pastor loves, tends, and prepares himself
for the cross… Don’t waste time being a busybody, even regarding ecclesiastical
rumors. Love, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself not to fall into temptation.”
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