Pope
at Santa Marta: Depression and hope
(Vatican Radio) Reality can be ugly, but despite the suffering,
corruption and indifference in today’s world as Christians we must hold our
heads high in hope said Pope Francis at Mass Thursday morning in Casa Santa
Marta.
Listen to our report:
Basing his reflections on the Readings of the Day, Pope Francis
spoke of the fate of the two cities of Babylon and Jerusalem. The Pope pointed
out that both the First Reading from Revelation and the Gospel from St Luke
Chapter 21, draw our attention to the end of this world.
He noted that they speak of the fall of two cities that refused
to welcome the Lord and that drifted away from Him. These two cities fall
for different reasons, he said. Babylon is the "symbol of
evil, of sin" and "falls because of its corruption," the city
believed itself to be "the mistress of the world and of itself". When
" sin accumulates - he warned - you lose the ability to react and you
start to rot". This also happens with "corrupt people, who do not
have the strength to react":
"Because corruption gives you some
happiness, it gives you power and also makes you feel satisfied with
yourself. But it leaves no room for the Lord, for conversion. The city is
corrupt ... this word 'corruption' says a lot to us today: not only economic
corruption, but corruption with many different sins; the corruption of that
pagan spirit, that worldly spirit. The worst [form of ] corruption is the
spirit of worldliness!".
This "corrupt culture", he added, "makes you feel
as if you were in Heaven, right here" but "within, the corrupt
culture is a rotten culture". Babylon is a symbol for “every society,
every culture, every person who has distanced themselves from God, who has
distanced themselves from love of neighbor, which eventually leads to
rot".
Jerusalem, however, Pope Francis said, "falls for another
reason". Jerusalem is the bride of the Lord, but is not aware of her
Bridegroom’s visit, "she made the Lord weep":
"Babylon falls because of its corruption;
Jerusalem because of its distraction, its failing to welcome the Lord who comes
to her rescue. She did not feel in need of salvation. She had the writings of
the prophets, Moses, and this was enough. But sealed writings! She left no room
for salvation: her door was closed to the Lord! The Lord was knocking at her
door, but there was no willingness to receive Him, to listen, to be rescued by
Him. And so she falls ... "
Pope Francis noted that these two examples, "make us ponder
our own lives”: are we like "corrupt and self- sufficient
Babylon" or "distracted" Jerusalem?
The Pope went on to stress that "the message of the Church
in these days does not end with destruction: in both texts, there is a promise
of hope". Jesus urges us to lift up our heads, not to be "frightened
by the pagans." These, "have their time and we have to bear it with
patience, as the Lord endured his Passion":
"When we think of the end of time, with
all of our sins, with our history, let us think of the banquet which will be
freely offered us and let us lift up our heads. Do not give way to depression:
Hope! Reality is ugly: there are many, many people, cities and people, so many
people who are suffering; many wars, so much hatred, so much envy, so much
spiritual worldliness and so much corruption. Yes, it's true! All of this will
fall! Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be prepared for the banquet that
awaits us, always with our heads held high".
(Emer McCarthy)
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