Pope warns against a 'show' religion like fleeting
fireworks
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday warned Christians against
the temptation of a show or entertainment religion that constantly seeks
novelty and revelations, comparing it to fireworks that provide us with a
fleeting brightness before dying. His comments came during his Mass celebrated
on Thursday morning at the Santa Marta residence.
The Pope’s reflections during his homily were inspired by the
day’s reading about Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees’ question on when the Kingdom
of God would come and he stressed how Christians must guard hope every day
whilst waiting for the fullness of the Kingdom. Noting that Jesus told the
Pharisees “the Kingdom of God is among you,” Pope Francis compared it to a
small seed that is planted and grows on its own over time. He explained that
God helps this seed to grow but without drawing attention to it.
“The Kingdom of God is not a ‘show’ religion: one that is always
seeking new things, revelations, messages … God spoke through Jesus Christ:
this is the last Word of God. The other one is like fireworks that lit you up
for a moment and then what is left behind? Nothing. There is no growth,
there is no light, there’s nothing: just an instant. And we have been tempted
many times by this entertainment religion of seeking things that are extraneous
to the revelation, to the meekness of the Kingdom of God that is among us and
which grows. For this is not about hope, this is about the desire to have
something in our hands. Our salvation comes from hope, the hope of a man who
sows the seed or the woman who makes the bread, mixing yeast and flour: a hope
that grows. Instead, this artificial brightness only lasts an instant and then
it dies away, like fireworks: they are not needed for giving light to a house.
It’s just a show.”
Asking what we should do whilst awaiting the fullness of the
Kingdom of God, Pope Francis explained that we must guard and take care of our
hope.
“Guard it with patience. Patience in our work, in our sufferings…
Guarding it like the man who has planted a seed and who takes care of the
plant, ensuring there are no weeds close to it, so it will grow. Guard our
hope. And here is the question that I put to you: if the Kingdom of God is
among us today, if all of us have this seed inside us, if we have the Holy
Spirit there, how do I guard it? How do I discern this, how can I discern the
good plant from the seed of the darnel? The Kingdom of God grows and what must
we do? Guard it. Grow through hope and guard that hope. Because we have been
saved through hope. And this is the thread: hope is the thread in the history
of salvation. Our hope of meeting the Lord for sure.”
In conclusion, the Pope went on to describe how the Kingdom of God
becomes strong through hope.
“Let us ask ourselves: Do I have hope? Or do I go ahead as best I
can without knowing how to tell the good from the bad, the darnel seed, the
light, the meek light of the Holy Spirit from the brightness of this artificial
thing? Let us ask ourselves about our hope in this seed that is growing inside
us and on how to guard our hope. The Kingdom of God is among us but we must,
through rest, work, discernment, guard the hope of this Kingdom of God that
grows until the time when the Lord will come and everything will be
transformed. In a brief moment: everything! The world, us, everything. And as
Paul said to the Christians of Thessalonica, ‘we shall be with the Lord for
ever.’”
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