Pope Francis at Mass: ‘Remorse is sign of salvation’
(Vatican Radio) Be not afraid of “speaking the truth
about our life”, by recognizing our sins and confessing them to the Lord. That
was Pope Francis message at Mass on Thursday morning in the Casa Santa Marta.
Reflecting in his homily on the day’s Gospel about Herod’s
response to Jesus’ preaching, Pope Francis noted that some people associated
Jesus with John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet.
Herod, he said, did not know what to think about Jesus, but
“he felt” something within. This was not a mere curiosity, the Pope said, but
“remorse in his soul and heart”. Herod sought to see Jesus “to calm himself”.
The Holy Father said Herod wanted to see the Christ perform
a miracle, but Jesus refused to hold “a circus before him”, so Herod handed him
over to Pontius Pilate. And Jesus paid for his refusal with his life.
In so doing, the Pope said, Herod covered “one crime with
another” and “one remorse of conscience with another crime”, like one “who
kills out of fear”.
Remorse, he said, is therefore not “simply remembering
something” but “an open wound”.
“It is an open wound, which, when we have done something
wrong in our life, pains us. But it is a hidden wound, unseen even by me,
because I get used to carrying it around and anesthetizing it. It is there and
some touch it, but it remains within. When it hurts, we feel remorse. I am not
only aware of having done evil, but I also feel it in my body, in my soul, and
in my life. And so I feel the temptation to cover it and not feel it anymore.”
Pope Francis went on to say it is “a grace to feel our
conscience accuse us”. However, he said none of us is a saint, so we are all
tempted to notice the sins of the others, instead of our own.
“We must, if I may say so, ‘baptize’ this open wound, that
is, give it a name… And if you ask, ‘Father, how can I remove it?’ First of
all, pray: ‘Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ And then examine your life… And
ask someone to help you to identify the wound and to give it a name, saying ‘I
feel remorse because I did this concrete act.’ This is true humility before
God.”
The Pope said this act of being concrete with remorse is
necessary for healing.
“We must learn the science and wisdom of accusing ourselves…
I accuse myself, feel the pain caused by the wound, learn where it has come
from, and then indict myself regarding it. Do not be afraid of remorse, for it
is a sign of salvation.”
Finally, Pope Francis invited all to pray for the grace “to
have courage to accuse ourselves”, in order to journey along the path towards
salvation.
(Devin Sean Watkins)
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