Pope at Mass: Pastor’s
authority comes from closeness to God and people
In his homily at Mass, Pope Francis compares the authority
of Jesus with that of the scribes and doctors of the law who were far from God
and the people.
By Robin Gomes
Emotion, closeness and consistency are what characterize the
authority of Jesus the pastor. Pope Francis made the point in his homily at
Mass, Tuesday morning, in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, where
he reflected on Mark’s Gospel where Jesus teaches with authority in the
synagogue of Capernaum and drives an unclean spirit out of a man.
Authority comes from closeness to God and man
The Pope explained that that the newness of Christ lies
precisely in the “gift of authority” that he received from the Father.
The scribes and the doctors of the law, who also "told the
truth", did not “reach the heart” like Jesus did. They taught
"from the chair and were not interested in people", but when Jesus
teaches he “causes astonishment and moves the heart".
What "gives authority" to Jesus, the Pope
explained, is precisely his closeness to the people, because he understands
their problems pains and sins, he welcomes, heals, and teaches them coming
close to them.
What grants authority to a pastor or awakens authority in
him, given by the Father, the Pope said, is closeness - closeness to God
in prayer. A pastor who does not pray, who does not seek God, he
said, cannot be close to the people. And a pastor detached from the
people cannot bring his message to them. This double closeness is what
the anointing of the pastor consists in, because moved by God’s gift of prayer,
the pastor in turn can be moved by the sins, the problems and the diseases of
the people.
Pastor’s double life
The Pope further explained that the scribes had lost the
ability to be moved because they were neither close to the people nor to God.
When one loses this closeness, the Pope said, the pastor ends up “in
incoherent life.”
In this regard, the Pope said, Jesus tells the people to do
as they do, because they speak the truth, but not what they do. Jesus points to
double life, the Pope said, lamenting it is bad to see pastors with double
life, who are a wound in the Church.
These sick pastors who have lost authority, carry on with
double life, but Jesus is stern with them. He calls them “whitened
sepulchers” – beautiful in doctrine on the outside but rotting within.
This is the end of a pastor who is neither close to God in prayer nor close to
the people in compassion.
Hannah and Eli
Pope Francis compared the two figures in the Gospel – Hannah
who prays to the Lord for son, and the old priest Eli who was weak and had
lost his closeness to God and to the people, and considered Hanna a
drunkard. When Hannah explained to Eli that she was praying in her heart
pouring out her pain and anguish, moving her lips, the priest was able to get
close to that heart and told her to go in peace. The Pope said Eli
realized he had mistaken and blessed and prophesied out of his heart, and
Hannah gave birth to Samuel.
Never too late
Addressing pastors who are detached from God and form the
people the Pope told them not to lose hope. He said, it was enough for Eli to
look at Hannah, approach and listen to her and awaken the authority to bless
and prophesy, and accordingly a son was born to her.
Authority, the Pope explained is a gift that comes only from
God, which Jesus gives to His own. Authority in speaking, he said, always
comes from one’s closeness to God and to the people. Authority is
coherence, not double life. And if a pastor loses his authority, he
should not lose hope, as there is always time to come close and reawaken one’s
authority and prophecy.
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