Pope at Mass: hardened heart is
unfaithful and slanders the Lord
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| Pope at Mass at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican 28.03.2019 |
Listen to the voice of the Lord so as not to end up with a
hardened heart that discredits the Lord. This was the exhortation of Pope
Francis in his homily during Mass, Thursday morning, at the Casa Santa Marta in
the Vatican.
By Robin Gomes
The Pope warned against having a heart that does not listen
to the voice of the Lord, saying, by doing so for "days, months,
years", it becomes hard like soil without water. And when there is
something that one dislikes about God, he or she discredits and slanders Him.
Risk of infidelity
The Pope said that many times we are deaf and do not listen
to the voice of the Lord, but always listen to the news and the gossip of the
neighbourhood.
In the First Reading from the Book of Jeremiah, the Pope
said, we hear God’s lamentation regarding the "stubborn people, who do not
want to listen". Instead of listening and turning to Him, they close
their ears, turn their backs to Him and proceed obstinately according to their
evil hearts.
The Pope drew attention to the First Reading where God
recalls how with great care He sent His prophets to his people but they did not
listen to them. Instead, they stiffened their necks and did worse than
what their fathers did.
The Pope said that in the day’s liturgy, the Church wants
each one of us to examine our conscience on our faithfulness to the Lord.
It is not about attending Sunday Masses. It is about being aware
whether the heart is turning hard, stubborn and deaf, shutting the Lord out and
doing what one wants.
The Pope explained that a person with a hardened heart does
not just stop at being deaf to the Lord. Unhappy with the things of the
Lord, he or she puts God aside with an excuse and discredits, slanders and
defames God.
For or against Me
The Pope said Jesus had the same experience with the people.
When Jesus performed miracles and healed the sick, the stubborn people said it
was through the power of Beelzebub, the leader of demons. First, one
refuses to listen to the Lord and then discredits Him. This, the Pope
said, is the penultimate step of the refusal of the Lord. The last step
from which there is no return is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the Pope
said, pointing to the warning of Jesus at the end of the Gospel.
The Pope noted that just as the prophet ends with the clear
words - "Faithfulness has disappeared" – so too Jesus ends with the
words that can help us: "Whoever is not with me, is against me".
The Pope said that one cannot be with Jesus and be at a
distance. Either you are with Jesus or you are against Jesus; either you
are faithful or you are unfaithful; either you have an obedient heart or you
have lost your fidelity.
The Holy Father urged each one to examine their
conscience. The words - "faithfulness has disappeared" and
"whosoever is not with me is against me" – hold out hope for us, the
Pope said.
Return to the Lord
This hope, the Pope said, comes in the Acclamation to the
Gospel where Jesus invites each one of us saying, “Return to me with your whole
heart, for I am gracious and merciful.” “I will forget everything.
I care that you come to me, and forget the rest.” The Pope
concluded inviting all to open their hearts for the Lord to enter, because this
is the time for the Lord’s mercy and compassion.
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