Pope at Mass: May common
difficulties lead to greater unity
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| Pope Francis preaches at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta |
Pope Francis invites us at Mass on Tuesday to discover that
unity is greater than any division, and urges us to seek security in God alone.
(playback included)
By Devin Watkins
As he began Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Easter Tuesday,
Pope Francis prayed that God might give us the grace of unity.
“In these difficult times, may He allow us to discover the
communion that binds us and the unity which is always greater than any
division.”
Repent from illusions
In his homily, the Pope turned his attention to Peter’s
invitation to conversion on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-41). Peter tells
the people gathered in Jerusalem to repent and return to God.
“To repent means returning to faithfulness,” said Pope
Francis. “There are always illusions that attract our attention, and often we
follow after these illusions.” But, he said, we are called to be faithful “in
good times and in bad.”
Self-assuredness leads to unfaithfulness
The Pope then recalled an episode from the 12th Chapter
of the Second Book of Chronicles.
Rehoboam, the first king of Judah, felt that his kingdom was
secure. So, he “abandoned the law of the Lord, and so
did all Israel with him” (2 Chr 12:1).
Pope Francis said this was a historical event, which also
holds universal value.
“Many times when we feel secure we begin to make plans
and we slowly drift away from the Lord. We don’t remain faithful. My security
is no longer that which the Lord gives me. It is an idol. This is what happened
to Rehoboam and the people of Israel. He felt secure – a consolidated kingdom –
and abandoned the law and began to worship idols.”
Adoring idols
Pope Francis said we might object that we have never knelt
before idols ourselves. “No,” he said, “perhaps you don’t kneel but it’s true
that you seek them and often adore idols in your heart. Self-assuredness opens
the door to idols.”
Feeling secure is not a bad thing, said Pope Francis. “It is
a grace: being secure in the knowledge that the Lord is with me.”
Rather, security becomes a crutch and leads to sin when I
put myself at the center and stop being faithful.
“The whole history of Israel, and the whole history of
the Church, is full of infidelity. It is full of egotistical behavior and
self-assuredness that leads the people of God to abandon the Lord… Even among
us, between people, faithfulness is not a virtue that is highly valued.”
Icon of fidelity
Pope Francis said Mary Magdalene provides the key to
understanding fidelity, as she waited and wept outside Jesus’ tomb (Jn
21:11-18).
“An icon of fidelity: that faithful woman who had not
forgotten all that the Lord had done for her. She was there, faithful before
the impossible – a tragedy. Hers is a faithfulness that led her to think she
could carry away His body.”
True security comes from God
Finally, Pope Francis invited us to pray for the grace to be
faithful.
“Today let us ask the Lord for the grace of faithfulness,
and to thank Him when He gives us security… the grace to be faithful even
before the tomb and the collapse of so many illusions.”
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