Pope at Mass: Resting our faith on the rock of Christ
(Vatican Radio) There are people who "masquerade as Christians," and sin by being
excessively superficial or overly rigid, forgetting that a true Christian is a person
of joy who rests their faith on the rock of Christ. Some think they can be Christian
without Christ; others think being Christian means being in a perpetual state mourning.
This was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass on Thursday.
Rigid
and sad. Or happy but with no idea of Christian joy. These are two - in a sense
opposite - "houses", in which two categories of believers live and which are both
seriously flawed: they are grounded in a Christianity made of words and fail to rely
on the "rock" of the Word of Christ. Pope Francis identified both groups in his comments
on the Gospel of the day, the famous passage from Matthew of the houses built on
sand and rock.
"In the history of the Church there have been two classes
of Christians: Christians of words - those" Lord, Lord, Lord "- and Christians of
action, in truth. There has always been the temptation to live our Christianity not
on the rock that is Christ. The only one who gives us the freedom to say 'Father'
to God is Christ, our rock. He is the only one who sustains us in difficult times,
no? As Jesus said: the rain falls, rivers overflow, winds blow, but the rock is safe,
words, the words take flight, they are not needed. But this is the temptation of these
Christians of words, of a Christianity without Jesus, a Christianity without Christ.
And this has happened and is happening today in the Church: being Christians without
Christ. "
Pope Francis went on to analyze these "Christians of words,"
revealing their specific characteristics. There is a first type – which he defined
as "gnostic -"who instead of loving the rock, loves beautiful words "and therefore
lives floating on the surface of the Christian life. And then there's the other, who
Pope Francis called "pelagian", who leads a staid and starched lifestyle. Christians,
the Pope ironically added, who “stare at their feet” :
"And this temptation
exists today. Superficial Christians who believe, yes, God, yes Christ, but not ‘everywhere’:
Jesus Christ is not the one who gives them their foundation. They are the modern gnostics.
The temptation of gnosticism. A 'liquid' Christianity. On the other hand, there are
those who believe that the Christian life should be taken so seriously that they end
up confusing solidity, firmness, with rigidity. They are rigid! This think that being
Christian means being in perpetual mourning. "
Pope Francis continued that
the fact is that there “are so many” of these Christians. But, he argued, "they
are not Christians, they disguise themselves as Christians." "They do not know – he
added - what the Lord is, they do not know what the rock is, do not have the freedom
of Christians. To put it simply ‘they have no joy ":
"The former have
a ‘superficial’ happiness. The others live in perpetual state of mourning, but do
not know what Christian joy is. They do not know how to enjoy the life that Jesus
gives us, for they know not to talk to Jesus. They do not feel that they rest on
Jesus, with that firmness which the presence of Jesus gives. And they not only have
no joy, they have no freedom either. They are the slaves of superficiality, of this
life widespread, and the slaves of rigidity, they are not free. The Holy Spirit has
no place in their lives,. It is the Spirit who gives us the freedom! Today, the Lord
calls us to build our Christian life on Him, the rock, the One who gives us freedom,
the One who sends us the Spirit, that keeps us going with joy, on His journey, following
His proposals. "