(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis concelebrated Mass this morning at the Casa Santa Marta
with members of the Council of Cardinals. The Holy Father is meeting with the group
of Cardinals from Tuesday through Thursday of this week.
In his homily, the
Pope expressed his hope that the meeting would help everyone become more humble and
more trusting in God, so that the Church might be able to give a beautiful witness
to the people.
In the day’s readings, Jesus rebuked the two Apostles that
wanted to call down fire from heaven upon those who would not accept them. Pope Francis
pointed out that the way of the Christian is not a “path of vengeance.” The way of
the Christian is the way of humility, of meekness. He added that today, on the feast
of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, it would be good for us to think about “this
spirit of humility, of tenderness, of bounty.” It is a spirit, the Pope said, that
the Lord “wants from all of us.” Where, then, is the power “that brings us to this
spirit?” It is found “in love, in charity, in the awareness that we are in the hands
of the Father.” When we sense this, the Pope observed, we will not want “to call down
fire from Heaven”:
“Another spirit comes, that of that charity that suffers
all, pardons all, that does not boast, that is humble, that doesn’t seek itself. Someone
could say — and there are some philosophers that thing this way — that this is a humiliation
of the majesty of man, of the greatness of man. This is sterile! The Church has wisely
made this saint, humble, small, trusting in God, meek: she has made her the Patron
of Missions.”
The strength of the Gospel, he continued, is there, “because
the Gospel reaches its highest point in the humiliation of Jesus: humility that becomes
humiliation. And the force of the Gospel, he said, is properly in humility, in the
humility of the child that is guided by the love and the tenderness of the father.”:
“The
Church, Benedict XVI told us, does not grow through proselytism, it grows through
attraction, through witness. And when the people see this witness of humility, of
meekness, of mildness, they feel the need that the Prophet Zachariah spoke of: ‘We
want to come with you.’ The people feel that need in the face of the witness of charity,
of this humble charity, without bullying, not sufficient, humble. Worship and serve!”
“Charity is simple: worship God and serve others! And this witness,” the
Pope said, makes the Church grown.” That’s why a nun, “so humble, but so trusting
in God,” a nun like St. Therese of the Child Jesus “was named Patron of the Mission,
because of her example” which makes “the people say ‘we want to come with you!’”
Pope
Francis concluded his homily with a special mention of the meeting with the “Council
of Cardinals”:
“Today, here in the Vatican, begins the meeting with the
Cardinal consulters, who are concelebrating the Mass. Let us ask the Lord that our
work today will make us all more humble, more meek, more patient, more trusting in
God, so that the Church can give a beautiful witness to the people, and seeing the
People of God, seeing the Church, they might feel the desire to come with us.”