Pope Francis: God too weeps like a father, even for his rebellious children
February 4, 2014: Pope Francis says God too weeps, just like a loving father who
never disowns his children even if they are rebellious. This was the message stressed
during his homily on Tuesday morning at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.
Pope Francis based his homily on the readings of the day which portray the
figure of two fathers, King David who mourns the death of his rebel son Absalom and
Jairus, the head of the Synagogue, who implores Jesus to heal his daughter. The Pope
explains David’s weeping on hearing of the killing of his son, even though this son
was fighting against him to conquer his kingdom. David’s army had won but he wasn’t
interested in the victory, he was waiting for his son. He was only interested in his
son! David was a king, the head of a nation but he was also a father. And therefore,
when he heard the news about the death of his son, he shuddered, and went to an upper
room and wept.
“Whilst he was walking away, he was saying: ‘My son, Absalom.
My son! My son, Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! Absalom, my son! My son!’
This is the heart of a father, who never disowns his own son. ‘He’s a bandit, he’s
an enemy. But he is my son!’ and David does not disown his fatherhood: he weeps..
David weeps twice for his children: On this occasion and another time when the son
from his adultery was about to die. On that occasion too, he fasted and did penance
in order to save the life of the son. He was a father!”
The other father is
the head of the Synagogue. The Pope said Jairus is an important person but faced with
the illness of his daughter, he is not ashamed to throw himself at Jesus’ feet: “My
little daughter is dying, please come and lay your hands on her so she can be saved
and live.” He is not ashamed and doesn’t care what the others may say, because he
is a father. David and Jairus are two fathers:
“For them, the most important
thing is their son, their daughter! There is nothing else. This is the only important
thing! This makes us think about the first thing that we say to God in the Creed:
“I believe in God the Father..” This makes us think about the fatherhood of God. But
God is like this. God is like this with us! ‘But, Father, God doesn’t weep!’ But yes,
he does! Remember Jesus how he wept when looking at Jerusalem. ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
How many times have I wished to gather your children, like the hen who gathers her
chicks under her wings’. God weeps! Jesus has wept for us! And that weeping of Jesus
is exactly that of a Father who weeps, who wants everybody with him”.
Pope
Francis stressed how in moments of difficulty, “Our Father responds. We remember Isaac,
when he goes with Abraham to do the sacrifice: Isaac was not stupid, he realized that
he was carrying the wood, the fire, but not the sheep for the sacrifice. He was stricken
with anguish in his heart! And what does he say? ‘Father!’. And immediately the father
replies “Here I am my son!’. In the same way, Jesus, in the Garden of Olives,
said “with that anguish in his heart: My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass
me by!’ And the angels came to give him strength. That’s how our Father sis: He is
a Father and a Father like this!” A Father like the one who was waiting for the prodigal
son who left with all his money, all his inheritance. But the father was waiting for
him every day and he “saw him from far away”. “This is our God!” the Pope said, and
“our fatherhood” - that of fathers of families as well as the spiritual fatherhood
of bishops and priests – must be like this. The Father has like an anointing that
comes from the son: he can’t understand himself without his child! And for this reason
he needs his child, he is waiting for him, he loves him, he looks for hi, he forgives
him, he wants him close to him, just as close as the hen who wants her chicks”:
“Let’s
go home today with these two icons: David who mourns and the other, Jairus, the head
of the Synagogue, who throws himself in front of Jesus, without being afraid or ashamed
to become the laughing stock of others. It was their children, the son and the daughter
who mattered. And with these two icons let’s say: ‘I believe in God the Father…’.
And let’s ask the Holy Spirit – because it’s only He, the Holy Spirit – who teaches
us to say “Abba, Father!’ It’s a grace! - to be able to say to God ‘Father’ with our
hearts is a grace of the Holy Spirit. Let’s ask him for this”.