Pope at Mass: Church is not just a school of religion
(Vatican Radio) The Christian who does not witness to the faith becomes sterile. This
was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta. The Pope
drew inspiration from the martyrdom of St. Stephen, narrated in the Acts of the Apostles.
The Church, he said, is "not a university of religion", but the people who follow
Jesus. Only in this way, he added , is the Church both “fruitful and mother".
Emer
McCarthy reports:
In his homily Pope Francis traced the path that led to the
death of the first martyr of the Church, a death that was the exact replica of Christ’s.
He, too, like Jesus , he said, had encountered “the jealousy of the leaders who were
trying" to eliminate him. He too had "false witnesses" , a "rushed judgment”. Stephen
warns them that are resisting the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had said , but "these people
- said the Pope – were uneasy, were not at peace in their hearts". These people ,
he added, had " hatred " in their heart . That is why, on hearing Stephen’s words,
they were furious . "This hatred - said Pope Francis - was sown in their hearts by
the devil", "this is the devil’s hatred of Christ”.
The devil "who did what
he wanted with Jesus Christ in his Passion now does the same" with Stephen. This "struggle
between God and the devil" is clearly seen in martyrdom. “On the other hand, Jesus
had told his disciples that they had to rejoice to be persecuted in his name: "To
be persecuted, to be a martyr, to gives ones’ life for Jesus is one of the Beatitudes".
That is why, the Pope added , "the devil cannot stand seeing the sanctity of a church
or the sanctity of a person, without trying to do something". This is what he does
with Stephen, but "he died like Jesus forgiving".
"Martyrdom is the translation
of a Greek word that also means witness. And so we can say that for a Christian the
path follows in the footsteps of this witness, Christ’s footsteps, to bear witness
to Him and, many times, this witness ends up in laying down one’s life . You cannot
understand a Christian without witness. We are not a ' religion' of ideas, of pure
theology, beautiful things, of commandments. No, we are a people who follow Jesus
Christ and bear witness – who want to bear witness to Jesus Christ - and sometimes
this witness leads to laying down our lives”.
On Stephen’s death, as we
read in the Acts of the Apostles, "a severe persecution began against the Church in
Jerusalem". These people , the Pope observed , "felt strong and the devil provoked
them to do this" and so "Christians scattered to the regions of Judea and Samaria".
This persecution, the Pope noted, means that "the people spread far and wide" and
wherever they went they explained the Gospel , gave testimony of Jesus , and so "mission
of the Church" began. "So many - he recalled - converted, on hearing these people".
One of the Fathers of the Church, explained this by saying : "The blood of martyrs
is the seed of Christians". With "their witness, they preach the faith" :
"Witness,
be it in everyday life, in difficulties, and even in persecution and death, always
bears fruit. The Church is fruitful and a mother when she witnesses to Jesus Christ.
Instead , when the church closes in on itself , when it thinks of itself as a - so
to speak - 'school of religion', with so many great ideas, with many beautiful temples,
with many fine museums, with many beautiful things, but does not give witness, it
becomes sterile. The Christian is the same. The Christian who does not bear witness,
is sterile, without giving the life he has received from Jesus Christ".
The
Pope continued, "Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit", and "we cannot bear witness
without the presence of the Holy Spirit in us". Pope Francis advised those present:
“In difficult times, where we have to choose the right path, where we have to say
'no' to a lot of things that maybe try to seduce us, there is prayer to the Holy Spirit,
and He makes us strong enough to take this path of witness":
"Today
thinking about these two icons - Stephen, who dies, and the people, the Christians,
fleeing, scattering far and wide because of the violent persecution - let us ask:
How is my witness? Am I a Christian who witnesses to Jesus or are a simple numerary
in this sect ? Am I fruitful because I bear witness, or sterile because unable to
let the Holy Spirit lead me forward in my Christian vocation?" .