Pope’s Morning Homily: Jesus Turns World’s Values Upside Down

At Casa Santa Marta, warns against the “I’m in charge here” attitude

© PHOTO.VA - Osservatore Romano

(From Vatican Radio)

Pope Francis began his homily by saying that if we want to be good and faithful servants of the Lord, we must guard against dishonestly and the pursuit of power. But how often, he said, do we see or hear ourselves saying, even in our own homes, that “I’m in charge here?”

Jesus taught us that leaders are those who serve others, and if we want to be first, we must become the servant of all. The Pope stressed that Jesus turns the values of our world upside-down, showing that the search for power is an obstacle to becoming a servant of the Lord

A second obstacle, he continued, is dishonesty which can also be found in the life of the Church. Jesus told us that we cannot serve two masters – God and money, the Pope warned, so we have to choose to serve one or the other. Dishonesty, he continued, is not just being a sinner, since we are all sinners and can repent of those sins. But dishonesty, he said, is being duplicitous and playing one hand off against the other, playing the ‘God’ card and the ‘world’ card at the same time.

These obstacles of dishonesty and the pursuit of power, the Pope said, take away our peace of mind and leave us anxious, with an ‘itch’ in our hearts. In this way, he said, we live in constant tension, concerned only about appearances and the worldly desires of fame and fortune. We cannot serve the Lord like this, he insisted, so we ask to be freed from these obstacles in order that we may find serenity of body and mind.

We are not slaves, but children of God, Pope Francis said, and when we serve Him freely we feel deep peace in our hearts. We hear the voice of the Lord calling “Come, come, come, good and faithful servant”. We all want to be faithful servants of the Lord, he said, but we cannot do it on our own and so we ask God for the grace to overcome these obstacles and to serve Him freely with peace in our hearts.

Pope Francis concluded by saying we must constantly remind ourselves that we are unworthy servants, unable to do anything on our own. Instead, he said, we must ask God to open our hearts and let the Spirit in, to remove these obstacles and to transform us into children whose hearts are free to serve the Lord.

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Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:

Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 492

Reading 1

TI 2:1-8, 11-14

Beloved:

You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine,

namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified,

self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance.

Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior,

not slanderers, not addicted to drink,

teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women

to love their husbands and children,

to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,

under the control of their husbands,

so that the word of God may not be discredited.

Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,

showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect,

with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech

that cannot be criticized,

so that the opponent will be put to shame

without anything bad to say about us.

For the grace of God has appeared, saving all

and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires

and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,

as we await the blessed hope,

the appearance of the glory of the great God

and of our savior Jesus Christ,

who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness

and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,

eager to do what is good.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 37:3-4, 18 AND 23, 27 AND 29

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Trust in the LORD and do good,

that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;

their inheritance lasts forever.

By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,

and he approves his way.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Turn from evil and do good,

that you may abide forever;

The just shall possess the land

and dwell in it forever.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Alleluia

JN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:

“Who among you would say to your servant

who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,

‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?

Would he not rather say to him,

‘Prepare something for me to eat.

Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.

You may eat and drink when I am finished’?

Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?

So should it be with you.

When you have done all you have been commanded, say,

‘We are unprofitable servants;

we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Culled from Zenith.org

Pope Francis to prisoners: Never lose hope in God’s mercy

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Sunday for the Jubilee for Prisoners in Saint Peter’s Basilica, during which he reminded prison detainees to never lose hope, or fall into the temptation that they can never be forgiven.

Around 1,000 detainees from 12 countries took part in the weekend celebrations, along with their families, prison chaplains and staff, and various associations.

The Jubilee for Prisoners marks one of the final major events of the Jubilee of Mercy, which will come to an end on November 20.

Listen to Ann Schneible’s report:

 

Pope Francis centred his homily for Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners on the theme of hope as it appears in the day’s Mass readings.

For instance, there are the seven brothers from the second book of Maccabees who speak about the hope of being raised again by God, and then Jesus’ response to the Sadducees, that God is not “the God of the dead, but of the living.”

“Hope is a gift of God,” and should be nourished, the Pope said.

“Whenever someone makes a mistake, the Father’s mercy is all the more present, awakening repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.”

The Pope acknowledged that the loss of freedom experienced by detainees, is the worst part of serving time for one’s crimes. However, he urged those in prison to maintain the “breath” of hope.

The Holy Father turned to day’s reading from the letter to the Romans, in which “Paul almost seems to tell us that God too hopes”.

“His mercy gives him no rest. He is like that Father in the parable, who keeps hoping for the return of his son who has fallen by the wayside”.

“If God hopes, then no one should lose hope.  For hope is the strength to keep moving forward.  It is the power to press on towards the future and a changed life.  It is the incentive to look to tomorrow, so that the love we have known, for all our failings, can show us a new path.”

Pope Francis spoke of the “hypocrisy” of those who see prisoners only as “wrongdoers”, and who disregard the possibility of rehabilitation.

Going off the cuff from his prepared homily, the Pope said how every time he enters a prison, he asks himself: “‘Why them and not I?’ All of us have the possibility of making mistakes.”

The Holy Father reminded those in prison to not be held “captive” by their past mistakes, and “never yield to the temptation of thinking that we cannot be forgiven.” 

Pope Francis turned his reflection to the importance of forgiveness among those who have experienced violence or abuse against themselves or their loved ones.

Acknowledging that there are some wounds that only God can heal, the Pope said that, nonetheless, “when violence is met with forgiveness, even the hearts of those who have done wrong can be conquered by the love that triumphs over every form of evil.”

“In this way, among the victims and among those who wronged them, God raises up true witnesses and workers of mercy.”

Pope Francis concluded his reflection by turning to the statue of Our Lady of Mercy, an image of Mary with the child Jesus, who is holding a set of chains.

“May she intercede for you, so that your hearts can experience the power of hope for a new life, one worthy of being lived in complete freedom and in service to your neighbour.”

(from Vatican Radio)

Pope to Elderly: Power and Looks Are Mythicized; You Must Show What Truly Matters

Young people need you, you are essential, so talk to your grandchildren, Francis says

© PHOTO.VA - Osservatore Romano

Today’s world mythicizes power and looks, and thus the elderly have a special mission, Pope Francis says: To give witness to what really matters — the values that remain forever.

The Pope said this Saturday when he addressed some 7,000 elderly, including many grandparents, in Paul VI Hall.

The Holy Father emphasized that the Church looks at elderly people with “affection, gratitude and great esteem.”

“They are an essential part of the Christian community and of society,” he said, adding, “I don’t know if you heard well: The elderly are an essential part of the Christian community and of society!”

The role of the elderly is one of Francis’ favorite themes, particularly on papal visits, and in his address Saturday, he returned to an image he has often used.

The elderly, he said, “represent the roots and memory of a people.”

Experience is a “precious treasure,” he continued, “indispensable to look to the future with hope and responsibility.”

Better future

He said the witness of the elderly helps youth to look to the future with hope: “The elderly, in fact, witness that, even in the most difficult trials, one must never lose faith in God and in a better future.”

The Holy Father praised the role that elderly people carry out in parishes, and also in families, noting particularly how in countries that have suffered religious persecution, it is often the grandparents who transmit the faith.

“In a world such as the present, in which often strength and appearance are mythicized, you have the mission to witness the values that truly count and that remain for ever, because they are inscribed in the heart of every human being and guaranteed by the Word of God. Precisely as persons of the so-called third age, you, or better, we — because I am also part of it — are called to work for the development of the culture of life, witnessing that every stage of existence is a gift of God and has its beauty and importance, even if marked by frailty.”

Caregivers

Pope Francis went on to praise the “persons and structures” dedicated to caring for the elderly day by day.

Institutes that house the elderly are “called to be places of humanity and loving care, where the weakest individuals are not forgotten or neglected, but visited, remembered and protected as older brothers and sisters,” he said, adding that this is a way to show gratitude to those who “have given so much to the community.”

He said that protecting the dignity of the elderly means opposing the throwaway culture, since it marginalizes the elderly as non-producers.

“This idea of being disposable is awful,” he said, as he recounted a story told him by his grandmother. The story is about a grandpa who lived with his son and his family but was moved to the kitchen for meals since he was unable to eat without making a mess.

The father learned his lesson about ostracizing the grandfather when one day his young son was playing pretend, building a table which the boy explained would one day be for his father to eat, separate from the family.

“Children are naturally very attached to their grandparents and they understand things that only grandparents can explain with their life, with their attitude,” the Pope said. “The throwaway culture says: ‘You are old, get out.’ … You are old, yes, but you have so many things to say to us, to tell us, of history, of culture, of life, of values …”

Society needs your smile

The Pope also encouraged the elderly to seek out the younger generations.

Talk with your grandchildren, he encouraged them, even if they do things differently, listen to different music, etc.

“They are in need of the elderly, of this continuous dialogue; give them wisdom too,” he said, recalling how it was the elderly, the “wisdom of the people,” who received Jesus in the Temple.

“Read this [story of Simeon and Anna] in Luke’s Gospel, it’s very beautiful,” he invited.

He concluded: “Dear grandfathers and grandmothers, thank you for the example you give of love, of dedication and of wisdom. Continue to witness these values with courage! May society not lack your smile and the beautiful luminosity of your eyes: may society be able to see them! I accompany you with my prayer, and you too, do not forget to pray for me. And now I invoke the Lord’s blessing upon you and your intentions and plans for good.

“Now we pray to Jesus’ grandmother, Saint Anne; we pray to Saint Anne who is Jesus’ grandmother, and we do so in silence for a moment. Each one ask Saint Anne to teach us to be good and wise grandparents.”

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On ZENIT’s Web page:

Full text: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-senior-citizens-caregivers/