In his Thursday morning Mass, Pope Francis talked about so called 'worldliness.' Reflecting on the day's reading, he explained that being obsessed with materialism blocks people from lending a helping hand.
POPE FRANCIS
'Worldliness transforms the soul. It makes people lose touch with reality. They live in an artificial world that they made up. Worldliness numbs the soul. That's why [in today's reading] the worldly man couldn't see reality.â?
The Pope then added that falling into the traps of worldliness can be even worse than committing a sin, because it leads to a darkened soul.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S HOMILY:
(Source: Vatican Radio)
When he went about town, we might imagine his car with tinted windows so as not [to be] seen from without â?? who knows â?? but definitely, yes, his soul, the eyes of his soul were darkened so that he could not see out. He saw only into his life, and did not realize what had happened to [himself]. He was not bad: he was sick, sick with worldliness â?? and worldliness transforms souls It transforms souls, makes them lose consciousness of reality. Worldly souls live in an artificial world, one of their making. Worldliness anesthetizes the soul. This is why the worldly man was not able to see reality.â?
'So many people are there, who bear so many difficulties in life, who live in great difficulty: but if I have the worldly heart, never will understand that. It is impossible for one with a worldly heart to comprehend the needs and the neediness of others. With a worldly heart you can go to church, you can pray, you can do so many things. But Jesus, at the Last Supper, in the prayer to the Father, what did He pray? â??But please, Father, keep these disciples from falling into the world, from falling into worldliness.â?? Worldliness is a subtle sin â?? it is more than a sin â?? it is a sinful state of soul.â?
'When the poor worldly man, in torment, asks that Lazarus be sent with a little water to help him, how does Abraham respond? Abraham is the figure of God the Father. How does He respond? â??Son, rememberâ?¦â?? The worldly have lost their name: we too, if we have a worldly heart, will have lost our name. We are not orphans, however: until the end, until the last moment there is the confidence that we have a Father who awaits us. Let us entrust ourselves to Him. â??Son,â?? he says: â??sonâ??, in the midst of that worldliness; â??son.â?? We are not orphans.â?
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