In his morning homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis remarked that the God's style is based on humility and that attitude should characterize the life of a Christian.
He gave the example of John the Baptist, whom the readings of the day were referred.
POPE FRANCIS
'Asking the Lord for the grace of humility that John had, and not leaning on our own merits or the glory of others. And above all, the grace that in our life that might always be a place that Christ might grow greater, and we might come down, even to the very end.â?
The Pope recommended to follow the example of those who prepared for the coming of Christ, whose life, he said, can be defined with these three words: 'to diminish, diminish, diminish.â?
EXTRACTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'John the Baptist, â??the greatest man born of a womanâ?? â?? so says the formula for the canonization of John. But this formula was used not of a Pope, or even of Jesus. That man is the greatest man born of a woman: The greatest saint: Thus Jesus canonized him. And he ended his life in jail, beheaded, and the final phrase [of the Gospel reading] seems almost one of resignation: â??When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.â?? This is the end of â??the greatest man born of a woman.â?? A great prophet. The ultimate, the last of prophets. The only one to whom it was granted to see the hope of Israel.â?
'But he also suffered in prison â?? let us say the word â?? the interior torture of doubt: â??But maybe I made a mistake? This Messiah is not how I imagined the Messiah would be.â?? And he invited his disciples to ask Jesus: â??But tell us, tell us the truth: are you He who is to come?â?? because that doubt made him suffer. â??Was I mistaken in proclaiming someone who isnâ??t [who I thought]?â?? The suffering, the interior solitude of this man. â??I, on the other hand, must diminish, but diminish thus: in soul, in body, in everythingâ?¦â?
'It does us good to read this passage from the Gospel, the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6. Reading this passage, seeing how God triumphs: the style of God is not the style of man. Asking the Lord for the grace of humility that John had, and not leaning on our own merits or the glory of others. And above all, the grace that in our life that might always be a place that Christ might grow greater, and we might come down, even to the very end.â?
JRB/YA
CTV
VM
-BN
Up:YA
#Papafrancis
