During his Tuesday homily in Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis imagined how the world would change if everyone lived to encounter and serve others without hesitation.
The Pope lamented those Christians with sad and twisted faces. He explained they are people who believe themselves to be Christians but really aren't.
POPE FRANCIS
'Reaching out to others is another Christian sign. People who describes themselves as Christian and who are unable to reach out to others, to go and meet them are not totally Christian. Being of service and reaching out to others both require going out from themselves: going out to serve and meet others, to embrace another person.â?
On the last day of May, the month dedicated to Our Lady, the Pope highlighted the example of Mary, a woman who served without hesitation. He recounted the courage of the brave women who are present in the Church today.
EXCERPTS FROM THE PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'Christians with a grimace or disgruntled expression on their faces, sad Christians, are a very ugly thing. Itâ??s really ugly, ugly, ugly. However, they are not fully Christian. They think they are (Christians) but they are not fully so. This is the Christian message. And in this atmosphere of joy that todayâ??s liturgy gives us like a gift, I would like to underline just two things: first, an attitude; second, a fact. The attitude is one of service or helping others.â?
'The courage of women. The courageous women who are present in the Church: they are like Mary. These women who bring up their families, these women who are responsible for rearing their children, who have to face so many hardships, so much pain, women who look after the sickâ?¦Courageous: they get up and help other people. Serving others is a Christian sign. Whoever doesnâ??t live to serve other people, doesnâ??t serve to live. Serving others and being full of joy is the attitude that I would like to underline today. There is joy and also service towards others.â?
'Reaching out to others is another Christian sign. Persons who describes themselves as Christian and who are unable to reach out to others, to go and meet them are not totally Christian. Being of service and reaching out to others both require going out from themselves: going out to serve and meet others, to embrace another person. Through Maryâ??s service towards others, through that encounter, our Lordâ??s promise is renewed and makes it happen now, just as it did then. And it is really our Lord â?? as we heard during the first Reading: â??The Lord, your God, is in your midstâ?? â?? the Lord is about helping other people, the Lord is about meeting other people.â?
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