In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, the pope spoke about people who are excessively inflexible, and how this circumstance prevents them from being happy. He said that God blesses us with many gifts, but rigidity is not one of them.
POPE FRANCIS
'How the rigid suffer! When they are honest and realize this, they suffer! Because they do not have the freedom of the children of God; they do not know how to walk in the path God's Law and they are not happy. And they suffer so much! They appear good because they follow the Law; but they are concealing something else: either they are hypocritical or they are sick. And they suffer!â?
The pope concluded his homily underlining the importance of being flexible, good, and being able to forgive.
EXCERPTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'Behind an attitude of rigidity there is always something else in the life of a person. Rigidity is not a gift of God. Meekness is; goodness is; benevolence is; forgiveness is. But rigidity isnâ??t!â?
'They appear good because they follow the Law; but they are concealing something else: either they are hypocritical or they are sick. And they suffer!â?
'Letâ??s pray for our brothers and sisters who think that by becoming rigid they are following the path of the Lord. May the Lord make them feel that He is our Father and that He loves mercy, tenderness, goodness, meekness, humility. And may he teach us all to walk in the path of the Lord with these attitudes.â?
