In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis spoke about hope, saying even the smallest amount, the size of a mustard seed, has a force to trigger unimaginable growth.
POPE FRANCIS
'The Church always had both the courage to take and throw away, to take and mix, and also the fear of doing so. Many times we see that we prefer pastoral care that conserves and does not let the kingdom grow. But we remain what are, small, there. We're secure, but the Kingdom does not grow. In order to make the Kingdom grow we need courage to throw the grain and to mix the yeast.'
He said the Holy Spirit brings us this hope that grows from within and does not disappoint: but is as small as wheat and as yeast.
EXTRACTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
“It is precisely hope that brings us to fullness, hope of leaving this prison, of these limitations, of this slavery, of this corruption, and to get to glory: it's a journey of hope. Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that is within us and brings this: a great thing, a freedom, a great glory. For this reason, Jesus says: 'Inside the mustard seed, that small grain, there is a force that triggers an unimaginable growth.''
'It grows inside, with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church always had both the courage to take and throw away, to take and mix, and also the fear of doing so. Many times we see that we prefer pastoral care that conserves and does not let the kingdom grow. But we remain what are, small, there. We're secure, but the Kingdom does not grow. The Kingdom is growing, so we need courage: to throw the grain, to mix the yeast.'
'Woe to those who preach the Kingdom of God with the illusion of not getting dirty. These are museum custodians: they prefer beautiful things, and not this gesture of throwing because the force is triggered, to mix because the force grows. This is the message of Jesus and Paul: this tension that goes from the slavery of sin, to be simple, to the fullness of glory. And hope is what goes on, hope does not disappoint: because hope is so small, hope is as small as wheat and as yeast.'
