In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis said that 'none of us fell into the world by chance (...) Each one has a destiny, a free destiny, the destiny of God's choice,' despite weaknesses.
POPE FRANCIS
In life there are mistakes: each of us is a sinner and can fall, and has fallen. Only the Blessed Mother and Jesus... everyone else has fallen. We are sinners. What matters is my attitude before the God who chose me.
He explained, 'this is the way of the servant: when he slips, when he falls, he asks for forgiveness.'
EXCERPTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican News)
“Each one of us has a destiny, a free destiny. The destiny is the election of God. I am born chosen to be a servant of God with the task of serving.”
“To serve is not pretending that we have any other benefit to give than serving,” said Pope Francis. Jesus, the Servant of God gives us an example of service. The glory of Jesus was serving until death. It seemed a defeat but it was a way of serving.
When the People of God distance themselves from the attitude of serving, they are a People that have apostatized, explains the Pope. This leads them to construct their lives on other loves that are often idolatrous and they lose their vocation.
Pope Francis explained that the important thing is our attitude before God who chose us and anointed us as His servant. Except for Our Lady and Jesus, we have all fallen. The example of Peter is a source of inspiration. When Peter denied Jesus and the cock crowed, he cried and repented (Mt 26:75). This is the path of a servant who asks for forgiveness when he or she slips and falls.
The other path is that of the servant who is incapable of understanding that he or she has fallen. This path leaves the heart open to the passions that lead to idolatry. Like Judas, the heart becomes open to Satan.
Concluding his homily, the Pope invited us to think of Jesus who was faithful in service. We are by vocation meant to serve and not to make a profit from our position in the Church. Pope Francis prayed that like Peter, we may be able to weep when we slip and fall.
