During his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis reflected on the passage from Acts of the Apostles, in which Peter announces to the Jews that the man they crucified rose from the dead. He spoke of how many felt the need to convert after hearing his words.
POPE FRANCIS
Converting is this: becoming faithful once more. Faithfulness is that human attitude which is not so common in people's lives, in our lives. There are always illusions that attract our attention, and many times we want to chase these illusions. Faithfulness, in good and bad times.
He explained that “when we feel safe, we begin to make plans, and we slowly drift away from the Lord. We don't remain faithful. My security is no longer that which the Lord gives me. It is an idol.” He warned that self-assuredness opens the door to idols.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican News)
“Many times when we feel secure we begin to make plans and we slowly drift away from the Lord. We don’t remain faithful. My security is no longer that which the Lord gives me. It is an idol. This is what happened to Rehoboam and the people of Israel. He felt secure – a consolidated kingdom – and abandoned the law and began to worship idols.”
“The whole history of Israel, and the whole history of the Church, is full of infidelity. It is full of egotistical behavior and self-assuredness that leads the people of God to abandon the Lord. Even among us, between people, faithfulness is not a virtue that is highly valued.”
“An icon of fidelity: that faithful woman who had not forgotten all that the Lord had done for her. She was there, faithful before the impossible – a tragedy. Hers is a faithfulness that led her to think she could carry away His body.”
“Today let us ask the Lord for the grace of faithfulness, and to thank Him when He gives us security, the grace to be faithful even before the tomb and the collapse of so many illusions.”
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: Claudia Torres
