In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis explained that the only way to know the message of God is through Jesus Christ.
POPE FRANCIS
'The Kingdom of God is not a â??showâ?? religion: one that is always seeking new things, revelations, messagesâ?¦ God spoke through Jesus Christ: this is the last Word of God. The other one is like fireworks that lit you up for a moment and then, what is left behind? Nothing. There is no growth, there is no light, thereâ??s nothing: just an instant.'
Pope Francis criticized sensationalism and the 'fireworks' that some consider an essential part of religion and clarified that this 'showiness' does not contribute anything to people.
EXCERPTS OF POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'The Kingdom of God is not a â??showâ?? religion: one that is always seeking new things, revelations, messages â?¦ God spoke through Jesus Christ: this is the last Word of God. The other one is like fireworks that lit you up for a moment and then what is left behind? Nothing. There is no growth, there is no light, thereâ??s nothing: just an instant. And we have been tempted many times by this entertainment religion of seeking things that are extraneous to the revelation, to the meekness of the Kingdom of God that is among us and which grows. For this is not about hope, this is about the desire to have something in our hands. Our salvation comes from hope, the hope of a man who sows the seed or the woman who makes the bread, mixing yeast and flour: a hope that grows. Instead, this artificial brightness only lasts an instant and then it dies away, like fireworks: they are not needed for giving light to a house. Itâ??s just a show.â?
'Guard it with patience. Patience in our work, in our sufferingsâ?¦ Guarding it like the man who has planted a seed and who takes care of the plant, ensuring there are no weeds close to it, so it will grow. Guard our hope. And here is the question that I put to you: if the Kingdom of God is among us today, if all of us have this seed inside us, if we have the Holy Spirit there, how do I guard it? How do I discern this, how can I discern the good plant from the seed of the darnel? The Kingdom of God grows and what must we do? Guard it. Grow through hope and guard that hope. Because we have been saved through hope. And this is the thread: hope is the thread in the history of salvation. Our hope of meeting the Lord for sure.â?
'Let us ask ourselves: Do I have hope? Or do I go ahead as best I can without knowing how to tell the good from the bad, the darnel seed, the light, the meek light of the Holy Spirit from the brightness of this artificial thing? Let us ask ourselves about our hope in this seed that is growing inside us and on how to guard our hope. The Kingdom of God is among us but we must, through rest, work, discernment, guard the hope of this Kingdom of God that grows until the time when the Lord will come and everything will be transformed. In a brief moment: everything! The world, us, everything. And as Paul said to the Christians of Thessalonica, â??we shall be with the Lord for ever.â??â?
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