Pope Francis: talks about Service 07.04.20Pope Francis 07.4.20 Holy Mass Casa Santa Marta (Domus Sanctae Marthae) Isaiah 49: 1-6 Tuesday of Holy Week - Lectionary Cycle IIThe prophecy of Isaiah that we have heard is a prophecy about the Messiah, the Redeemer, but also a prophecy about the people of Israel, about the people of God: we can say that it may be a prophecy about each of us. In essence, the prophecy emphasizes that the Lord chose his servant from his mother's womb: twice it says this. (Is. 49:1). From the beginning his servant was chosen, from birth or before birth. The people of God were chosen before birth, even each of us. None of us fell into the world by chance. Everyone has a destiny, he has a free destiny, the destiny of the election of God. I am born with the destiny of being a child of God, of being a servant of God, with the task of serving, of building, of building. And this, from the mother's womb. The Lord chose us from our mother's womb. There are, in life, falls: each of us is a sinner and can fall and has fallen. Only Our Lady and Jesus: all the others, we have fallen, we are sinners. But what matters is our behaviour before the God who chose us, who anointed me as a servant; and the attitude of a sinner who is able to ask for forgiveness, like Peter, who swears that "no, I will never deny you, Lord, never, never!" then, when the cock crows, he cries. He repents. (Mt. 26:75). This is the path of a servant: when he slips, when he falls, he asks for forgiveness. Instead, when the servant is not able to understand that he has fallen, when passion takes hold of him in such a way that it leads him to idolatry, he opens his heart to Satan, the night enters: it is what happened to Judas (cf. Mt. 27: 3-10). Let us ask for the grace to persevere in service. Sometimes with slips, falls, but the grace at least to weep as Peter cried. |
Mass Casa Santa Marta > 04 2020 >