Pope Francis Santa Marta Mass the devil 12.11.19

Pope Francis 12.11.19 Holy Mass Santa Marta (Domus Sanctae Marthae) Memorial of St Josaphat Wisdom 2:23 - 3:9

The devil exists, sowing hatred and death throughout the world because he is envious that the Son of God became man. In the First Reading from the Book of Wisdom (Wis 2:23 - 3:9), the first verse begins: "God created us in His own image". The same verse continues adding: "But through the devil’s envy, death entered the world". The envy of that proud angel who refused to accept the incarnation led him to destroy humanity. That is how jealousy, envy, rivalry entered our hearts, while instead we could live in peace like brothers and sisters. This is where the struggle and the desire to destroy begins. "But Father, I don't destroy anyone". No? And what about your gossiping? When you talk badly about someone you destroy them. The Apostle James said: "The tongue is a fearsome weapon. it kills". Gossip kills. Slander kills. "But Father I have been baptized, I am a practising Christian, how can I be a murderer!" Because, we are fighting a war inside ourselves, and we have done so from the beginning. Cain and Abel were brothers, but the jealousy and the envy of the one destroyed the other. This is the way it is, just watch the evening news: wars, destruction, people dying of illnesses caused by wars. The anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, leads us to recall the horrors of war, the Nazis, and those who tortured anyone who was not of 'pure race'. Behind all this there is someone who moves us to do these things. It's what we call temptation. When we go to confession, we say to the priest: "Father, I was tempted by this, that, and the other...". Someone touches your heart to lead you down the wrong road. Someone sows destruction and hatred in our hearts. Today we have to say it clearly, there are many who sow hatred in the world, who destroy.

Often I think that the news is a story of hatred and destruction, wars and terrorist attacks. So many children die of hunger and disease because they have no water, no education, or healthcare. Because the money needed for this goes to manufacturing weapons of destruction. This is what happens in the world, but also in my soul and in yours, because of the seed of the devil’s envy and hatred. And why is the devil envious?" He is envious of our human nature.

Do you know why? Because the Son of God became one of us. The devil cannot bare that, he can't tolerate it.

That is why he destroys, and that is the root of the devil’s envy, the root of our evils, our temptations, it is the root of wars, hunger, of all the calamities in the world. It is not the norm to destroy and sow hatred, not even in politics. But some people do it. Often one politician is tempted to sling mud at another, to destroy the other, using both lies and truth. This is not healthy and clean political rivalry for the good of the country. He prefers to use insults to destroy opponents. "I'm good, but does he look better than me?", he thinks, and then "Ill knock him down, with an insult".

I would like each of us to think about this today: why is so much hatred sown in the world today? In families that sometimes cannot be reconciled, in our neighbourhood, in the workplace, in politics... The devil is the sower of hatred: "Death entered the world through the devil’s envy". Some say: but Father, the devil does not exist, it is evil, such an ethereal evil... But God’s Word is clear. The devil got angry with Jesus. Read the Gospel: it’s clear, whether we have faith or not.

Let us pray to the Lord to make our hearts grow in faith in Jesus Christ, His Son, who assumed our human nature, to fight with our flesh and to be victorious in our flesh over the devil and evil. May this faith give us the strength not to play the game of the envious one, the great liar, the sower of hate.