Vatican City, 23 February 2014 (VIS) –
“By his creative and renewing power, the Spirit always sustains the
hope of God’s People as we make our pilgrim way through history,
and ... he always supports the witness of Christians”, said Pope
Francis to the cardinals created in yesterday's consistory, who
concelebrated Holy Mass with him in St. Peter's Basilica this
morning.
The Holy Father commented in his homily
that this Sunday's readings in which Jesus calls for holiness are
addressed to all of us, but in particular to the new cardinals:
“Imitating the holiness and perfection of God might seem an
unattainable goal. Yet, the first reading and the Gospel offer us
concrete examples which enable God’s way of acting to become the
norm for our own. … In the Gospel Jesus also speaks to us of
holiness, and explains to us the new law, his law. He does this by
contrasting the imperfect justice of the scribes and Pharisees with
the higher justice of the Kingdom of God. The first contrast of
today’s passage refers to revenge. 'You have heard that it was
said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. But I say to
you … if anyone should strike you on the right cheek, turn to him
the other also'. We are required not only to avoid repaying others
the evil they have done to us, but also to seek generously to do good
to them”.
“The second contrast refers to our
enemies: 'You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your
neighbour and hate your enemy”. But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you'. Jesus asks those who would
follow him to love those who do not deserve it, without expecting
anything in return, and in this way to fill the emptiness present in
human hearts, relationships, families, communities and in the entire
world. My brother Cardinals, Jesus did not come to teach us good
manners, how to behave well at the table! To do that, he would not
have had to come down from heaven and die on the Cross. Christ came
to save us, to show us the way, the only way out of the quicksand of
sin, and this way of holiness is mercy, that mercy which he has
shown, and daily continues to show, to us. To be a saint is not a
luxury. It is necessary for the salvation of the world. This is what
the Lord is asking of us”.
“Dear brother Cardinals”, continued
the Pope, “the Lord Jesus and mother Church ask us to witness with
greater zeal and ardour to these ways of being holy. It is exactly in
this greater self-gift, freely offered, that the holiness of a
Cardinal consists. We love, therefore, those who are hostile to us;
we bless those who speak ill of us ... We do not aim to assert
ourselves; we oppose arrogance with meekness; we forget the
humiliations that we have endured. May we always allow ourselves to
be guided by the Spirit of Christ, who sacrificed himself on the
Cross so that we could be 'channels' through which his charity might
flow. This is the attitude of a Cardinal, this must be how he acts. A
Cardinal – I say this especially to you – enters the Church of
Rome, my brothers, not a royal court. May all of us avoid, and help
others to avoid, habits and ways of acting typical of a court:
intrigue, gossip, cliques, favouritism and partiality. May our
language be that of the Gospel: 'yes when we mean yes; no when we
mean no'; may our attitudes be those of the Beatitudes, and our way
be that of holiness. Let US pray once more: “Merciful Father, by
your help, may we be ever attentive to the voice of the Spirit”.
“The Holy Spirit also speaks to us
today through the words of Saint Paul: 'You are God’s temple …
God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are'. ... This temple of
ours is defiled if we neglect our duties towards our neighbour.
Whenever the least of our brothers and sisters finds a place in our
hearts, it is God himself who finds a place there. ... A heart
without love is like a deconsecrated church, a building withdrawn
from God’s service and given over to another use”.
Pope Francis concluded his homily by
asking the cardinals to remain close to him “with your prayers,
your advice and your help … in order to serve the Gospel and to
help the Church radiate Christ’s love in our world”.
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