Vatican City, 3 October 2015 (VIS) –
Following the festivity of St. Michael Archangel, patron of the
Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps, Pope Francis celebrated Mass
this morning in the Governorate Chapel, attended by the members of
the Corps.
The Holy Father spoke in his homily
about St. Michael's battle against Satan, affirming that “there is
a war between good and evil, in which we must choose what we want,
good or evil. But … the methods of war adopted by these two enemies
are totally opposed to one another. In the initial prayer … we ask
for the grace to be defended by Archangel Michael against the
temptations of the devil, and this is one of the devil's methods:
temptation”.
He then explained “the three steps of
the method of the ancient serpent, the devil. First, having things:
in this case bread, wealth, the wealth that gradually leads to
corruption, and this corruption is not a tale, it is everywhere. Many
people are willing to sell their soul for a pittance, they sell their
happiness, their life, everything. It is the first step: money and
wealth. Then, when you have it you feel important, which leads to the
second step: vanity. What the devil said to Jesus: Let's go to the
terrace, 'cast Yourself down from here' – make a great spectacle!
Living for vanity. And the third step is power, pride and arrogance:
'to you I will give all this authority', you will be in command”.
“This also happens to us, in small
things, always, in small things: too attached to wealth, we like it
when we are praised, like the peacock. And many people become
ridiculous. Vanity makes us become ridiculous. Or, in the end, when
you have power you feel as if you are God, and this is the great
sin”.
“You who have a difficult job, in
which there are always conflicts and you have to put in things in
their place, often enabling crime to be avoided. Pray to the Lord
that, by the intercession of St. Michael Archangel, He will defend
you from any temptation of corruption for money, for wealth, for
vanity or arrogance. The humbler you are, like Jesus, the humbler
your service will be and the more fruitful and useful it will be for
all of us”.
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