From the Website of Vatican
links: http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-mass-works-of-mercy-at-heart-of-our-faith
(Vatican
Radio) Pope Francis warned against false spirituality and worldliness
saying many people appear to be spiritual but live in a way that is
totally detached from the presence or needs of others. He stressed that
works of mercy are at the heart of our faith in God and the visible sign
of that faith. The Pope was speaking at his first Mass at the Santa
Marta residence since the Christmas break.
But
what does it mean to "test the spirits," asked the Pope? It is not
about "ghosts", it is about testing, to see "what happens in my heart",
what is at the root "of what I'm feeling now, where does it come from?
This is to test if "what I’m hearing comes from God" or comes from the
other," from the Antichrist.
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The
cue for the Pope’s homily came from the first letter of John where the
Apostle writes of remaining in the Lord. The Pope explained that a
Christian is somebody who remains in God, who has the Holy Spirit and
who is guided by Him. Noting that John warned against Antichrists, Pope
Francis said not every spirit is to be trusted and it's necessary to
test them to see whether they are from God. He said to do this we need
to discern if we follow the spirit of God. And this is the daily rule
of life that John teaches us."
Pope
Francis went on to warn against worldliness, saying this is the spirit
that distances us from the Spirit of God. He said we need to have a good
discernment of what is happing in our soul and the Apostle John gives
us that guideline.
"The
criterion is the Incarnation. I can feel so many things inside, even
good things, good ideas. But if these good ideas, these feelings, do not
lead to God who became flesh, do not lead me to my neighbour, my
brother, then they are not from God. For this reason, John begins this
passage of his letter by saying: 'This is God's commandment that we
should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one
another.'"
We
can, the Pope continued, have "many pastoral plans", imagine new
"methods to get closer to the people", but "if we do not follow the path
of God who became flesh, the path of the Son of God who became man to
walk with us, we are not on the path of the good spirit: it is the
Antichrist, it is worldliness, it is the spirit of the world."
"How
many people seem spiritual: 'How spiritual that person is!' but they do
not talk about doing works of mercy. Why? Because the works of mercy
are the visible sign of our confession that the Son of God became flesh:
visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, taking care of those who are
abandoned... works of mercy: why? The reason is because each of our
brothers, whom we must love, is the flesh of Christ. God became flesh
to identify with us. And those who suffer are one and the same as the
suffering Christ."
Pope
Francis went on to warn against believing every spirit, saying “you
have to test to test the spirits to see whether they are from God."
"Serving our neighbour, our brother, our sister in need", maybe "in
need, also, of good advice, of a listening ear," "these are the signs
that we are following the path of the good spirit, namely the path of
the Word of God made flesh."
"Let
us ask the Lord today, he concluded, for the grace to know exactly what
happens in our hearts, our desires, if we are more open to the spirit
of God, that brings me to the service of others, or to the spirit of the
world that revolves around myself, my closed views, my selfishness, so
many other things ... Let us ask for the grace to discern what happens
in our hearts."
Vatican Website
http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html
http://www.news.va/en
Article links:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html
http://www.news.va/en
Article links:
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