The Pope condemned hypocrisy and said we must never take advantage of our role and authority to crush others.
Vatican City (08/11/2021 10:03 AM, Gaudium Press) During the Angelus prayer last Sunday, November 7, Pope Francis evoked a passage from the liturgy of the day. Specifically, it is the Gospel of St. Mark, Mk 12:38-44, in which Our Lord Jesus Christ analyzes the difference between the attitude of the scribes and the humble attitude of a widow.
The Pope explained that these are “two symbols of human behavior”: wanting to be revered and noticed by everyone and the second of simplicity.
Francis explained that in the face of these two positions, it is essential to know what to do: “First of all, to watch out for hypocrites, that is, to be careful not to base our life on the cult of appearances, externals, and the exaggerated care of one’s own image,” the Pontiff warned.
Above all, Francis warned not to make religion a tool to serve personal interests: “In the name of God, those scribes covered-up their own vainglory, and even worse, they used religion to cultivate their own affairs, abusing their authority and exploiting the poor.“
Francis said that this example brought by the Gospel is a warning for everyone and for any time in history: “never to take advantage of a specific role to crush others, never to make money off the backs of the weakest!” And he took the opportunity to condemn clericalism.
On the other hand, Francis noted that Our Lord teaches us to take the widow who did not unite the sacred with money and therefore is an example of trust in God: “She has nothing left, but finds her everything in God. She is not afraid of losing the little she has because she trusts in God’s abundance, and God’s abundance multiplies the joy of those who give.”
The Pope affirmed that the widow’s few coins had a more beautiful sound than the fortunes of others “since they express a life sincerely dedicated to God, a faith that does not live by appearances but by unconditional trust.” (FM)
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
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