Pope Francis: Beware of Idolatory and Hypocrisy
October 15, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his daily morning Mass, Pope Francis talked about the dangers of idolatry and hypocrisy. He explained that Christians must stay away from these two dangerous sins. To overcome them, he recommends charity.
POPE FRANCIS
“Jesus gives us advice: Don’t look at appearances, go directly towards the truth. A plate is a plate, but what is important is what’s on the plate. The meal. But if you are vain, if you are a careerist, if you are ambitious, if you are a person that always puts yourself before or likes to advance yourself, because you think you are perfect, give a little bit of alms and that will heal your hypocrisy.”
The Pope also added that this path will lead to God, despite the challenges that may arise.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY
Source: Vatican Radio
“It is an idolatry, the Pope said, that “stifles the truth of the Faith” in which “is revealed the righteousness of God. But since we all have need to worship – because we have the imprint of God within us – when we do not worship God, we worship creatures. And this is the passage from faith to idolatry. These people, idolaters, have no excuse: because having known God, they have neither glorified nor worshiped Him as God. And what is the way of idolatry? He says clearly: ‘they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.’ The selfishness of their own thoughts, the omnipotent thought, that which I think is true: I think the truth, I make the truth with my thought.”
“Even today, there are so many idols, and even today there are so many idolaters, so many who think they are wise. But even among us, among Christians, eh? I’m not speaking about them, I respect them, those who aren’t Christians. But among us – we’re speaking within the family – they think they’re wise, they know everything... They’ve become foolish and exchange the glory of the incorruptible God with an image: myself, my ideas, my comforts . . . Today, all of us – I go ahead, eh! It’s not only something historic – even today, along the way there are idols, even a step forward . . . We all have within ourselves some hidden idol. We can ask ourselves, in the sight of God: what is my hidden idol? What takes the place of God?”
“Jesus counsels: don’t look at appearances, go by the truth. The plate is the plate, but what is important is what’s on the plate: the meal. But if you are vain, if you are a careerist, if you are ambitious, if you are a person that always puts himself forward or likes to advance yourself, because you think you are perfect, give a little bit of alms and that will heal your hypocrisy. This is the way of the Lord: it is to worship God, to love God above all things and to love your neighbor. It’s so simple, but so difficult! This can only be done with grace. Let us ask for this grace”.
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