Pope's Mass: Stay away from vanity! It's dangerous




During his Monday morning Mass, Pope Francis talked about following God. He explained that Christians should always stay away from vanity, power and greed. That way, they won't try to take advantage of their relationship with God.

POPE FRANCIS
"Sometimes we do things to stand out and feed our vanity. But vanity is dangerous.  It immediately makes us fall into pride, arrogance,  and eventually it all stops there.  We must ask ourselves. How can I follow Jesus? Do I do good deeds in a discreet way, or do I just like to be seen?”

The Pope also talked about 'careerism' meaning those who use the Church to improve their career standing. He prayed so that all Christians may follow their good intentions.

EXCERPT OF THE POPE'S HOMILY
Source: Vatican Radio

"This is not the right attitude. Vanity is not good, vanity causes us to slip on our pride and everything ends there. So I ask myself the question: and me? How do I follow Jesus? When I do good, do I do it under the public eye, or do I do it in private?”

"Some of those who follow Jesus do so in search of power. Perhaps they do not do so with full consciousness. A clear example of this is to be found in John and James, the sons of Zebedee who asked Jesus to seat them in places of honour, one on His right and one on His left in his Kingdom. And in the Church there are climbers, people driven by ambition! There are many of them! But if you like climbing go to the mountains and climb them: it is healthier! Do not come to Church to climb! And Jesus scolds people with this kind of ambitious attitude in the Church”.

"Those who follow Jesus for money, trying to take economic advantage of the parish, of the diocese, of their Christian community, of the hospital, or the college… Let us think of the first Christian community that was swayed by this intention: Simon, Ananias and Sapphira… this has been a temptation right from the beginning. And since, we have heard of so many good Catholics, good Christians, friends and benefactors of the Church that – it has been revealed - acted for personal profit. They presented themselves as benefactors of the Church and made money on the side…”

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