Pope
Francis invites Christians to “keep away the polluting germs of egoism,
of envy, of malicious gossip”. Here is a translation of the address
Pope Francis gave before the midday Angelus with those gathered in St.
Peter’s Square, this Sunday February 5th 2017: “Therefore,
the mission of Christians in society is to give “flavour” to life with
the faith and love that Christ has given us.”
***
Before the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In these Sundays the liturgy proposes to us the so-called Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew’s Gospel. After having presented the Beatitudes last Sunday, today it highlights Jesus’ words, which describe the mission of His disciples in the world (cf. Matthew 5:13-16). He uses the metaphor of salt and light, and His words are addressed to disciples of all times, hence also to us.
Jesus invites
us to be a reflection of His light, through the testimony of good works.
He says: ”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew
5:16).
These words underline that we are recognizable as true disciples of Him
who is Light of the world, not in words, but by our works. In fact, it
is above all our behavior that — in the good and in the bad – leaves a
sign in others. Hence we have a task and a responsibility for the gift
received: the light of faith, which is in us through Christ and the
action of the Holy Spirit, we must not keep as if it were our property.
Instead, we are called to make it shine in the world, to give it to
others through good works. And how much the world needs the light of the
Gospel, which transforms, heals and guarantees salvation to those who
receive it! We must take this light with our good works.
By giving
itself, the light of our faith is not extinguished but reinforced.
Instead, it can fail if we do not nourish it with love and with works of
charity. Thus the image of light meets with that of
salt. In fact, the evangelical page tells us that, as Christ’s
disciples, we are also “the salt of the earth” (v. 13). Salt is an
element that, while it gives flavour, preserves food from alteration and
corruption — there were no fridges in Jesus’ time! Therefore, the
mission of Christians in society is to give “flavour” to life with the
faith and love that Christ has given us, and at the same time to keep
away the polluting germs of egoism, of envy, of malicious gossip, and so
on. These germs ruin the fabric of our communities, which instead
should shine as places of hospitality, of solidarity and of
reconciliation. To fulfil this mission, it is necessary first of all
that we ourselves are liberated from the corrupting degeneration of
worldly influences, which are contrary to Christ and the Gospel; and
this purification never ends, it goes on every day!
Each one of us is called to be light and salt
in the environment of our daily life, persevering in the task of
regenerating the human reality in the spirit of the Gospel and in the
perspective of the Kingdom of God. May the protection of Mary Most Holy,
first disciple of Jesus and model, be of help to believers who live
every day their vocation and mission in history. May our Mother help us
to let ourselves always be purified and illumined by the Lord, to become
in turn “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
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