Vatican City, Nov 13, 2022 / 04:30 am (CNA).
On the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to not be brought down by the “doom and gloom” of the world, but to witness to the joy of the Gospel through service to those in need.
“Let us take to heart the clear and unmistakable summons in the Gospel not to be led astray. Let us not listen to prophets of doom,” the pope said at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Nov. 13.
“Instead, let us bear witness,” he said. “Let us light candles of hope in the midst of darkness. Amid dramatic situations, let us seize opportunities to bear witness to the Gospel of joy and to build a more fraternal world, at least a little more fraternal. Let us commit ourselves courageously to justice, the rule of law and peace, and stand at the side of the weakest.”
Pope Francis, assisted by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, celebrated Mass for the 6th annual World Day of the Poor, which was established at the conclusion of the Year of Mercy.
The poor were special guests at the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The day was also marked by a number of initiatives to aid those in need, including a free meal and medical care.
In his homily, Pope Francis urged Christians to not let themselves become victims of the many crises happening in the world — such as war, famine, poverty, and natural disasters — but take action where they can.
He pointed to the day’s Gospel, Luke 21:5-19, in which Jesus says to not be deceived by false prophets.
“It is not by chance that Jesus’ second exhortation, after ‘do not be led astray,’ is positive,” the pope said. “He says: ‘This will give you an opportunity to testify.’”
“I want to emphasize this fine word: opportunity,” Francis said. “It means having the chance to do something good, starting from our situation in life, even when it is not ideal.”
“A disciple of the Lord,” he added, “should not yield to resignation or give in to discouragement, even in the most difficult situations, for our God is the God of resurrection and hope, who always raises up: with him we can lift up our gaze and begin anew.”
Pope Francis said Christians, when encountering trials, should ask themselves: “What is the Lord saying to us through this moment of crisis?”
The poor pay the heaviest price, he said, issuing a warning about hardened hearts.
“If our heart is deadened and indifferent, we cannot hear their faint cry of pain, we cannot cry with them and for them, we cannot see how much loneliness and anguish also lie hidden in the forgotten corners of our cities.”
Put your trust in God the Father, he said: “We should always repeat this to ourselves, especially at times of greatest trouble: God is a Father, and he is at my side. He knows and loves me; he does not sleep, but watches over me and cares for me. If I stay close to him, not a hair of my head will perish.”
“Since he loves us, let us resolve to love him in the most abandoned of his children,” the pope said, and “let us care for the poor, in whom we find Jesus, who became poor for our sake.”
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As much as one welcomes Francis’ message of hope, darkness shadows what’s said. Darkness that dims the spiritual light of votive candles.
Too often the pontiff’s message is ecological, socialistic, directed toward the poor rather than inclusive of the scourge of trans homosexuality plaguing Mankind, the monumental slaughter of infants in the womb, the abandonment to the wolves of the Catholic Church in China. The poor will always be with you, me you will not (Mt 26:11).
Certainly, care for the poor is essential to our salvation. That exigency, a sin of omission cannot overshadow other requirements to avoid sins of commission. Adoration of Our Lord is inclusive. Outstanding in that avoidance in Church history of adoration and inclusive morality was Judas. Judas who chastised Mary for anointing Christ’s feet with expensive nard obliquely critical of Christ.
Emphasis on the poor exclusive of the love of God, love of infants in the womb, the inherent rights of Man, the natural law ordained by God is found among Marxist haters of God, with Nazi ideological worship of Nordic mythological gods of war and dominance, racial idolatry.
What reason for hope is there in an imposed perennial synodal process of listening to oneself in guise of the Holy Spirit for some new revelation that by all indications is simply a ruse to confirm the ‘enlightened’ madness of an increasingly corrupt world that disdains the revealed eternal Word?
“Let us not listen to prophets of doom,” nor to Germania’s corrupting profits (!) of the federally-collected Church tax, nor to synodism’s prophetesses of mood (!) and Kumbaya.
Lighting a candle and showing the way to oneself and to fellow pilgrims can be a win-win situation. Prophets of doom need to be evangelized with timely doses of the Good News.