杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

杏MAP导航 Francis is urging Christians to ask the Lord for the light to know well what is happening inside us.  In his homily at Mass, Friday morning, at the Vatican鈥檚 Casa Santa Marta, he reflected on the First Reading where St. Paul speaks to the Romans about the continuous inner struggle inside him between the desire to do good and not being able to do it.

A struggle in all of us

Some might think that by carrying out the 鈥渆vil he does not want鈥� St. Paul might be in hell or defeated. Yet, the 杏MAP导航 says, he is a saint because even saints experience this war within themselves, between the good that the Holy Spirit inspires and the bad of the evil spirit, It is 鈥渁 law for all鈥�, 鈥渁n everyday war鈥�.

Anyone who says he does not have this struggle within and feels blessed and at peace, the 杏MAP导航 tells him or her: 鈥淵ou're not blessed.  You鈥檙e someone who doesn't understand what鈥檚 happening鈥�.

In this daily struggle, the 杏MAP导航 says, we win today, tomorrow and the day after until the end.   The martyrs 鈥渉ad to fight to the end to maintain their faith鈥�.   It鈥檚 the same for the saints, like Therese of the Child Jesus, for whom 鈥渢he hardest struggle was the final moment鈥�, on her deathbed, because she felt that 鈥渢he bad spirit鈥� wanted to snatch her from the Lord.

Stop to think

In daily life, the 杏MAP导航 says, there are 鈥渆xtraordinary moments of struggle鈥� as well as 鈥渙rdinary moments鈥�.  That is why in the day鈥檚 Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd: 鈥淵ou know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?鈥�

According to the 杏MAP导航, we Christians are often busy in many things, including good things, but he wonders whether we ask what is going on inside and who leads us to them.  鈥淥ur life,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 says, 鈥渋s like life in the street鈥�.  鈥淲hen we go down the road, we just look at the things that interest us; others, we don't care.鈥�

Grace and sin

杏MAP导航 Francis says there is always the struggle between grace and sin, between the Lord who wants to save and pull us out of this temptation and the bad spirit that always throws us down in order to win over.   He thus urges Christians to ask themselves whether they walk down the street like one who comes and goes without realizing what is happening and to find out whether their decisions come 鈥渇rom the Lord鈥� or are dictated by our 鈥渟elfishness鈥�, 鈥渂y the devil鈥�.

Before the end of the day, the 杏MAP导航 says, one needs to stop for two to three minutes to examine oneself whether anything important has happened that day.  One can find a bit of hatred,  speaking ill of others as well as an act of charity. To understand what goes on inside, one should ask who inspired these acts.  At times, the 杏MAP导航 says, with our gossip mentality, we know what happens in the neighbourhood and in the neighbours' house but we don't know what happens inside us.