杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

In his homily at the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, 杏MAP导航 Francis spoke about 鈥渄ocility鈥� to the Word of God, which 鈥渋s always new鈥�. Reflecting on the first Reading, the 杏MAP导航 focused on God鈥檚 rejection of Saul as king, a 鈥減rophecy鈥� that was confided to Samuel.

The stages of corruption

杏MAP导航 Francis said that the essence of Saul鈥檚 sin was his 鈥渓ack of docility鈥� to the Word of God, imagining that his own 鈥渋nterpretation鈥� of God鈥檚 command was 鈥渕ore correct鈥�. The Lord had commanded the Israelites not to take anything from the people they had conquered, but they disobeyed. 杏MAP导航 Francis explained:

When Samuel goes to reject [Saul] on behalf of God, [Saul] tried to explain: 鈥淏ut look, there were cattle, there were so many good, fat animals, and with these I offered a sacrifice to the Lord鈥�. He had not put anything in his own pocket, although others had. On the contrary, with this attitude of interpreting the Word of God as it seemed right to him, he allowed the others to put something of the plunder in their own pockets. The stages of corruption: it begins with a little disobedience, a lack of docility, and it keeps going further, further, further.

The lack of docility

After 鈥渆xterminating鈥� the Amalekites, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, the people took from the plunder 鈥渟mall and large beasts, the first fruits of what was vowed to extermination, to sacrifice to the Lord鈥�. But Samuel pointed out that the Lord prefers 鈥渙bedience to the voice鈥� of God to holocausts and sacrifices; and he clarified the 鈥渉ierarchy of values鈥�: It is more important to have a 鈥渄ocile heart鈥�, and 鈥渢o obey鈥�, than to 鈥渙ffer sacrifices, to fast, to do penance鈥�. The 鈥渟in of lacking docility鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 continued, lies precisely in that preference for 鈥渨hat I think and not what the Lord commands of me which I don鈥檛 understand鈥�. When you rebel against 鈥渢he will of the Lord鈥�, he said, you are not docile; 鈥渋t鈥檚 like a sin of fortune-telling鈥�. It鈥檚 as if, although you say you believe in God, 鈥測ou were to go to a fortune-teller to have your palm read 鈥榡ust in case鈥�.鈥� Refusing to obey the Lord, the lack of docility, the 杏MAP导航 repeated, is like 鈥渇ortune-telling鈥�.

When you insist on doing things your own way in the face the Lord鈥檚 will, you are an idolater, because you prefer what you think, that idol, to the will of the Lord. And for Saul, this disobedience cost him the kingdom: 鈥淏ecause you have rejected the Word of the Lord, the Lord has rejected you as king鈥�. This should make us think a little bit about our own docility. We often prefer our own interpretation of the Gospel [鈥�] for example, when we fall into casuistry, into moral casuistry鈥� This is not the will of the Lord. The will of the Lord is clear; He makes it known with the commandments in the Bible, and makes it known with the Holy Spirit within your heart. But when I am obstinate, and turn the Word of the Lord into an ideology, I am an idolater, I am not docile.

Mercy, not sacrifice

Turning to the day鈥檚 Gospel, from St Mark, 杏MAP导航 Francis recalled that the disciples were criticised 鈥渂ecause they did not fast鈥�. Jesus uses an analogy: no one sews new cloth on an old cloak, because it would risk making the tear worse; and no one puts new wine in old wineskins, because the skins would burst, and both the wine and the wineskins would be lost. 鈥淩ather鈥�, the Lord said, 鈥渘ew wine is poured into fresh wineskins鈥�.

The newness of the Word of the Lord 鈥� because the Word of the Lord is always new, it always carries us onward 鈥� always wins, it is better than everything. It overcomes idolatry, it overcomes pride, and it overcomes this attitude of being too sure of ourselves, not through [commitment to] the Word of the Lord, but to the ideologies that I have built around the Word of the Lord. There is a very beautiful expression of Jesus that explains all this and that comes from God, taken from the Old Testament: 鈥淚 desire mercy, and not sacrifice鈥�.

Trust in God

The 杏MAP导航 said that being a 鈥済ood Christian鈥� means being 鈥渄ocile鈥� to the Word of the Lord, listening to what the Lord says about justice, charity, forgiveness, and mercy; and not being 鈥渋nconsistent in life鈥�, using 鈥渁n ideology to be able to go forward鈥�. It鈥檚 true, he added, that the Word of the Lord sometimes 鈥済ets us in trouble鈥�, but 鈥渢he devil does the same thing鈥�, 鈥渄eceptively鈥�. So to be a Christian, 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded, 鈥渋s to be free,鈥� through 鈥渢rust鈥� in God.