杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

杏MAP导航 Francis began the sacred liturgy on Wednesday morning remembering the imprisoned. 鈥淚n a special way I would like to pray for those who are in prison鈥� he prayed, 鈥渇or our brothers and sisters鈥�. They suffer and we must be near to them with our prayer so that the Lord might console them鈥�. He then reflected on both readings from the liturgy of the day: Jeremiah 18:18-20 and Matthew 20:17-28.

Jeremiah a prophesy of Jesus

杏MAP导航 Francis opened his homily with an explanation of how the devil tempts us to reject His plan. Like he did with Jeremiah, the devil first places obstacles in our way. Then he becomes malicious. Jeremiah鈥檚 experience is also a prophesy 鈥渙f the Lord鈥檚 passion鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said.

鈥淟et鈥檚 place obstacles鈥� The devil doesn鈥檛 say, 鈥楲et鈥檚 conquer him鈥�, or 鈥楲et鈥檚 kick him out鈥�. No. 鈥楲et鈥檚 make his life difficult. Torment him鈥欌��. It's not only a death sentence. It's more than that. It鈥檚 humiliation鈥�.鈥�

The devil鈥檚 first style

The devil has two styles when he persecutes Christians, the 杏MAP导航 continued. First, he tries to seduce them with worldliness by 鈥渕aking them change the plan of redemption鈥�. This is the spirit of the world, expressed on the lips of the Mother of the sons of Zebedee. Vanity, worldliness, careerism, success: these are the ways 鈥渢he devil proposes to distance us from the cross of Christ鈥�.

The devil鈥檚 second style

When that doesn鈥檛 work, he tries to destroy the person. 鈥淭he devil鈥檚 pride is so great that he tries to destroy and enjoys destroying through maliciousness鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said. He then reflected on the persecution of many saints and Christians. 鈥淭hey are not killed immediately. They are made to suffer鈥�, he said. They suffer every form of humiliation, even death.

It is what Jesus experienced. The two thieves crucified with Jesus were not tormented like He was. They were left in peace to die. 鈥淣o one insulted them. They were not interested in them鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said.

Discernment conquers the devil

Discerning how the devil is working on us is the way to overcome the obstacles the devil places on our path of discipleship. When a person is persecuted, they face the devil鈥檚 鈥渞evenge鈥� because it means they have conquered him. This is evident today in the lives of many Christians who are 鈥渃ruelly persecuted鈥�. He then reflected on the suffering endured by Asia Bibi during her 9-year imprisonment. 鈥淭his is the devil鈥檚 maliciousness鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said.

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 prayer

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his homily with a prayer for this discernment:

鈥淢ay the Lord grant us the grace of knowing how to discern when the spirit that wants to destroy us is present鈥�and when the same spirit wants to console us through the appearances of the world, with vanity.

鈥淢ay the Lord grant us the grace to discern the Lord鈥檚 way, which is the cross, from the way of the world which is vanity, and appearance鈥�.