杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

As he began Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Easter Tuesday, 杏MAP导航 Francis prayed that God might give us the grace of unity.

鈥淚n these difficult times, may He allow us to discover the communion that binds us and the unity which is always greater than any division.鈥�

Repent from illusions

In his homily, the 杏MAP导航 turned his attention to Peter鈥檚 invitation to conversion on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-41). Peter tells the people gathered in Jerusalem to repent and return to God.

鈥淭o repent means returning to faithfulness,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淭here are always illusions that attract our attention, and often we follow after these illusions.鈥� But, he said, we are called to be faithful 鈥渋n good times and in bad.鈥�

Self-assuredness leads to unfaithfulness

The 杏MAP导航 then recalled an episode from the 12^th Chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles.

Rehoboam, the first king of Judah, felt that his kingdom was secure. So, he 鈥渁bandoned the law of the Lord, and so did all Israel with him鈥� (2 Chr 12:1).

杏MAP导航 Francis said this was a historical event, which also holds universal value.

鈥淢any times when we feel secure we begin to make plans and we slowly drift away from the Lord. We don鈥檛 remain faithful. My security is no longer that which the Lord gives me. It is an idol. This is what happened to Rehoboam and the people of Israel. He felt secure 鈥� a consolidated kingdom 鈥� and abandoned the law and began to worship idols.鈥�

Adoring idols

杏MAP导航 Francis said we might object that we have never knelt before idols ourselves. 鈥淣o,鈥� he said, 鈥減erhaps you don鈥檛 kneel but it鈥檚 true that you seek them and often adore idols in your heart. Self-assuredness opens the door to idols.鈥�

Feeling secure is not a bad thing, said 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淚t is a grace: being secure in the knowledge that the Lord is with me.鈥�

Rather, security becomes a crutch and leads to sin when I put myself at the center and stop being faithful.

鈥淭he whole history of Israel, and the whole history of the Church, is full of infidelity. It is full of egotistical behavior and self-assuredness that leads the people of God to abandon the Lord鈥� Even among us, between people, faithfulness is not a virtue that is highly valued.鈥�

Icon of fidelity

杏MAP导航 Francis said Mary Magdalene provides the key to understanding fidelity, as she waited and wept outside Jesus鈥� tomb (Jn 21:11-18).

鈥淎n icon of fidelity: that faithful woman who had not forgotten all that the Lord had done for her. She was there, faithful before the impossible 鈥� a tragedy. Hers is a faithfulness that led her to think she could carry away His body.鈥�

True security comes from God

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited us to pray for the grace to be faithful.

鈥淭oday let us ask the Lord for the grace of faithfulness, and to thank Him when He gives us security鈥� the grace to be faithful even before the tomb and the collapse of so many illusions.鈥�