杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

杏MAP导航 Francis in his on Friday urged Christians not to be a stumbling block in the path of Christ, the Anointed One, whose glory cannot be separated from his cross. 

鈥淏y not separating his glory from the cross, Jesus wants to liberate his disciples, his Church, from empty forms of triumphalism: forms empty of love, service, compassion, empty of people,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said in his homily during Mass in Rome鈥檚 St. Peter鈥檚 Square on June 29, the solemn feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of Rome who were both martyred in the Eternal City. 

Pallium

During the Mass the 杏MAP导航 blessed the pallium which will be sent to 30 new metropolitan archbishops that he appointed around 鈥巘he world during the past year.

The pallium is a band of white wool which metropolitan archbishops wear around their shoulders as a symbol of their authority and their unity with the 杏MAP导航.  A metropolitan archdiocese is 鈥巓ne under which suffragan dioceses are grouped together to make up a geographical territory of the 鈥嶤hurch. 

Christ anoints His people

杏MAP导航 Francis centred his homily on the episode of St. Peter in Matthew鈥檚 Gospel where he confesses his faith in Jesus saying, 鈥淵ou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;  The 杏MAP导航 said Peter had seen how Jesus 鈥渁nointed鈥� His people with hope, walking from village to village with the sole aim of saving and helping those considered lost 鈥� the dead, the sick, the wounded and the repentant.

The Argentine 杏MAP导航 said that 鈥淕od鈥檚 Anointed One kept bringing the Father鈥檚 love and mercy to the very end.鈥�  鈥淭his merciful love,鈥� he said, 鈥渄emands that we too go forth to every corner of life, to reach out to everyone, even though this may cost us our 鈥�good name鈥�, our comforts, our status鈥� even martyrdom.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Peter a stumbling block

The 杏MAP导航 pointed out that when Peter couldn鈥檛 accept that Jesus should die, he becomes the Lord鈥檚 enemy and a 鈥渟tumbling stone in the Messiah鈥檚 path鈥�.  Peter鈥檚 life and confession of faith, the Holy Father said, 鈥渁lso means learning to recognize the temptations that will accompany the life of every disciple.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Like Peter, the 杏MAP导航 said, we will always be tempted to hear those 鈥�whisperings鈥� of the evil One, which will become a stumbling stone for the mission. The devil, he explained, seduces with 鈥渨hispering鈥� from hiding, because like a hypocrite he wants to stay hidden and not be discovered.

Separating Christ鈥檚 glory from cross

Sharing in Christ鈥檚 anointing, also means sharing in his glory, which is his cross. 鈥淚n Jesus,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥済lory and the cross go together; they are inseparable.

The 杏MAP导航 explained that that once we turn our back on the cross, even though we may attain the heights of glory, we will be fooling ourselves, since it will not be God鈥檚 glory, but the snare of the enemy. 

He pointed out that we often feel the temptation to be Christians by keeping a prudent distance from the Lord鈥檚 wounds.  Jesus touches human misery and he asks us to join him in touching the suffering flesh of others. 

鈥淭o proclaim our faith with our lips and our heart,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渄emands that we 鈥� like Peter 鈥� learn to recognize the 鈥渨hisperings鈥� of the evil one, those personal and communitarian 鈥減retexts鈥� that keep us far from real human dramas, that preserve us from contact with other people鈥檚 concrete existence and, in the end, from knowing the revolutionary power of God鈥檚 tender love.鈥�