"To humble oneself, and always build bridges, always. Always. This is being Christian. It’s not easy. It’s not easy. Jesus did." The important thing is to "seek peace as soon as possible", with a word, a gesture. "A bridge rather than a wall".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - It's not a problem if "plates fly at times" in the "family, communities, neighborhoods." The important thing is to "seek peace as soon as possible", not build walls, but seek dialogue with meekness and humility, as Jesus did, said the Pope said today during Mass at Casa Santa Marta.

The homily at Casa Santa Marta this morning is a continuation of yesterday's.  Once again, the struggle between King Saul and David was at the center of the liturgical readings, and the Pope's reflections. The latter, suddenly, has the opportunity to kill the former but, says Pope Francis, choose "another path: the road of approach, to clarify the situation, to explain himself. The path of dialogue to make peace":

"Dialogue needs meekness, not shouting. We must also think that the other person has something more than me, as did David : ' He is the anointed of the Lord, he is more important than me.' Humility , meekness ... To dialogue, you need to do what we asked for in prayer today , at the beginning of the Mass : to become everything to everybody. Humility, meekness, be all things to all people and - though it is not written in the Bible - we all know that to do this we have to bite our tongue many times. But, we have to do it, because this is how peace is made: with humility, humiliation, always trying to see the image of God in the other".

"Dialogue is difficult" acknowledged Pope Francis. But what's worse than trying to build a bridge with an opponent is letting resentment toward him take over our hearts. In this way we are "isolated in this broth of our bitter resentment". A Christian , however, has David, who overcomes hatred with "an act of humility", as their model.

"To humble oneself, and always build bridges, always. Always.  This is being Christian. It is not easy. It is not easy. Jesus did: he humbled himself to the end, he showed us the way. And we must not let time pass when there is the problem: when there is a problem, as soon as possible, once the storm has passed, at an appropriate time we must approach the other in dialogue, because over time the wall grows, like the weeds that strangle grain. And when walls grow reconciliation becomes so difficult, so difficult".

It's not a problem if "plates fly a few times" - " in families, in communities, neighborhoods" - repeated Pope Francis. The important thing is to "seek peace as soon as possible", with a word , a gesture. A bridge rather than a wall, like the one that divided Berlin for so many years. Because "even in our heart - says Pope Francis - its possible to become the Berlin with a Wall separating us from others"

"I'm afraid of these walls, these walls that grow every day, and foster resentment. Even hatred. We think this young David: he could of exacted the perfect revenge, he could have banished the king, instead he chose the path of dialogue, with humility , meekness, gentleness. Today, we ask St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of sweetness, to grant us all the grace to build bridges with others, never walls".

 

• vatican
• pope
• francis
• mass
• homily
• casa
• santa
• marta