The disciple of Jesus is "sent out" to bring the Gospel to all, "good and bad", retains his identity, rejects the use of force, and with joy, because "he knows the Lord and brings the Lord to others".

Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - Christians "walk" with joy to bring the Gospel [to others] without being frightened by difficulties and without succumbing to the temptation of not being "lambs". "Not stupid, but a lamb", to "become a wolf". In today's feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, co-patrons of Europe, Pope Francis dedicated his homily at Mass at Casa Santa Marta to our Christian identity, to how disciples of Jesus should be.

Vatican Radio reports that the Pope, commenting on the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, pointed out that the Christian is "sent out". The Lord sends his disciples, asks them to move onwards. "And that means that the Christian is a disciple of the Lord who journeys, who moves forward". "You can not think of a stationary Christian: a stationary Christian is a sick Christian, in his Christian identity, then his identity is suffering from some disease. A Christian is a disciple that walks, that moves forward. At the end - we heard in the Psalm, the Lord's parting words - at the end the Lord also says: 'Go into all the world and preach the Gospel. 'Go. Walk. This is the first attitude that a Christian must have: to walk, walk and even if there are difficulties, go beyond the difficulties".

This is what happened with Paul in Antioch Pisidia, "where there was trouble with the Jewish community and so the Gentiles moved on". Jesus "urges to go to the crossroads "and invite "everyone, the good and the bad".  "Even the bad! Everyone." The Christian, therefore, "walks" and " if there are difficulties, goes beyond them to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near."

A second aspect of Christian identity "is that the Christian must always remain lamb". The Christian "is a lamb, and must keep this identity." The Lord sends us "like lambs among wolves". But someone could propose the use of "force against them". We think of David "when he had to fight against the Philistine, they wanted to dress him in Saul's amour and he could not move". In that way he "was not himself, he was humble , he was not the simple David. Eventually, he took up his sling and won the battle". "As lambs ... Do not become wolves... Because, sometimes, temptation makes us think: ' But this is difficult, these wolves are smart and I will be even more cunning than them, no?'. Lambs. Not a fool but a lamb. Lamb. With Christian cunning, but always a lamb. A lamb Because if you are a Lamb, He will defend you . But if you feel as strong as a wolf, He will not defend you, He will leave you alone, and the wolves will eat you alive. Like a lamb".

The third aspect of this identity is the "the Christian style" which is "joy". Christians "are people who rejoice because they know the Lord and bring the Lord to others". And "you can not walk in Christian without joy, you can not walk like a lamb without joy". Even "in problems, difficulties, mistakes and sins there is the joy of Jesus who forgives and always helps". The Gospel then "must go forward, carried by these lambs sent by the Lord walking with joy". "Those Christians who have a plaintive adagio-timing are of no help to the Lord of his Church, those always live, complaining about everything, sad ... This is not the style of the disciple. St. Augustine tells Christians: 'Go, go ahead, sing and walk with joy: This is the style of the Christian. Proclaiming the Gospel with joy. and the Lord does everything else. Instead, too much sadness, too much sadness, even bitterness leads us to life a so-called Christianity without Christ : the Cross empties the Christians who are in front of the tomb crying, like Mary Magdalene , but without the joy of having found the Risen Lord".

In celebration of these two Christian disciples, Cyril and Methodius, concluded the Pope, the Church makes us reflect on our "Christian identity". The Christian "never stands still, the Christian is a man or a woman who always walks, walking beyond difficulties". And he or she walks, he reiterated, "like a lamb, his or her strength is not enough: the Christian is a man or a woman who walks with joy". The Pope concluded, "may the Lord through the intercession of these two brothers Saints Patrons of Europe, grant us the grace to live as Christians who walk like lambs and with joy".

 

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