The man who trusts in himself, in his own wealth, in "idols" and forgets the Lord, is like "a barren bush in the desert" condemned by drought, "that will lose its name". But even for him "at the end there is a door of hope", " it is possible to say this word that is more than magic, it is more, it is stronger: 'Father'. He always waits for us to open a door".

Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - The human being The man who trusts in himself, in his own wealth, in "idols" and forgets the Lord, is like "a barren bush in the desert" condemned by drought, "that will lose its name" and will be "cursed", there is the possibility of saying Father and "He always waits for us to open a door". Asking in whom we place our trust was the focus of Pope Francis' homily this morning at Mass at Casa Santa Marta "on this day in Lent".

Vatican Radio reports that the Pope was commenting on the first reading that describes those who trust in human beings as "cursed" and those who trust in the Lord as "blessed. "It is like a tree planted by a stream" that in the time of drought "does not cease to bear fruit". "Only in the Lord - said Francis - is our trust certain. Placing our trust in other things is of no use, they will not save us, they will not give us life or joy". However, even though we know this, "we like to trust in ourselves, to trust in a friend, to trust in our good situation, or ideology" and "push the Lord to the side". Thus human beings close in on themselves, "without horizons, without open doors, without windows" and "we will not be saved because we cannot save ourselves".  This is what happens to the rich man in the Gospel, "he had it all: dressed in purple, he ate large banquets every day". "He was so happy" but " did not notice that the door of his house, there was a poor man covered with sores". The Pope pointed out that the Bible tells us the name of the poor man: his name was Lazarus. While the rich man "has no name". "And this is the strongest curse of those who trust in themselves or in their own strength, in the possibilities of men and not God, they lose their name. What is your name? This or that account number such, in this or that bank. What is your name? A lot of property, so many houses, so many ... what's your name? things that we have, idols . And you trust in that, and this man is cursed".

"All of us have this weakness, this fragility to put our hope in ourselves or in our friends or human possibilities alone and we forget the Lord. Which leads us to the path ... of misery".

"Today, on this day of Lent, we would do well to ask: in whom do I place my trust? In the Lord or am I a pagan, that I trust in things, in idols that I have made? Do I still have a name or have I begun to loose my name and become just 'I'? Me, me, me, me, only me? For me, for me ... always selfishness: ' I'. This does not give us salvation".

But "in the end there is a door of hope" for those who trust in themselves and "have lost their name". "In the end, in the end, in the end there is always a possibility. And this man, when he realized that he had lost his name, that he had lost everything, everything, he looks up and says one word: 'Father'. And God's answer is one word: 'Son!'. If some of us in life, end up losing our name, our dignity because we have trusted too much in man in ourselves, we still have the chance to say this word that is more than magic, it is more, it is stronger: 'Father'. He always waits for us to open a door that we do not see and He will say, 'Son'. Let us ask the Lord for the grace that He will give us all the wisdom to trust only in Him, not in things, in human forces, only in Him".

 

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