Pope: God does not seek skilled commentators, only hearts docile to his Word

At the end of the Angelus, Francis appealed on behalf of communities in various parts of Vietnam affected by flooding. He also called on the faithful to pray for the Glasgow climate conference. May “the cry of the earth and the poor [. . .] be heard. May this meeting bring effective answers.”

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis said before the Word of God, it is not enough to be "skilled commentators"; instead, what is necessary is to let it into one's life.

The pontiff urged the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment to draw this lesson from the Gospel proposed in today's liturgy.

Speaking about the passage by the Evangelist Mark in which a scribe asks Jesus which is the first of the commandments (Mk 12: 28-34), Francis focused on a detail: to the Master who indicates the commandment of love, the scribe replies repeating almost the same words.

“Why,” the Pope asked himself, “in giving his assent, does that scribe feel the need to repeat the same words of Jesus? What is the meaning of this repetition?”

In urging the faithful to grasp the teaching, Francis said: “The Word of the Lord cannot be received like any news item – it must be repeated, made one's own, preserved. The monastic tradition uses a bold but very concrete term: The Word of God must be 'ruminated'. We can say that it is so nutritious that it must reach every area of ​​life.”

“The Lord,” he added, “does not seek so much skilled commentators on the Scriptures, but docile hearts who, welcoming his Word, allow themselves to be changed within. This is why it is so important to become familiar with the Gospel, always have it at hand, be passionate about it.

"When we do this, Jesus, the Word of the Father, enters our hearts, becomes intimate with us, and we bear fruit in Him. And thus, each of us can become a living, different and original 'translation' of the one Word of love that God gives us. We see this in the lives of the saints – no one is the same as the other, they are all different, but with the same Word of God.”

Such a lesson is particularly valid visa-vis the love for God and one’s neighbour, the commandment of love “which cannot remain a dead letter”.

“Let's ask ourselves then, does this commandment really guide my life? Is it reflected in my days?

“It will do us good tonight, before falling asleep, to examine our conscience about this Word, to see if today we have loved the Lord and given a bit of goodness to those we happened to meet. May every encounter be like giving a little love.”

After the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis issued a special appeal for the communities in various parts of Vietnam subjected to heavy rains that caused extensive floods in recent weeks.

“My prayers and thoughts go to the many families who suffer, together with my encouragement to all those, the country’s authorities and the local Church, who are working hard to respond to this emergency.”

The pontiff also said that the people of Sicily are in his thoughts, recently battered by bad weather, as well as the people of Haiti, where so many people have lived for far too long in a situation of serious neglect.

"I ask the leaders of nations to support this country and not leave it on its own. And you too,” turning to the faithful, “look for news about Haiti and pray a lot – let's not abandon them.”

In concluding, the pontiff once again called on the faithful to pray for the Climate Conference, COP26, which opens today in Glasgow. “Let us pray that the cry of the earth and the poor may be heard. May this meeting bring effective answers.”

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• pope francis
• angelus
• commandment of love
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