"I ask myself: today we Christians who know the faith, the catechism, who go to Mass every Sunday, we Christians, we pastors are we content with ourselves? Because we have organized everything and do not need new visits from the Lord ... And the Lord continues to knock on the door of each one of us and of His Church, the pastors of the Church”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - As Jesus wept over Jerusalem's "closure of heart", today too he weeps over the Church and us when we reject God's "surprises" of God", because we  are complacent in our contentment and do not want to be visited by the Lord.  This was the message at the heart of Pope Francis' homily at Mass today at Casa Santa Marta, emphasizing how the "chosen city, the chosen people" rejected Christ because they "had no time to open the door.  They were too busy, too self-satisfied".

The Pope said Jesus continues to knock on doors as he knocked on the door of the heart of Jerusalem, at the gates of His brothers, His sisters; on our doors, the doors of our hearts, the doors of the Church. The people of Jerusalem were content with their way of life and did not need the Lord: they failed to realize that they needed salvation. This is why they had closed their heart before the Lord". "Jesus weeps" over Jerusalem - said the Pope - the same as He "weeps over His Church, over us today"  

"Why did Jerusalem not welcome the Lord? Because [the people] were content with what they had, and did not want any problems. But - as the Lord says in the Gospel - 'if you only knew, on this day, what brings you peace. You did not recognize the time of your visitation '. The city was afraid to be visited by the Lord; afraid of the gratuity of the Lord's visit. The city felt safe in the knowledge of what it could handle. We all feel safe in the things that we can handle ... But the visit of the Lord, its surprises, those we cannot handle".

And Pope Francis added: "Jerusalem was afraid of this: of being saved by the surprises of the Lord. The [people] were afraid of the Lord, their Bridegroom, their Beloved. And so Jesus wept. When God visits His people, He brings joy, He leads us to conversion. We all fear happiness - that joy that the Lord brings, because we cannot control it. We are afraid of conversion because conversion means allowing the Lord to lead us".

"Jerusalem was content, happy - the Pope said - its temple worked. The priests made sacrifices, people came on pilgrimage, the teachers of the law had arranged everything, everything! Everything was clear! All the commandments were clear ... And with all of this Jerusalem had closed the door". The Cross, which was the "price of that refusal" - the Pope noted -, shows us the love of Jesus and what leads Him to "weep today - often - for His Church".

"I ask myself: today we Christians who know the faith, the catechism, who go to Mass every Sunday, we Christians, we pastors are we content with ourselves? Because we have organized everything and do not need new visits from the Lord ... And the Lord continues to knock on the door of each one of us and of His Church, the pastors of the Church. Yes, the door of our hearts, of the heart of the Church, of her pastors will not open: and the Lord weeps, even today".

The Pope also urged people to examine their conscience, "Let us reflect on ourselves, as we are right now before God".

 

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