Francis reflects on the Gospel of the Canaanite who asks Jesus to free her daughter from the devil and the biblical passage on Solomon who is "corrupt" and falls into idolatry.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Welcoming the Word of God with humility can lead to a pagan to find faith, but to yielding to passions can make a believer lose their faith. This is the lesson drawn from the readings of the day by Pope Francis at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta.

Vatican Radio reports that Pope Francis was reflecting on the Gospel, in which a "courageous woman", a Canaanite, who is a pagan asks Jesus to free her daughter from the devil. She is a "desperate" mother - says Pope Francis - "and a mother, will do anything for her child's wellbeing". "Jesus explains that he first came first of all for the sheep of the house of Israel and he does so with harsh words: ' Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs'. This woman, who certainly had not gone to university responds, "not with her intelligence, but with her mother's womb, with her love: ' Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps!'". This woman - said the Pope - "was not ashamed" and because of her faith Jesus "preformed a miracle for her".

"She risked making a bad impression, but she insisted, and from paganism and idolatry found health for her daughter and she found the living God. This is the journey of a person of good will who seeks God and finds him. The Lord blesses her. How many people take this path and the Lord waits for them! But it is the same Holy Spirit that brings them forward to make this journey. Every day in the Church of God there are people who are making this journey, silently, to find the Lord, because they allow themselves to be carried forward by the Holy Spirit".

"But there is also the opposite path" - noted the Pope - that of Solomon, which we hear of in the first reading. Solomon was "the wisest man on earth", he had received great blessings from God, he had "a universal fame, all the power", he was "a believer in God, but what happened?". He liked women and had many pagan concubines who "led his heart astray to follow other gods": he introduced idols into Israel". And these women slowly, slowly weakened Solomon's heart. His heart did not remain intact in the Lord, like the heart of David his father".

"His heart is weakened; he weakened and lost his faith. He lost his faith. The wisest man in the world allowed himself to be led along by an indiscreet love, [a love] without discretion, he allowed himself to be led by his passions. 'But father, Solomon did not loose his faith, he believed in God and was able to recite the Bible!'. Yes, it is true, but being able to recite the Creed does not mean you have faith. You can say the Creed and have lost faith".

Solomon - the Pope said - "was a sinner, like his father David. But then he went ahead and as sinner converted into a corrupt man. His heart was corrupt, because of this idolatry. His father was a sinner, but the Lord had forgiven him all of his sins, because he was humble and asked for forgiveness. "Solomon, however, was "so wise", but vanity and his passions led him to corruption.  It's in our hearts, where we lose our faith".

"The evil seed of his passions nourished Solomon's heart and led him to idolatry. And we have heard, after the first reading, in the Alleluia, this beautiful advice: 'welcome the Word with docility' - 'the Word that was planted in you can lead you to salvation'. Let us take the path of the Canaanite woman of that pagan woman, welcoming the Word of God, which has been planted in us and that will lead us to salvation. May the powerful Word of God keep us on this path and not allow us to be led into corruption or idolatry".

 

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