The impatient retain the “whims of a child”. "This is one of the temptations: to become capricious". "Another temptation for those who have no patience is omnipotence" of wanting something right now.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The "exemplary" patience of the people of God moves the Church forward, those who "do not give in to resignation" in the face of life's trials, but show "the patience of an adult person, God's patience, who carries us on his shoulders", said Pope Francis this morning at Mass in Casa Santa Marta, commenting on the Letter of St. James: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds".

"It appears to be an invitation to bear the burden" - observed the Pope - but it is not. Patience, enduring trials, "the things that we do not want", it "helps us mature in our lives.  Thse who have no patience want everything at once, all in a hurry. Those who do not know this wisdom, patience - said Pope Francis - are capricious people, just like children who are capricious" and nothing suits them. "The person who has no patience - he explains - is a person who does not mature, instead retains the whims of the child, who can not take life as it comes: either this or nothing. This is one of the temptations: to become capricious". "Another temptation for those who have no patience - said the Pope - is the omnipotence "of wanting just one thing, as is the case with the Pharisees asking Jesus for a sign from heaven, "they wanted a spectacle, a miracle".

"They confuse God's way of acting with that of a sorcerer. And God does not act like a sorcerer, God has his own way of moving forward. The patience of God. He also has patience. Every time we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we sing a hymn to God's patience! How the Lord carries us on His shoulders, with so much patience, so much patience! Christian life should unfold to the melody of this patience, because it was the music of our fathers, the people of God, those who believed in the Word of God, who followed the commandment which the Lord gave to our father Abraham: ' Walk before me and be blameless".

The people of God - says the Pope, quoting the Letter to the Hebrews - "suffered so much, they were persecuted, killed", but had "the joy of seeing God's promises from afar". "This is the patience" that "we must have in times of trial: the patience of an adult person, the patience of God" who carries us on his shoulders. And this - he continued - is "the patience of our people".

"How patient our people is! Even now! When we go into the parishes and find those people who are suffering, who have problems, they have a disabled child or have a disease, but carry on in life with patience. They do not ask for signs, like those people in the Gospel, who wanted a sign. They said: 'Give us a sign'. No, they do not ask, but know how to read the signs of the times: they know that when the fig tree germinates, the spring has arrived they know how to distinguish that. Instead, these impatient from today's Gospel, who wanted a sign, they could not read the signs of the times, and that's why they did not recognize Jesus".

The Pope concluded his homily praising "those of our people, who suffer, who suffer greatly, from many things, but do not lose the smile of faith, that joy of faith". "And these people, our people, in our parishes, in our institutions - many people - they are the ones who carry the Church, with their holiness, every day, every day'. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance' (James 1, 2-4) . May the Lord give us all the patience, joyous patience, patience in labor, peaceful patience. May He give us the patience of God and give us the patience of our faithful people, who are so exemplary".

 

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