Pope:respond "here I am" to God's call, even when angry with him, the important thing is to be true
After Adam, who hid because he was afraid of the Lord, God begins to call and to hear the answer of the men and women who say, "Here I am. I'm willing. I'm willing. " . "He likes to argue with us." "He likes when you get angry and say what you feel to His face, because he’s a Father! But this is also a form of 'Here I am' ".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Doing God’s will, responding "Here I am" to His call and even arguing or getting angry with the Lord: the important thing is to be real and not flee, nor be fake, said Pope Francis at Mass this morning in Santa Marta.
Commenting on the Letter to the Hebrews proposed by today's liturgy, he observed, when Christ comes into the world, he says: "You did not want and you are not pleased by sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Behold, I come to do Your will”. Christ’s word’s - said the Pope - closes a history of inter-linked "Here I am": "salvation history" is "a story of "Here I am ". After Adam, who hid because he was afraid of the Lord, God begins to call and to hear the answer of the men and women who say, "Here I am. I'm willing. I'm willing. “From Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, until the great "Here I am" of Mary and the last "Here I am", that of Jesus. "A history of 'Here I am', but not automatic," because "God speaks to those whom He calls".
"The Lord is always in dialogue with those He calls to this path and who say here I am. He has lots of patience, lots of patience. When we read the Book of Job, all these words of Job, who does not understand, and answers back, and the Lord speaks to him, corrects him ... and in the end, what is the here I am of Job? 'Ah, Lord, You're right: I knew you only by hearsay; now my eyes have seen you. ' The Here I am, when the will is there, eh? This is Christian life: Here I am, a continuous here I am to doing the will of the Lord. And one after another ... It is nice to read Scripture, the Bible, looking for response of the people to the Lord, how they responded, and find such beauty in them. 'Here I am, Here I am to do your will' ".
Today's liturgy invites us to reflect: What is my "Here I am" to the Lord? "Am I going to hide, like Adam, not respond? Or, when the Lord calls me, instead of saying 'here I am' or 'what do you want from me?', Do I run away like Jonah who did not do what the Lord asked him? Or do I pretend to do the will of the Lord, but only externally, like the doctors of the law that Jesus condemns? They pretended: 'Everything is alright ... no questions: I will do this and nothing more'. Or look the other way as the Levite and the priest did in front of the poor man wounded, beaten by robbers, left half dead? What is my response to the Lord? ".
The Lord calls us every day and invites us to say our "Here I am", but we can "talk" with him. "He likes to argue with us. Someone tells me: 'But, Father, often when I go to pray, I get angry with the Lord ...': but this is also prayer! He likes when you get angry and say what you feel to His face, because he’s a Father! But this is also a 'Here I am' ... Or do I hide? Or run away? Or pretend? Or look the other way? Each of us can answer: What is my 'Here I am' the Lord to do His will in my life. How is it. May the Holy Spirit give us the grace to find the answer. "
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