Pope: we must ‘undress’ ourselves of worldliness like St. Francis

Last updated on: October 4, 2013 at 10:41 am by CNA Daily News

Pope: we must ‘undress’ ourselves of worldliness like St. Francis 2013-10-04T10:41:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Assisi, Italy, Oct 4, 2013 / 04:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis said that Christians should follow the example of the great saint by stripping themselves of a spirit of worldliness.

“All of us must undress ourselves from this worldliness: the spirit contrary to the spirit of the beatitudes, the spirit contrary to the spirit of Jesus,” he said Oct. 4 to a group of bishops and poor individuals gathered in Assisi.

The Pope's speech, which diverged from his prepared remarks, was one of several given during his day-long pilgrimage to St. Francis' hometown.

“When Francis, here, made this gesture of undressing, he was a young man: he didn't have strength. It was the power of God that drove him to do this,” said the Pope, who spoke from the place where St. Francis is said to have disrobed in an act of solidarity with the poor and total reliance on God.

St. Francis' gesture was a visible reminder of Jesus own willingness to “undress” himself: “he became a servant, he wanted to be humbled.”

“And if we want to be Christians, there is no other way,” the Pope stated. “We must undress ourselves today from a very serious danger that threatens each person in the Church: the danger of worldliness.”

There are some who want to “make Christianity 'a little more human,' without the Cross,” he noted. But that is a kind of “bakery Christianity” in which everything is beautiful and sweet like a cake.

“That is not real Christianity,” he underscored.

True Christianity embraces the cross because it is the way of Christ. “Jesus himself said one can´t serve two masters. Either serve God or serve money.”

“Money,” the Pope said, indicates “the whole spirit of worldliness: money, vanity, pride, that path.” Worldliness “leads us to vanity, arrogance, pride,” he continued. “And that is an idol, it's not God.”

“It is truly ridiculous that a Christian, a true Christian…wants to go along the path of worldliness,” the pontiff insisted. “It is a homicidal attitude. Spiritual worldliness kills. It kills the soul, it kills the person. It kills the Church.”

Christians cannot be unconcerned about those in the world who suffer in situations of poverty or other difficulties, the Pope emphasized.

Earlier that morning he had visited with the disabled and sick children of Assisi, noting that similarly to how Jesus is hidden in the Eucharist, he “is hidden in these young people, in these children.”

“The Christian adores Jesus, the Christian seeks Jesus, the Christian knows to recognize the wounds of Jesus” that are visible in those who suffer with illness and disabilities, Pope Francis went on.

This reality is a “source of hope,” because when Jesus rose from the dead, he kept the scars from his wounds. “We care for the wounds of Jesus here, and from heaven He shows us his scars and says to all of us, every one, 'I am waiting for you!'”

Pope Francis was accompanied on his pilgrimage to Assisi by the group of eight cardinals chosen to help consider a reformation of the Roman Curia. The Pope's itinerary includes visits to many of the city's sacred sites including the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare.

Europe

Previous Post

October 4, 2013

Peace comes by embracing the cross, Pope says at Assisi

Next Post

October 4, 2013 'Be antennas' to receive the word of God, Pope exhorts

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elisha Joshua Gideon Elijah