Simplicity, humility, divinity – God never makes a scene, Pope says

Last updated on: March 10, 2015 at 2:11 am by CNA Daily News

Simplicity, humility, divinity – God never makes a scene, Pope says 2015-03-10T02:11:00+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.

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2015 / 08:11 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- If there’s one thing that marks the presence of God, it’s humility rather than making a scene, Pope Francis said Monday.

“This is how the Lord acts: He does things simply. He speaks silently to you, to the heart,” Francis told attendees of his March 9 daily Mass, held in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse.

When it comes to God and his action in the world, it is “the simple things” that mark his presence, the Pope said, adding that the humility of God “is the divine style, never the spectacle.”

He pointed to Biblical history as evidence of God’s simple style. Even as far back as creation, God chose to form man out of mud rather than use a “magic wand” to create him.

From Moses to David to the baby Jesus in the manger, the Bible teaches us that God’s divine way is one of humility, Pope Francis explained.

When God freed his people from slavery, he did it “through the faith and confidence of a man, Moses. When He desired to cause the fall of the powerful city of Jericho, He did so through a prostitute. And for the conversion of the Samaritans, He required the work of another sinner,” he said.

The Pope also spoke of David and Goliath, saying that it “seemed crazy” for such a small child to fight against a well-armed giant with just a sling and some stones.

As for the Magi, when they were told that a great king had been born, they went to Bethlehem and “what did they find? A little child, a manger. The simple things, the humility of God…this is the divine style.”

Francis drew a parallel between the day’s first reading from the Second Book of Kings and the Gospel from Luke, which tells of how the Nazarenes, who at first admired Jesus, exploded “with outrage” when he criticized their lack of faith.

With perhaps a little gossip and hypocrisy involved, those listening to Jesus were happy until he called a few of them out, and then “Fury erupted, and even violence…they drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill…they wanted to throw Him down!”

This attitude, the Pope said, is similar to that of Naaman in the first reading, who was commander of the Syrian army, but also a leper.

Naaman at first rejected Elijah’s instruction to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times in order to be healed, because he was expecting a big gesture, the Holy Father said. But eventually, Naaman took the prophet’s advice and was cured of his leprosy.

In both cases, the people “wanted a spectacle,” Francis said, but “the style of the good God is not to produce a spectacle: God acts in humility, in silence, in the little things.”

Even Jesus faced the temptation to create a spectacle while in the desert when the devil tempted him to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple so that the people would believe in him after seeing a miracle.

Instead, Jesus responded with Scripture and resisted that temptation, because the power of God is “revealed in simplicity, in humility,” Pope Francis said, encouraging those present to use Lent as a time to think about all the simple ways God has helped them to move forward.

“Let us remember in our lives the many time we have felt these things: the humility of God is His style; the simplicity of God is His style.”

The liturgy and the sacraments also manifest humility rather than “a worldly spectacle,” he concluded, and in our personal lives, we can also “consider the many times the Lord has visited us with His grace, and always with this humble style, the style He calls us, too, to have: humility.”

Vatican

Previous Post

March 10, 2015

Nuns in Burma encourage empowerment of women, end to inequality

Next Post

March 10, 2015 From Poland to Papua New Guinea, a great task awaits the new Bishop of Wewak

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

What does "Maranatha" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

God is great Praise the Lord Come, Lord Jesus The Lord is my rock