蜜桃交友

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

Pope Francis prayed for government leaders, heads of state, legislators, mayors, heads of regions on Saturday morning during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. He prayed that the 鈥淟ord might help them and grant them strength because their work is not easy. When there are differences among them鈥�, he prayed, 鈥渕ay they understand that in moments of crisis they must be very united for the good of their people because unity is superior to conflict鈥�.

The First Reading and the Gospel provided the Holy Father the theme for his homily. He reflected on the fact that the Church, as well as all of us, live both moments of peace in our lives and moments of crisis. The First Reading (9:31-42) says that the early Church was at peace. The Gospel of John presents a moment of crisis when many disciples decided to follow Jesus no longer (6:31-42).

The Church was at peace

Pope Francis began his homily citing the First Reading. 鈥淭he Church鈥�was at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers鈥�. This description tells us that the Church at that moment was serene, experiencing consolation, the Pope said.

Crisis is inevitable

The Pope went on saying that life is filled not only with moments of peace but also moments of crisis. Today the Gospel recounts the reaction of many of Jesus鈥檚 disciples to a teaching they found difficult to digest. Jesus had revealed that those who would eat His flesh and blood would have eternal life.

Moment of choice

Critical moments such as these are moments when we are required to make a choice, Pope Francis said. It is precisely at this moment that He requires the Twelve to choose if they too want to leave Him. This prompts Peter鈥檚 second confession of faith: 鈥淟ord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God鈥�. 鈥淧eter does not understand鈥� everything that Jesus is saying, the Pope continued. 鈥淏ut he trusts the Lord鈥�.

How to live through crisis

Pope Francis quoted a proverb used in Argentina to explain how to live through moments of crisis in the faith. 鈥淲hen you go on horseback and you have to cross a river, don鈥檛 change horses in the middle of the river鈥�. Those who decided to leave Jesus, the Pope said, changed horses midstream. Instead, moments of crisis require that we persevere, remain silent, stay grounded in our convictions. 鈥淚t is not the moment to make changes鈥�, Pope Francis continued. It is the moment to remain faithful. It is the moment when God is faithful, he said. A moment of crisis is a call to conversion in which remaining faithful 鈥渕ay inspire changes for the better, but not to distance ourselves from the good鈥�.

Managing peace and crisis

鈥淲e Christians need to learn how to manage both moments of peace and moments of crisis鈥�, Pope Francis explained. Crises in the faith have been described by spiritual writers as 鈥済oing through fire in order to become strong鈥�, he said. His prayer to the Lord was that the Lord might send His Holy Spirit so that we might know 鈥渉ow to resist temptations in moment of crisis, that we might know how to be faithful鈥�with the hope鈥� that moments of peace will follow. 鈥淢ay the Lord grant us the strength in moments of crisis not to sell out the faith鈥�.