At Casa Santa Marta, recalls that only Jesus is the Way
Pope Francis today recalled that to be a Christian, there is only one path to follow: Jesus, who says of himself, “I am the way.”
The Pope said this today during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio.
In contrast to those who follow Jesus as the Way, the Pope warned against being either a “mummy” Christian of a “vagabond” Christian.
“Christians who stay still, who don’t go forward, are non-Christian Christians. We don’t know exactly what they are. They are slightly ‘paganized’ Christians: who are there, who stay still and don’t go forward in their Christian lives, who don’t make the Beatitudes bloom in their lives, who don’t do Works of mercy… they are motionless. Excuse me for saying it, but they are like an (embalmed) mummy, a spiritual mummy there. There are Christians who are ‘spiritual mummies,’ motionless, there. They don’t do evil but they don’t do good things.”
“We remain here today with that question: let’s do it for just five minutes… How am I doing on this Christian journey? Am I standing still, making mistakes, turning here and there, stopping in front of the things that I like, or (am I following) Jesus ‘I who am the Way.’? And let us implore the Holy Spirit to teach us to journey along the right road, always! And when we get tired, a little rest and then we go forward again. Let us ask for this grace.”
The Pope said this today during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio.
In contrast to those who follow Jesus as the Way, the Pope warned against being either a “mummy” Christian of a “vagabond” Christian.
Mummies
“Christians who stay still, who don’t go forward, are non-Christian Christians. We don’t know exactly what they are. They are slightly ‘paganized’ Christians: who are there, who stay still and don’t go forward in their Christian lives, who don’t make the Beatitudes bloom in their lives, who don’t do Works of mercy… they are motionless. Excuse me for saying it, but they are like an (embalmed) mummy, a spiritual mummy there. There are Christians who are ‘spiritual mummies,’ motionless, there. They don’t do evil but they don’t do good things.”
Vagabonds
“They are wanderers in the Christian life, vagabonds. During their life they turn here and there and thus lose the beauty of drawing close to Jesus in Jesus’ life. They lose their way because they are constantly turning and often this turning is wrong and takes them to a dead end. Turning so many times, (the road) becomes a labyrinth and then they don’t know how to get out. They have lost that call from Jesus. They don’t have a compass to get out and they keep on turning and searching. There are other Christians who whilst journeying are seduced by the beauty of an object and they stop half way, fascinated by what they see, by some idea, a proposal or a landscape. And they stop! Christian life is not a fascination: it’s the truth! It’s Jesus Christ!”The Pope then advised that we should each examine what kind of Christian we are:
Are we standing in front of the things that we like such as worldliness and vanity or are we journeying forward and “putting into practice the beatitudes and Works of mercy” in our daily life. He concluded by saying that Jesus’ way “is full of consolations, glory and also the Cross. But always with peace in our souls.”“We remain here today with that question: let’s do it for just five minutes… How am I doing on this Christian journey? Am I standing still, making mistakes, turning here and there, stopping in front of the things that I like, or (am I following) Jesus ‘I who am the Way.’? And let us implore the Holy Spirit to teach us to journey along the right road, always! And when we get tired, a little rest and then we go forward again. Let us ask for this grace.”
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