Pope's Morning Homily: The Poor in Spirit Will Receive Salvation

The joy of a Christian can be found if one is grounded upon the rock, which is Christ. This was the central theme of Pope Francis' homily this morning at Casa Santa Marta.

According to Vatican Radio, the Pope reflected on today's Gospel from St. Matthew, in which Jesus says that those who listen and act on his words "will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."  He said that the Word is an invitation to not lives as "Christians in appearance" but to live it in daily life.

The Holy Father recalled the children who suffer, offering their pains for the Church, as well as the elderly who are often alone and families continue to hope in Christ despite their struggles. He also remembered priests and those in religious life.

"We think of so many priests who are barely seen but work in their parishes with so much love: in giving catechism classes for children, the care for the elderly, of the sick, marriage preparations," he said. "They are not bored because there is rock in their foundation. It is Jesus, it is that which gives holiness to the Church, it gives hope."

The 77 year old Pontiff went on to say that the proud, the vain, and those who are Christian in appearance will be humbled, while the poor will triumph. "They are, he said, "the poor in spirit, those who in front of God and feel they are nothing, the humble, who bring forward salvation by putting the Word of the Lord into practice."

Concluding his homily, Pope Francis called on the faithful to be firmly grounded on the rock, which is Christ.

"We are all sinners, we are weak," he said, "but if we place our hope in Him we can go forward. And this is the joy of a Christian: to know that in Him there is hope, there is forgiveness, there is peace, [and] there is joy- to not place our hope in things that are here today and gone tomorrow."