Jesus «exhorts us to live our lives seeking not our own advantage and interests, but for the glory of God who is love,» Pope Francis reminded the faithful on March 4, 2018.
His comments came before the praying of the Angelus with a crowd estimated at 20,000 in St. Peter’s Square.
Referring to the day’s gospel in which Christ drove the merchants from the Temple of Jerusalem (Cf. John 2:13-25), the Holy Father said this was not a violent act, but one of zeal: «To interpret Jesus’ gesture of cleansing God’s house, His disciples made use of a biblical text, treated in Psalm 69: ‘Zeal for thy house has consumed Me’ (v. 9).»
The Pope continued by explaining that the people asked Jesus for a sign of his authority, which turned out to be his passion, death, and resurrection. Through all, it was his zeal that sustained Him and carried Him forward.
«Zeal for His Father and for His cause will lead Him to the cross: His is the zeal of love that leads to the sacrifice of Himself, not that false love that presumes to serve God through violence. In fact, the “sign” that Jesus will give, as proof of His authority, is precisely His Death and Resurrection,» Francis said.
The Holy Father concluded by reminding listeners that we should «live our lives seeking not our own advantage and interests, but for the glory of God who is love…It’s awful when the Church slips on this attitude of making God’s house a market. These words help us to reject the danger of making our soul, which is God’s abode, a marketplace, living in constant search for our benefit instead of in generous and solidary love.»
Full Angelus Address
