To trust in God even in the most dire circumstances was the main theme of Pope Francis’ homily today at Casa Santa Marta.
The first reading from the Book of Daniel spoke of the young men in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar while the Gospel recalled the widow who gave all she had to the Temple. Both figures, the Pope said, are examples of choosing the Lord in precarious situations.
“Both of them – the widow and the young person – have risked. In their risk they chose the Lord, with a great heart, without personal interest, without pettiness,” the Holy Father said.
“They did not have a petty attitude. The Lord, the Lord is everything. The Lord is God and they entrusted themselves to the Lord. And they did not do this through a – if you permit me to say – fanatical strength. ‘We should do this, Lord’, no!
“There is another thing,” he continued, “they entrusted themselves, because they knew that the Lord is faithful. They entrusted themselves on that faithfulness that is always there, because the Lord cannot change Himself, he can’t: He is always faithful, He cannot be unfaithful, He cannot deny himself.
The Pope noted that in the history of the Church, there appear men and women, old and young, who made the same choice as the two figures in today’s readings. Their example is an encouragement for all the faithful “to offer the Church everything we have, our whole livelihood.”
Concluding his homily, Pope Francis prayed for all who make definitive choices of faith every day. “Let us ask the Lord for the grace of courage, the courage to go on with our Christian lives, in everyday life and in the most extreme situations,” he said. (J.A.E.)
