“Before letting ourselves be overcome by anger, let us ask Jesus for the strength to be like him, to follow him firmly. Do not be vindictive and intolerant when difficulties arise, when we spend ourselves for good and others do not understand it”. Address by Pope Francis prior to the Marian prayer of the Angelus.
Patricia Ynestroza-Vatican City
In his speech prior to the Marian prayer of the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Francis, speaking of today’s Gospel, said that “letting oneself be overcome by anger in adversity is easy, it is instinctive.” What is difficult, however, he affirmed, is to dominate oneself, doing as Jesus, who – says the Gospel – set out “on the way to another village”:
“This means that when we find closure, we must resort to doing good elsewhere, without recrimination. In this way, Jesus helps us to be serene people, content with the good we have done and without seeking human approval.”
And he questions us, what is our position in the face of disagreements, misunderstandings, the Pontiff asks us if we turn to the Lord, ask him for his perseverance to do good, or on the contrary, asks the Pope, we seek confirmation in the applause and we end up bitter and resentful when we don’t listen to them and remember:
“Sometimes we think that our fervor is due to a feeling of righteousness for a good cause, but in reality most of the time it is nothing more than pride, combined with weakness, susceptibility and impatience. Let us then ask Jesus for the strength to be like Him, to follow him firmly. Not to be vindictive and intolerant when difficulties arise, when we spend ourselves for good and others do not understand it.”
The great journey to the Holy City
Mentioning the Gospel of this Sunday’s Liturgy, Francis told us that he speaks of a turning point: “When the days were drawing near when he was going to be raised on high, Jesus made the firm decision to set out for Jerusalem” (Lk 9.51). The “great journey” to the holy city begins, which requires a special decision because it is the last, he pointed out, and the disciples, “full of an enthusiasm that is still too worldly, dream that the Master is on his way to triumph”, Jesus, in Instead, the Pope recalled, he knows that rejection and death await him in Jerusalem; he “knows that he will have to suffer a lot; and this requires a firm decision”, he affirmed and adds:
“It is the same decision that we must make if we want to be disciples of Jesus. What does this decision consist of? Because we must be disciples of Jesus seriously, with real decision, not as an old woman I knew used to say: “Christians of rosewater “. No, no, no! Determined Christians. And to understand it, the episode that the evangelist Luke recounts immediately followingward helps us.
It helps us to understand the episode that the evangelist Luke recounts immediately following. A village of Samaritans, learning that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem – a contrary city – does not welcome him. The apostles James and John, outraged, suggest that Jesus punish these people by bringing down fire from heaven. Jesus not only does not accept the proposal, but rebukes the two brothers. They want to involve him in his desire for revenge and he does not agree. The “fire” that he came to bring to earth is the merciful Love of the Father.” And to make this fire grow, the Pope said, patience is needed, perseverance is needed, a penitential spirit is needed.
The wrath of Santiago and Juan
The Holy Father, mentioning the Gospel, said that James and John let themselves be overcome by anger. This also happens to us, he reminded him, when, even if we do good, perhaps with sacrifice, instead of welcome we find a closed door:
“Then anger arises: we even try to involve God himself, threatening heavenly punishments. Jesus, instead, walks another path, that of firmness, which, far from translating into harshness, implies calm, patience, long-suffering, without to slacken the least in our efforts to do good. This way of being does not denote weakness, but, on the contrary, a great inner strength”.
In this Gospel, Jesus teaches us to dominate anger, following his example, to dominate ourselves as He did, if they do not accept us, if we find closure, it does not matter, go do good elsewhere with serenity, happy, said the Pope with the good we have done, without seeking human approval. Not to be confused with that “fervor” that we believe to be a “feeling of righteousness for a good cause,” Francis added, is a pride, a weakness, a susceptibility and impatience of ours.
The Pope concluded his address with the wish that each one of us ask “Jesus for the strength to be like Him, to follow Him firmly. Not to be vindictive and intolerant when difficulties arise, when we spend ourselves for good and others do not understand” . and to the Virgin Mary to help us make our own the firm decision of Jesus to remain in love until the end.
