Here and Now with Francis 2/2/16 (humility, humiliation, gossip, David, prophecy, consecrated life, hope, Christ)
From the homily
The only way to humility is through humiliation. David’s destiny, which is holiness, comes through humiliation. The destiny of that holiness which God gives to his children, gives to the Church, comes through the humiliation of his Son, who allows himself to be insulted, who allows himself to be placed on the cross - unjustly ... And this Son of God who humbles himself, this is the way of holiness. And David, through his behavior, prophesizes this humiliation of Jesus. Let us ask the Lord for the grace of humility for each of us, for the whole Church - but also for the grace to understand that humility cannot be achieved without humiliation. [full text]
From an address to consecrated people
Prophecy is to tell people that there is a way of happiness, of grandeur, a way that fills one with joy, which is precisely the way of Jesus. It is the way of being close to Jesus. It is a gift; prophecy is a charism and it must be asked of the Holy Spirit: that I be able to say that word, at the right moment; that I do something at the right moment; that my whole life be a prophecy – men and women prophets. [...] Consecrated life should lead them to closeness with people: physical, spiritual closeness, to know the people. [...] Listen well: no gossip, no terrorism of gossip, because one who gossips is a terrorist. One must receive with seriousness! One must discern well if it’s a true vocation and help it to grow. [...] The Lord who is so generous, will not fail in His promise, but we must ask for it. We must knock on the door of His heart. Because there is a danger – and this is awful, but I must say it –: when a Congregation sees that it doesn’t have children and grandchildren, and begins to be ever smaller, it attaches itself to money. And you know that money is the devil’s dung. When they do not have the grace to have vocations and children, they think that money will save their life; and they think of old age: that they may not lack this, that they may not lack that … And thus there is no hope! Hope is only in the Lord! Money will never give you <hope>, on the contrary, it will bring you down! Understood? [full text]
