Safeguard the light of faith, and let it shine before men, avoiding
those behaviors that are likely to hide it, from jealousy and arguments,
plotting against our neighbor - "the little bit of Mafia that we all
have" – that put’s off to tomorrow the good we can do today, said Pope
Francis at Mass this morning in Casa Santa Marta, taking a cue from
today’s Gospel."Cherishing the light - he said - means guarding something that we have been given as a gift and if we exude light, we do so because we received the gift of light on the day of our Baptism". The Pope recalled that "in the early centuries of the Church", and still "in some Eastern Churches" today "Baptism is referred to as Illumination”.
This light, he warned, "should not be hidden." "If you hide this light," in fact, "you become lukewarm or simply" a "Christian in name only". The light of faith "is a true light, which Jesus gives us in baptism", "it is not an artificial light, a souped-up light. It is a gentle, serene light that never goes out".
But there is a whole range of behaviors that are likely to hide this light and encourage the approach of darkness, first "never hesitate to help those in need". "Never off to tomorrow the good we can do today ... doing good cannot be put on hold: You must do good today, and if you do not do it today, tomorrow is too late. Do not put off to tomorrow what the good you can do today: this putting off to tomorrow hides light. It is also an injustice ... Another way – these are tips, to avoid hiding the light: do not plan evil against your neighbor. How often people exploit the trust of others to plot evil, to destroy, to dirty other’s reputation, to render them unless ... This is the little bit of Mafia that we all have within; taking advantage of the trust of others to plot evil, this is mafia! 'But, I do not belong ...': but this is the mafia, exploiting the trust of others ... It hides the light, it blots it out. It makes you dark. Every Mafioso is dark! ".
The Pope emphasized the temptation of always fighting with someone, the pleasure of arguing with those who do "nothing wrong." "We always look for something to argue about. But in the end we grow tired, of arguing: you can not live like this. It 'better to let go, forgive "," to pretend not to see things ... not to quarrel constantly". "Another piece of advice that the Father gives to the children not to cover the light: 'Do not envy the man of violence and do not fret because all his success, because the Lord holds the perverse in horror, while his friendship - the Lord - is for the righteous'. And often we feel jealousy, envy towards those who have things, or who are violent ... but let's look at the history of the violent, the powerful ... Well, it's simple: the same worms will eat we eat them; the same! In the end we will all be equal. Envy, ah! power, feeling jealousy ... this covers the light. "
Christ’s council: "Be children of light and not of darkness; guard the light that was given as a gift on the day of Baptism ". "Do not hide it under the bed," but "keep the light shining". And to safeguard the light, he reiterated, there are these tips to put into practice every day. "There are strange things we see these things that cover the light every day".
"May the Holy Spirit, that we all have received in Baptism, help us not to fall into these bad habits that cover the light, and help us to carry on the light received for free, the light of God that does so much good: The light friendship, the light of meekness, the light of faith, the light of hope, the light of patience, the light of goodness".