Anyone
who utters Christian words without putting them into practice hurts
oneself and others, because they are based on pride and cause division
in the Church. Those were the Pope’s words during his homily at Mass this Thursday morning at the Casa Santa Martha.
Taking his cue from Thursday’s liturgy, Pope Francis explained that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for knowing the commandments, but not implementing them in their lives.
They are " good words," he said, but if they are not put into practice "not only do they not serve us, but they hurt : they deceive us , they make us believe that we have a beautiful home, but without a foundation” .
The Holy Father went on to say that the Lord is our foundation. Our rock is Jesus Christ.
Continuing on this theme Pope Francis underlined that “a Christian word without Christ at its centre leads to vanity, to pride, power for the sake of power.” The Lord, said the Pope, breaks down these people who believe themselves to be the Rock.
The Holy Father affirmed during his Homily that we would " do well to examine our own consciences” to see whether our Christian words are indeed Christ centred because when they are not, he said, they divide us from ourselves and divide the Church.
Pope Francis concluded his Homily by saying “let us ask the Lord to help in this humility, to speak words rooted in Jesus Christ.