Staying faithful in uncertain times, urges Pope Francis

In uncertain times, our ultimate goal should be to remain faithful to the Lord rather than seek our security, said Pope Francis during his morning mass on Tuesday.

Speaking from the chapel of his Vatican residence, the Casa Santa Marta, on April 14, the pope said: “Many times when we feel secure, we begin to make our plans and slowly move away from the Lord; we do not remain faithful. And my security is not what the Lord gives me. He is an idol. "

To Christians who object that they do not bow before idols, he said: "No, perhaps you do not kneel, but that you seek them and so many times in your heart you worship idols, it is true. Many times. Your security opens the doors to idols. "

Pope Francis reflected on the Second Book of Chronicles, which describes how King Rehoboam, the first leader of the kingdom of Judah, became pleased and departed from the law of the Lord, bringing his people with him.

"But isn't your security good?" asked the pope. “No, it's a grace. Be sure, but also make sure the Lord is with me. But when there is security and I am at the center, I move away from the Lord, like King Reboam, I become unfaithful. "

“It is so difficult to remain faithful. The whole history of Israel, and therefore the whole history of the Church, is full of infidelity. Full. Full of selfishness, full of his certainties that make God's people move away from the Lord, they lose that fidelity, the grace of faithfulness ”.

Focusing on the second reading of the day (Acts 2: 36-41), in which Peter calls people to repentance on the day of Pentecost, the pope said: “Converting is this: go back to being faithful. Faithfulness, that human attitude that is not so common in people's lives, in our lives. There are always illusions that attract attention and many times we want to hide behind these illusions. Loyalty: in good times and bad times. "

The pope said that the Gospel reading of the day (John 20: 11-18) offered an "icon of fidelity": the image of a weeping Mary Magdalene who was watching next to the tomb of Jesus.

"He was there," he said, "faithful, facing the impossible, facing the tragedy ... A weak but faithful woman. The icon of fidelity of this Mary of Magdala, apostle of the apostles ".

Inspired by Mary Magdalene, we should pray for the gift of faithfulness, said the pope.

“Today we ask the Lord for the grace of fidelity: to give thanks when it gives us certainties, but never to think that they are my 'certainties' and we always look beyond our own certainties; the grace of being faithful even before the graves, before the collapse of many illusions. "

After mass, the pope presided over the adoration and blessing of the Blessed Sacrament, before conducting those who watch live streaming in a prayer of spiritual communion.

Finally, the congregation sang the paschal Marian antiphon "Regina caeli".

At the beginning of the mass, the pope prayed that the challenges of the coronavirus crisis would help people overcome their differences.

"We pray that the Lord will give us the grace of unity between us," he said. “May the difficulties of this time make us discover the communion between us, the unity that is always superior to any division