How is Pope Francis really doing?"Bring children close to the elderly", Pope asks"Pope Francis is the man of the Church for this moment."Sunday Gospel brings the words of Jesus in which he explains to his disciples that he has "come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already burning" (Lk 12:49). The Holy Father wondered: "What fire is he talking about, and what do these words mean for us today? As we know," the Pope continued, "Jesus came to bring the Gospel to the world, that is, the good news of God's love for each one of us. Therefore, he is telling us that the Gospel is like a fire, because it is a message that, when it bursts into history, burns away the old balances of life, challenges us to come out of individualism, to overcome selfishness, to pass from the slavery of sin and death to the new life of the Risen One. In other words, the Gospel does not leave things as they are, but rather incites us to change and to live in the new life of the Risen One. invites to conversion".
The fire of the Holy Spirit
Pope Francis stressed that the Gospel does not bring a false peace, but is "exactly like fire: while it warms us with the love of God, it wants to burn our selfishness, illuminate the dark sides of life, consume the false idols that make us slaves (...) Jesus is inflamed by the fire of God's love and, to make it burn in the world, he gives himself first of all, loving to the end, even to death and death on a cross (cf. Phil 2:8). He is filled with the Holy Spirit, who is like fire, and with his light and power reveals the merciful face of God and gives hope to those who consider themselves lost, breaks down the barriers of marginalization, heals the wounds of body and soul, renews a religiosity reduced to external practices.
Pope Francis invited the faithful to increase their faith "so that it does not become a secondary reality, or a means of individual well-being, which leads us to avoid the challenges of life and commitment in the Church and in society". Finally, the Pontiff suggested some questions for meditation: "Am I passionate about the Gospel? Do I read it often? Do I carry it with me? Does the faith I profess and celebrate place me in a happy tranquility or does it kindle in me the fire of witness? We can also ask ourselves as Church: in our communities, do we burn with the fire of the Spirit, the passion for prayer and charity, the joy of faith, or do we allow ourselves to be dragged down by weariness and habits, with a dull face and lamentation on our lips?"
