At this morning’s mass in St. Martha’s House, Francis prayed that our way of practicing the faith does not become “sterile” or concerned with “profiteering”
A faith that is genuine, capable of forgiveness and open to others does miracles. Jesus condemned “spiritual selfishness” and the reduction of religion to “business dealings”. In other words, “the things that are God’s are not to be used for personal profit”. This was Francis’ message at today’s mass in St. Martha’s House.
Today’s Gospel passage points to “three ways of living”: we have the image of the fig tree that does not bear fruit, the men who do business at the temple and the man of faith. “The fig tree is a symbol of sterility, a sterile life that is unable to give anything. A life that does not bear fruit and is incapable of doing good,” Francis said.
“It lives for itself, it is carefree, selfish and does not want to be bothered. Jesus condemns the fig tree because it is sterile, because it hasn’t done its bit to bear fruit. It symbolises those who do nothing to help, who always live for themselves, making sure they want for nothing. In the end such people turn out to be neurotic, all of them! Jesus condemns spiritual sterility, spiritual selfishness. ‘I live for myself, so that I always have eberything I need and desire and let others sort themselves out!’.”
Another lifestyle the Pope said, is that led by those who seek to make a profit: the men who do business in the temple. “They use the sacred temple of God to do their business dealings: they exchange currency, sell animals for sacrifice and even among themselves they have formed a sort of union to defend themselves. Not only was this tolerated, it was permitted by priests at the temple.” These are the kinds of “people who turn religion into a business deal”. The Pope recalled that in the Bible, we find the story about a priest’s sons, who pushed people to make offerings and collected a hefty sum of money, even from the poor.” Jesus makes himself very clear: “My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves!”
“The people who went on pilgrimages there to ask for the Lord’s blessing and to make a sacrifice, they were being ripped off! Priests there did not teach them to pray, they didn’t teach them the catechesis … it was a den of thieves. Pay, enter…They mercilessly celebrated empty rites. I don’t know if it would be good for us to think about whether something similar is happening to us somewhere. I don’t know? This is using the things that are God’s for personal profit.”
Then there is a third kind of lifestyle: those who do as Jesus asks and live the “life of faith”: “Have faith in God. If someone said to the mountain ‘rise up and throw yourself into the sea’, without any doubt in one’s heart but believing that what was said will happen, this will happen. Whatever you ask for in your prayers, believe this wish has been granted to you and it will be granted to you’. If we have faith, whatever we ask for, will come true.”
“This is the lifestyle of faith. ‘Father, what do I need to do then? ;’Ask the Lord to help you do good deeds, but with faith. There is just one condition: when you ask for this in your prayers, if you have a grudge against someone, forgive them. This is the only condition in order for your Father in heaven to forgive you and your sins. This is the third way of living. Having faith, having faith in order to help others and approach God. This faith does miracles.”
The Pope concluded by praying: “Let us ask the Lord to teach us this lifestyle of faith and help us to never fall, to teach us, each of us, the Church, amid sterility and profiteering.”
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