"Do you love me?"; "Are you my friend?". The One who scrutinizes hearts (cf. Rom 8:27), makes himself a beggar of love and questions us on the one truly essential issue, a premiss and condition for feeding his sheep, his lambs, his Church. May every ministry be based on this intimacy with the Lord; living from him is the measure of our ecclesial service which is expressed in the readiness to obey, to humble ourselves, as we heard in the Letter to the Philippians, and for the total gift of self.
Pope FrancisWork is fundamental to the dignity of the person. Work, to use an image, 'anoints' with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God who has worked and still works, who always acts.
Pope FrancisLet us contemplate the humility of the Son of God born into poverty. Let us imitate him by sharing with those who are weak.
Pope FrancisIf we see someone who needs help, do we stop? There is so much suffering and poverty, and a great need for good Samaritans.
Pope FrancisAmong us, who is above must be in service of the others. This doesn't mean we have to wash each other's feet every day, but we must help one another.
Pope FrancisWe have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone: consumption.
Pope Francis