Hajja Salesjana

Top photo by Irina Iriser - Unsplash.com In one of his homilies at Mass Pope Francis said that the kingdom of God, already present among us, never attracts attention to itself but rather is cultivated though silent holiness in everyday life. “The Kingdom of God is humble, like the seed: humble, but it becomes great by the power of the Holy Spirit,” the Pope told those at the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for his Mass*. “It is up to us to let it grow in us, without boasting about it: let the Spirit come, change our soul and carry us forward in silence, in peace, in tranquillity, in closeness to God, to others, in worship of God, without spectacle.” The Roman Pontiff centred his reflections on the Gospel reading from Luke in which the Pharisees ask Christ when the kingdom of God would come. In response, Christ tells them it is already there, and reveals that when the Son of Man returns it will be like lightening in the sky. Rather than being noisy and trying to be part of the crowd, the kingdom of God is like a seed that grows underground, always going deeper without attracting attention, the Pope explained. “The Kingdom of God is not a spectacle. The Lord never says that the Kingdom of God is a spectacle. It is a celebration,” which is something different, he observed. Although this celebration is something beautiful that we will experience in heaven, our human weakness is often drawn toward spectacles, the Bishop of Rome said, noting “The kingdom of God grows by silent witness, not spectacles” – Pope Francis by Elise Harris (CNA) Photo by Jeremy Bishop - Unsplash.com 8 Lulju-Settembru 2024 hajja