When we have a heart of stone it happens that we pick up real stones and stone Jesus Christ in the person of our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest of them. Pope Francis said this, commenting on the day's Readings during the Mass he celebrated on Friday morning in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

It was a simple celebration to which the Pope invited employees of the garden and cleaning services of the Governorate of Vatican City State. He gave them a brief homily, focused in particular on the Gospel passage of John which recounts the episode of the Jews who wanted to stone Jesus.

22.03.13

Do not have a heart that does not listen to the voice of the Lord by doing so for "days, months, years", it becomes hard like soil without water. And when there is something that one dislikes about God, he or she discredits and slanders Him. In today's Gospel Jesus is clear: "he who is not with me is against me".

Many times, we are deaf and do not listen to the voice of the Lord. Yes, we listen to the news, the chatter of the neighbourhood: that yes, I always listen to. The Lord urges, however, to hear his voice and not harden your heart. In the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer 7.23 -28), we hear God’s lamentation regarding the "stubborn people, who do not want to listen". Instead of listening and turning to Him, they close their ears, turn their backs to Him and proceed obstinately according to their evil hearts. This passage from Jeremiah is therefore a little moan of the Lord. God recalls how with great care He sent His prophets to his people but they did not listen to them. Instead, they stiffened their necks and did worse than what their fathers did.

In the day’s liturgy, the Church wants each one of us to examine our conscience on our faithfulness to the Lord. It is not about attending Sunday Masses. It is about being aware of not allowing our hearts to turn hard, stubborn and deaf, shutting the Lord out and doing what we want.

A person with a hardened heart does not just stop at being deaf to the Lord. Unhappy with the things of the Lord, he or she puts God aside with an excuse and discredits, slanders and defames God.

Jesus had the same experience with the people. When Jesus performed miracles and healed the sick, the stubborn people said it was through the power of Beelzebub, the leader of demons. First, one refuses to listen to the Lord and then discredits Him. This, is the penultimate step of the refusal of the Lord. The last step from which there is no return is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit pointing to the warning of Jesus at the end of the Gospel.

Just as the prophet ends with the clear words - "Faithfulness has disappeared" – so too Jesus ends with the words that can help us: "Whoever is not with me, is against me".

"No, no, I'm with Jesus, but at some distance, I don't get too": no, this does not exist. One cannot be with Jesus and be at a distance. Either you are with Jesus or you are against Jesus; either you are faithful or you are unfaithful; either you have an obedient heart or you have lost your fidelity.

Each of us think, today, during the mass and then during the day: a little think. "How's my loyalty? Do I reject the Lord, seeking any pretext, anything and discredit the Lord? All is not lost The words - "faithfulness has disappeared" and "whosoever is not with me is against me" –still leave room for hope, for us.

This hope comes in the Acclamation to the Gospel where Jesus invites each one of us saying, “Return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful. "Yes, your heart is as hard as a stone, so many times you've discredited and not obeyed me, but there is still time. I will forget everything. I care that you come to me. This is what matters, says the Lord and forget the rest.” This is the time of mercy, is the time of mercy of the Lord: let us open our hearts because he is in us.

28.03.19