Pope
Francis took his cue from the daily readings to dwell on four "possible
attitudes in conflict situations, in difficult situations." The first
attitude is that of the "slowness" of Lot. He decided to leave the city
before it was destroyed, but he does so slowly. The angel tells him to
run away, but he carries within an '"inability to detach himself from
evil and sin." The Pope noted that we want to go out, we are determined,
"but there is something that pulls us back," and so Lot begins to
negotiate even with the angel.
"It’s so hard to cut ties
with a sinful situation. It is hard! Even in a temptation, it's hard!
But the voice of God tells us this word: 'Escape! You cannot fight
there, because the fire, the sulfur will kill you. Escape!' St. Therese
of the Child Jesus taught us that sometimes, in some temptations, the
only solution is to escape and not be ashamed to escape; to recognize
that we are weak and we have to escape. And our popular wisdom, in its
simplicity, says as much, somewhat ironically: 'he who fights and runs
away, lives to fight another day.' Escaping to go forward along the path
of Jesus."
The Pope continued that the angel then says
"do not look back," to escape and keep your eyes faced forward. Here, he
said, is some advice on how to overcome our nostalgia of sin. Think of
the People of God in the desert, he stressed: "They had everything,
promises, everything." And yet "they were nostalgic for the onions of
Egypt" and this "longing made them forget that they ate those onions on
the table of slavery." There was the "longing to go back, to return."
And the advice of the angel, the Pope observed, "is wise: Do not look
back! Move ahead!" We must not do as Lot's wife, we must "leave behind
all nostalgia, because there is also the temptation of curiosity."
"Faced
with sin, we must escape without any nostalgia. Curiosity does not
help, it hurts! 'But, in this sinful world, what can we do? What is this
sin like? I would like to know . . . ' No, do not! This curiosity will
hurt you! Run away and do not look back! We are weak, all of us, and we
must defend ourselves. The third situation is on the boat: it is fear.
When there is great upheaval at sea, the boat was covered with the
waves. 'Save us, Lord, we are lost!' they say. Fear! Even that is a
temptation of the devil: to be afraid to move forward on the path of the
Lord.”
There is a temptation that says it is "better to
stay here," where I'm safe. "But this – warned the Pope - is the slavery
of Egypt." "I fear moving forward - the Pope said - I'm afraid of where
the Lord will bring me.” Fear, however, "is not a good counselor."
Jesus, he added, "so many times, said: 'Do not be afraid.' Fear does not
help us." The fourth attitude "is the grace of the Holy Spirit." When
Jesus calms the agitated sea, the disciples on the boat are filled with
awe. "Faced with sin, nostalgia, fear," he said, we must always turn to
the Lord.
"Looking to the Lord, contemplating the Lord.
This gifts us the beautiful wonder of a new encounter with the Lord.
'Lord, I am being tempted: I want to stay in this situation of sin,
Lord, I am curious to know about these things, Lord, I'm afraid.' And
they looked to the Lord: 'Save us, Lord, we are lost!' And wonder at a
new encounter with Jesus followed. We must not be naive nor lukewarm
Christians, but brave, courageous. We are weak, but we must be
courageous in our weakness. And often our courage must be expressed in
escaping without looking back, so as not to fall into the trap of wicked
nostalgia. Do not be afraid and always look to the Lord! ".
7/03/2013
Concupiscence
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