VATICAN, April 7, 2015—Pope Francis on Easter Sunday reminded the lay faithful of the importance of humility, noting that it is only by being humble that the path to glory may be treaded.
“By his death and resurrection, Jesus shows everyone the way to life and happiness: this way is humility, which involves humiliation. This is the path which leads to glory,” Pope Francis said in his Urbi et Orbi message delivered before the faithful at the Saint Peter Square.
‘Look up from below’
Pope Francis during his apostolic visit to the Philippines (Photo: Lawrence Ofrin)
According to the Holy Father, Jesus gave up his divine glory and “took on the form of a slave and humbled himself even to death” out of love for all mankind.
“Only those who humble themselves can go towards the ‘things that are above’, towards God. The proud look ‘down from above’, the humble look ‘up from below’,” he added.
The Holy Father likened this form of humility to Peter’s and John’s act of “bending down” before they were able to enter the tomb of Jesus.
“To enter into the mystery, we need to ‘bend down’, to abase ourselves. Only those who abase themselves understand the glorification of Jesus and are able to follow him on his way,” he said.
‘Peace to you’
The Pontiff also called on the faithful to fight violence and injustice, urging them to eliminate acts of enslavement and seek the sincere renewal of drugs and arms dealers.
“We ask for peace and freedom for the many men and women subject to old and new forms of enslavement on the part of criminal individuals and groups,” he said.
“Peace and liberty for the victims of drug dealers, who are often allied with the powers who ought to defend peace and harmony in the human family. And we ask peace for this world subjected to arms dealers,” he added.
Pope Francis prayed for those who are suffering that they may receive the grace of the Lord in the midst of their hardships.
“May the marginalized, the imprisoned, the poor and the migrants who are so often rejected, maltreated and discarded, the sick and the suffering, children, especially those who are victims of violence; all who today are in mourning, and all men and women of goodwill, hear the consoling voice of the Lord Jesus: ‘Peace to you!’,” he said.
“The world proposes that we put ourselves forward at all costs, that we compete, that we prevail… But Christians…are the seeds of another humanity, in which we seek to live in service to one another, not to be arrogant, but rather respectful and ready to help,” the Holy Father said. (Jennifer M. Orillaza/CBCP News)
Post Credit: CBCPNews
