Pope Francis presides at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on the World Day of the Poor. He recalls the journey of Jesus who “became poor in order to make us rich” and our own life journey in which we are called to “offer the wealth of charity, share our bread and multiply love.”
By Thaddeus Jones
VATICAN CITY — In his homily during the Mass for the World Day of the Poor taking place in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis reflected on two aspects of the Sunday Gospel reading recounting the parable of the talents: the journey of Jesus and the journey of our lives.
Talents given according to the ability of each
Describing the journey of Jesus in his incarnation, resurrection and ascension into heaven, Pope Francis said Jesus has left us his “wealth”, recalling the Eucharist, his words of life, “his holy Mother to be our Mother”, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He explained how all of these gifts or “talents” are freely offered so that we can continue His work on earth in our own “personal mission that the Lord entrusts to us in our daily lives, in society and in the Church.”
“Let us look once more to Jesus, who received everything from the hands of the Father, yet did not keep this treasure for himself…Jesus lived for us, for our sake. That was the purpose of his journey in the world, before his return to the Father.”
The journey of Jesus will continue at the end of time when He returns in glory, the Pope recalled, “in order to ‘settle the accounts’ of history and bring us into the joy of eternal life.” And it is therefore important that we ask ourselves, “in what state will the Lord find us when he returns.”
Making our lives an offering of love
Looking at the journey of our own lives, the Pope said we need to ask what path it will take, that of Jesus “whose very life was gift” or the way of selfishness. The path of Jesus requires using the “talents” we have received, that is, the Lord’s gifts that Christ left us when returning to Father.
“Together with those gifts, he has given us his Spirit, in whom we became God’s children and thanks to which we can spend our lives in bearing witness to the Gospel and working for the coming of God’s kingdom. The immense “capital” that was placed in our keeping is the love of the Lord, the foundation of our lives and our source of strength on our journey.”
The Pope explained that we are called to “multiply the wealth we have been given, and make our lives an offering of love for the sake of others” even if we can choose to bury that treasure, looking out only for ourselves, unconcerned and disengaged.
“We have received from the Lord the gift of his love and we are called to become a gift for others. The love with which Jesus cared for us, the balm of his mercy, the compassion with which he tended our wounds, the flame of the Spirit by which he filled our hearts with joy and hope – all these are treasures that we cannot simply keep to ourselves””
Share bread and multiply love
Recalling the great suffering in our world, the scandal of widespread poverty, “the forgotten poor whose cry of pain goes unheard in the generalized indifference of a bustling and distracted society,” the Pope explained how today’s Gospel speaks loudly and clearly that we must “spread the wealth of charity, share our bread and multiply love.” He called on everyone to remember and help the oppressed, weary or marginalized, the victims of war, refugees, the hungry, the unemployed and those who have lost hope.
“When we think of the immense numbers of the poor in our midst, the message of today’s Gospel is clear: let us not bury the wealth of the Lord! Let us spread the wealth of charity, share our bread and multiply love!”
The Pope recalled that when the Lord returns, he will “settle accounts with us” and how we used the gifts given to us in loving and serving others.
“Let us pray that each of us, according to the gift we received and the mission entrusted to us, may strive “to make charity bear fruit” and draw near to some poor person. Let us pray that at the end of our journey, having welcomed Christ in our brothers and sisters with whom he identified himself, we too may hear it said to us: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant… Enter into the joy of your master”.”
