The risk of the loss of the Authentic sense of religion and falling into a false religiosity, was the reflection of Pope Benedict XVI before the Angelus, Sunday, September 2nd in the Apostolic Residence of Castel Gandolfo.

The Holy Father commented on the readings of the Liturgy Sunday, what refer to the theme of the Law of God, “The essential element of the Hebrew religion and also of Christianity which encounters its complete fulfillment in love.”

“The Law of God is His Word that guides men on the road of life. It produces the leaving of the slavery of selfishness and introduces on the Earth true freedom and of life,” stressed the Pope.

It is for this that “in the Bible, the Law is not seen as a weight, a limitation that oppresses, but as a precious gift of the Lord, the witness of his paternal love, of his will to be near his people, of being his ally and writing with him a history of love.”

At the Threshold of the Promised Land, after the long journey in the desert, Moses warns the People of the necessity to hear and apply the words spoken on the part of the Lord. The problem that the people were confronting, to establish themselves, was of putting all their trust and joy in something that was not the Word of God, but in goods, in power and in other divinities they are vain idols, explained Benedict XVI

The Law of God remains, but already there is something more important, the rule of life, becoming more a coating, a cover, while life follows other roads, other rules frequently of selfish interests of individuals and of the group. Thus, the religion loses its more authentic sense that is to live in the hearing of the God to do his will—that is the truth of our bring—and thus to live well in the true freedom, reducing the practice of secondary customs that satisfy the human desire of feeling good with God,” he emphasized.

Benedict XVI alerted that such attitude is a grave risk for whatever religion, something that Jesus encountered in his time and which we confront the Christians of all of our times. Therefore, in the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus criticizes the living of faith of the pharisees and of the scribes that fulfill the laws, but with a heart far from God.

Finally, the Pope remembered the words of St. James in his letter on the danger of a false religiosity. The apostle wrote to the Christians saying: “Be fulfillers of the Word and not only hearers; who deceive themseves.” (cf James 1:22)

After the recitation of the Angelus, Benedict XVI directed himself in five languages to those present joined on the internal patio of the Pontifical residence of Castel Gandolfo. If fact, in French he directed a special greeting to the Lebanese present assuring them his prayers and his joy in visiting some day to the Country of the Cedsars. Within his particular greetings, the Pope, congratulated those celebrating twenty-five years of marriage.

The Holy Father bestowed on all his Apostolic Blessing.

edited with material from Vatican Radio

translated from Portuguese