Francis criticized the fact that many Christians will be touched by laziness and formalism, both closing the doors to salvation.
From Canção Nova News and Vatican Radio
Inaction and formalism close the door to salvation. This was the message of Pope Francis, in the mass Tuesday, in the Chapel of the House of St. Martha.
The reflection came from the Gospel of the day that narrates Jesus’ encounter with the paralytic who lamented that he could not enter the pool, because he was also preceded by others. Jesus did the miracle and the man began to walk. All this happened on the Sabbath, and was then censured by the pharisees. According to the Holy Father, there are two attitudes of many Christians: inaction, here personified by the lament of the paralyzed man and the paralyzing formalism of the pharisees in respect to the Sabbath.
“I think of many Christians, many Catholics, yes, they are Catholic, but without enthusiasm, even bitter! Each one in his house, tranquil…and if someone dares, he is reproved. It is the pain of the laziness of Christians. This attitude, that is paralyzing of the apostolic zeal, that makes Christians stagnant, tranquil, but not in the good sense of the word: they are not concerned in going out to announce the Gospel! Anesthetized people. .
The anesthesia, added the Pope, is a negative experience. “Laziness is a sadness (…) and it is our disease of Christians. We go to mass Sundays, but in comfort. These Christians without apostolic zeal do not serve, they do nothing good to the Church. And how many Christians are so, selfish, for themselves. This is the sin of laziness, against the will of giving the newness of Jesus to the others, that newness that was given freely.” said the Pope.
But, in this gospel passage, the Pontiff affirmed, one encounters also another sin, when one sees that Jesus is criticized, because he cured the sick on the Sabbath. The sin of formalism does not leave room for the grace of God, it is concerned in having documents and certificates in order.
“Hypocritical Christians who are interested only in formalities. They close the doors to the grace of God. We have many of them in the Church and this is the other sin! Those that sin in laziness are not capable of going out daily with apostolic zeal, because they decide to stop themselves in their sadness and resentments. These are not able to arrive to salvation because they shut the doors to it!”
Francis advised that laziness and hypocrisy are temptations and that one should know how to defend oneself from them. He remembered that Jesus gave the grace of curing the paralytic and when he encountered him again he said to him not to sin more.
“The two Christian words: ‘Do you want to be healed’ and ‘do not sin anymore’ are words said with tenderness with love. It is this Christian road: drawing closer to hurt persons, in this field hospital; many times, people injured by men and women of the Church…Those two words of Jesus are more beautiful than laziness and hypocrisy.”