Pope Francis noted today that a true Christian must give witness to Christ since giving testimony is one of the peculiarities of Christian behavior.
The Pope said this during his morning homily today at the Casa Santa Marta, according to Vatican Radio.
Part of the congregation was made up of a number of priests who celebrated with the Pope their 50th year of ordination.
“The mystery of God is light,” the Pope said, drawing from today’s Gospel.
“And this is one of the traits of a Christian who has received the light in Baptism and must give it. That is, the Christian is a witness. Testimony. One of the peculiarities of Christian behavior. A Christian who brings this light, must show it because he is a witness.”
A Christian who does not give witness to Christ isn’t a true Christian, Francis continued.
“When a Christian would prefer not to show the light of God but prefers his own darkness, this enters his heart because he is afraid of the light. And the idols, which are dark, he likes best. So he lacks: he’s missing something and is not a true Christian. Witness: a Christian is a witness. Of Jesus Christ, the Light of God. He has to put that light on the lampstand of his life.”
The Bishop of Rome also considered the phrase from the Gospel, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.”
“Another trait of the Christian,” he reflected, “is magnanimity, because he is the child of a magnanimous father, of great heart.”
“The Christian heart is magnanimous. It is open, always. It is not a heart that is closed in on its own selfishness. Or one that’s calculating: ‘up to this point, up to here.’ When you enter this light of Jesus, when you enter into Jesus’ friendship, when you let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit, the heart becomes open, magnanimous… The Christian, then, does not gain, but loses. But he loses to gain something else, and in this — quote — ‘defeat’ of interests, he gains Jesus; he gains by becoming Jesus’ witness.”
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