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Beware of ‘superficial pastimes,’ Pope cautions faithful
Pope Francis had strong words against sin and temptation in his homily on Sunday, during the Mass he officiated at the Quirino Grandstand, describing these as “great threats” to God’s plan.
“Sometimes, when we see the troubles, difficulties and wrongs all around us, we are tempted to give up. It seems that the promises of the Gospel do not apply. But the Bible tells us that the great threat to God’s plan for us is, and always has been, the lie,” the Holy Father told millions who gathered in Manila to listen to him speak.
Speaking in halting English, Pope Francis also cautioned against modern trappings that could distract the faithful from the love of God, and leading them to seek worldly pleasures.
“The devil is the father of lies. Often he hides his snares behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being 'modern', 'like everyone else'. He distracts us with the promise of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink; we turn in on ourselves. We forget to remain focused on the things that really matter,” he said.
Pope Francis also compared sin to destruction, saying it runs counter to what the Lord created man to be. In particular, the pontiff also said sin is the root of continuing poverty.
“God chose and blessed us... to be holy and blameless in his sight. He chose us to be witnesses of his truth and his justice in this world. He created the world as a beautiful garden and asked us to care for it. But through sin, man has disfigured that natural beauty; through sin, man has also destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption,” he said. —Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News
“Sometimes, when we see the troubles, difficulties and wrongs all around us, we are tempted to give up. It seems that the promises of the Gospel do not apply. But the Bible tells us that the great threat to God’s plan for us is, and always has been, the lie,” the Holy Father told millions who gathered in Manila to listen to him speak.
Speaking in halting English, Pope Francis also cautioned against modern trappings that could distract the faithful from the love of God, and leading them to seek worldly pleasures.
“The devil is the father of lies. Often he hides his snares behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being 'modern', 'like everyone else'. He distracts us with the promise of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink; we turn in on ourselves. We forget to remain focused on the things that really matter,” he said.
Pope Francis also compared sin to destruction, saying it runs counter to what the Lord created man to be. In particular, the pontiff also said sin is the root of continuing poverty.
“God chose and blessed us... to be holy and blameless in his sight. He chose us to be witnesses of his truth and his justice in this world. He created the world as a beautiful garden and asked us to care for it. But through sin, man has disfigured that natural beauty; through sin, man has also destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption,” he said. —Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News
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