Let Christ cleanse our hearts, says Pope Francis

March 09, 2015

Pope Francis devoted his March 8 Angelus address to the day’s Gospel reading (Jn. 2:13-22), in which Christ cleansed the temple in Jerusalem and proclaimed his body to be the true temple.

“His humanity is the true temple where God is revealed, speaks, is encountered; and the true worshippers, the true worshippers of God are not only the guardians of the material temple, the keepers of power and of religious knowledge, [but] they are those who worship God ‘in spirit and truth,’” the Pope said.

“If we are witnesses of this living Christ, so many people will encounter Jesus in us, in our witness,” he continued. “But, we ask-- and each one of us can ask ourselves-- does the Lord feel at home in my life?”

Pope Francis added:

Do we allow him to “cleanse” our hearts and to drive out the idols, those attitudes of cupidity, jealousy, worldliness, envy, hatred, those habits of gossiping and tearing down others? Do I allow him to cleanse all the behaviors that are against God, against our neighbor, and against ourselves, as we heard today in the first reading (Ex. 20:1-17)? Each one can answer for himself, in the silence of his heart: “Do I allow Jesus to make my heart a little cleaner?”

“Oh Father, I fear the rod!” But Jesus never strikes. Jesus cleanses with tenderness, with mercy, with love. Mercy is the His way of cleansing. Let us, each of us, let us allow the Lord to enter with His mercy-- not with the whip, no, with His mercy-- to cleanse our hearts.

 

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Further information:

• Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus (Holy See Press Office)
• Angelus Domini 2015.03.08 (Vatican YouTube)
• Pope Francis: Let us allow Jesus to cleanse our hearts (Vatican Radio)