Pious words without matching deeds can hurt, Pope warns faithful
December 05, 2013
Those who speak as Christians, but do not act as Christians, do harm to the faith, Pope Francis told his congregation at a morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae on December 5.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading, in which Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their exclusive focus on the letter of the law, the Pope said that pious talk, unaccompanied by charity, “not only do not serve us, but they hurt, they deceive us, they make us believe that we have a beautiful home, but without a foundation.”
Christians, the Pope said, should examine themselves to ensure that they are sincere in their words and deeds, especially when they speak about the faith. He remarked that “a Christian word without Christ at its center leads to vanity, to pride, power for the sake of power.”
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