Pope
Francis during his Homily at Mass on Friday at the Casa Santa Martha
said that as Christians we are called to proclaim the Gospel with
humility.
Taking
his cue from Friday’s Gospel which recounts the tragic death of John
the Baptist, the Pope said John was the man God had sent to prepare the
way for his son.
He, Pope Francis continued, was a man in the court of
Herod, filled with corruption and vices who urged everyone to convert.
The
Holy Father recalled how this great Saint firstly, proclaimed Jesus
Christ. John had the chance to say he was the Messiah, added the Pope,
but he did not. Secondly, said Pope Francis John the Baptist was “a man
of Truth”.
The third thing John did, underlined the Holy Father was to
imitate Jesus in his humility, in his suffering and humiliation.
The
Pope also stressed that like other religious figures such as Blessed
Teresa of Calcutta, John the Baptist had dark moments, moments of
anguish and doubt sending his disciples to ask Jesus : ' But tell me, is
it you, or am I wrong and there is another?
Pope Francis
explained that John the “icon of a disciple” because he is "the man who
proclaims Jesus Christ… and follows the way of Jesus Christ "
Concluding
his homily the Holy Father said we should not take advantage of our
condition as Christians, as if it were a privilege. Instead we are
called proclaim the Gospel message with humility without seizing on the
prophecy.