And can we imagine how beautiful the world would be without insults?Today in his morning homily, Pope Francis spoke about the “radical” reconciliation asked my Jesus, saying that it’s not just about respecting others’ dignity, but respecting my own too.
Drawing from today’s Gospel, the Holy Father went as he often does to a practical point: The Lord uses an “every-day example … the problem of insults,” he said.
Insults are so dangerous because they lead to envy, which is how the devil entered the world according to the Book of Wisdom, the pope said. “When another person does something I don’t like … or when someone threatens me, envy pushes me to insult them.”
Have I insulted anyone today? When do I use insults? When do I close my heart to another with an insult? Can I see the bitter root of envy there that pushes me to desire the destruction of another in order to avoid competition, rivalry, that type of thing? It’s not easy. But let’s think of how beautiful it would be if we never insulted others. May the Lord grant us this grace.
When you go to Mass and you are aware that one of your brothers has something against you, go and reconcile yourself… Jesus is that radical.
Reconciliation is not the same as good manners. No, it’s a radical attitude, one that tries to respect the dignity of others as well as my own. From insult to reconciliation, from envy to friendship—this is the example that Jesus gives us today.
