Earlier today, Pope Francis, gave a homily during morning mass.. Inspired by Christ’s words “I am the Way”, he explored the ways in which Christians can fall from the path of Christ and become stagnant in our faith:
The pope reflected on the need for Christians to follow Jesus consistently and not get waylaid or blocked on their journey of faith, saying there are many different types of Christians who are following Jesus in a confused manner: the mummified Christian, the vagabond Christian, the “hardheaded” or stubborn Christian, and the halfway Christian.
It is easy to stray from Christ’s path, especially in an age with so many things fighting for our attention, all around us. Perhaps, it is up to us as a community to remind each other of the way, just as the St. Paul Street Evangelization teams do. These volunteers take to the streets to spread the message of Christ, often bringing priests with them to administer the Sacrament of Confession, as well as blessings and advice. This may be just what the “Vagabond Christian” needs to find their way back to Christ.
The Pope, invited us to examine ourselves, to see if any of these terms apply to us. It is by Il Papa’s prompting that we ask: