Pope at Sunday Mass: The tongue is touchstone of knowing our love

By Robin Gomes

Try not to talk ill of others.  And the remedy is easy and within everyone’s reach.  Bite your tongue.  It will swell up but surely it will prevent us from speaking badly about others.  Pope Francis offered the advice to the faithful of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Rome’s suburb of Tor de’ Schiavi, which he visited Sunday afternoon

“Remain in my love”

Speaking in his homily at Mass, the Pope reflected on Christ’s words, “Remain in my love”, in John’s Gospel, saying it is an invitation to love like Jesus did - serving and taking care of others. 

This love, the Pope said, is shown not in words but in concrete action.  It’s like a mother who breastfeeds her babies and changes their diapers when they cry.  Likewise, each one, the Holy Father said, should think about taking care of others in the family, the neighborhood and the work place. 

In this regard, the Pope expressed satisfaction for the “Casa della Gioia”, or the “House of Joy” for disabled children that he inaugurated earlier in the parish, saying it could called the “House of Love” as well.

During the Mass the Pope administered the sacrament of Confirmation to Maya, a 12-year old girl suffering from a degenerative mitochondrial disease, and her mother Paola Desideri. 

Tongue – touchstone of love

Pope Francis drew attention to the words of Jesus who said it is not we but God who loved us first, by sending his Son into the world.  Likewise, we too should be the first to love. 

One way of doing this, he said, is by avoiding gossip or speaking ill of others, which, he said, is not love.  And the “touchstone” of judging love, the Pope said, is the tongue. The “thermometer” of knowing the temperature of my love is the tongue,” the Pope added.