Pope at Angelus: Persevere in goodness, prayer and service

By Thaddeus Jones

Following the morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis greeted pilgrims in the square for the Sunday Angelus.

In his address before leading the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Pope offered his weekly reflections on the Sunday Gospel, which recalls Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem.

Those around the Lord spoke of the magnificence of the grandiose building, but the Lord reminded them of the transitory nature of things on earth that are here today and gone tomorrow, saying “there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down,” adding how in history wars and natural disasters will occur, sweeping away everything.

Pursuing perseverance

The Pope observed that these sobering words offer us a valuable teaching that there is a way out from the precariousness and volatility of human life.

We can find it in the Lord's words, when He says, "By your perseverance you will secure your lives,” the Pope pointed out. The key word is "perseverance", he said, which means being disciplined and persistent in what the Lord has at heart and matters most. 

Focusing on what matters

The Pope said we can often lose focus on what is most important when we, like those at the temple, prioritize and celebrate only the world of our hands, our successes, traditions, and religious and cultural symbols. While they are important, they are passing away, he pointed out.

Striving for perseverance, he said, means, "building goodness every day...to remain constant in goodness, especially when the reality around us urges us to do otherwise."

In practical terms, this means praying even when we believe we are too busy, playing by the rules even if everyone else may not be, offering our time to our community, the poor, our parish. 

Remaining in Goodness

In conclusion, Pope Francis said it would be good if we asked ourselves about how well we are trying to persevere in remaining in the Lord's goodness: do we strive to live by faith, justice and charity in our daily lives, do we make sacrifices to dedicate time to prayer or helping others, are we able to keep our hearts steadfast in the Lord even when circumstances around us make it difficult?