Pope Francis Tells Catholics Don't Worry, Trust God Instead
Pope Francis advised Catholics to trust God instead of worrying about tomorrow. This was the message he delivered during his Angelus address at St. Peter's Square on Sunday. The pontiff drew from the Gospel of Matthew in which God told his disciples not to worry about food, shelter and clothing, because "your heavenly Father knows that you need them."
Addressing an audience mostly composed of tourists and pilgrims, Pope Francis urged them to trust God because by doing so, they will have nothing to worry about. While trusting God will not immediately solve their problems, it allows them to confront the dilemma with the right frame of mind, he said.
The pope also talked about the futility of worrying, went on the report by Catholic News Agency. Aside from "taking away serenity and balance," he said that "this anxiety is often useless, because it isn't able to change the course of events." He added: "God is not distant or anonymous: he is our refuge, the source of our serenity and our peace."
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Pope Francis further warned against people distancing themselves from God. He said doing so would wind them in pursuit of earthly goods and riches, which he described as "an illusion and a cause of unhappiness." He also reminded them that they cannot serve both God and wealth.
Turning to the passage wherein the disciples were warned against serving two masters, Pope Francis said that the faithful is being made to choose between following God or "fascinating but illusory idols." This choice, he explained, doesn't confront a person only once but in all of his actions and commitments.
A choice had to be made, he continued, because temptation is always there to reduce everything to money, power and pleasure. While choosing God doesn't bring immediate fruits, Francis reminded that "false idols" provide only "fleeting and deceptive" results, according to Vatican Radio.
