Christians are “a man or a woman of history, someone who is not into him or herself only, but is part of a people, a people that is on a journey. One cannot imagine Christian selfishness; no, this won’t fly.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – During this morning’s Mass at Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis laid out the two features that define the Christian identity. The latter is part of history, a history of a people “on a journey”, a history of sin and grace, yet one that is always in “service,” serving others, not using them.

In the beginning, there is “history”. For Pope Francis, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, and the other disciples “did not proclaim a Jesus without a history. They proclaimed Jesus in the history of the people, a people God led through the centuries in order to arrive . . . at the fullness of time.” God entered history and journeys with His people.

Christians are “a man or a woman of history, someone who is not into him or herself only, but is part of a people, a people that is on a journey. One cannot imagine Christian selfishness; no, this won’t fly. Christians are not a spiritual man or woman in a laboratory, [but] a spiritual man or woman who is part of a people with a long history that continues on its journey until the Lord’s return.” It is a “history of grace, but also a history of sin”.

“So many sinners, so many crimes! Today, Paul mentions King David, a saint – but before he became a saint, he was a great sinner. A great sinner. Our history must accept both saints and sinners. My own personal history, the history of each one of us, must accept our sin, our own sin, as well as the Lord’s grace, which is with us to accompany us in our sin in order to forgive and to accompany us in grace. There is no Christian identity without history.”

The second trait of Christian identity is service. “Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, inviting them to do as He did: to serve”.

“Christian identity is service, not selfishness. ‘But Father, we are all selfish.’ Ah, really? It is a sin, a habit from which we have to break away. Ask for forgiveness, that the Lord may convert us. We are called to service. Being Christian is not about appearance, or even about social conduct, it is not putting a bit of make-up on the soul to beautify it a little. To be Christian is to do what Jesus did: serve!”

Lastly, the pope said, “In my heart, what more can I do? Do I have other people serve me? Do I use others, the community, the parish, my family, my friends? Do I serve? Or am I in the service of others?”

• vatican
• pope
• francis
• mass
• christian
• identity
• history