In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis reminded that God is fruitful and He also wants His children to be.
POPE FRANCIS
“A few countries come to mind – this is a bit off topic – that have chosen the path of sterility and suffer from that serious disease that is a demographic winter. We know them. They do not have children. 'No, it's for wellbeing, it's this, it's that...' They are countries without children, this is not a blessing.”
The pope assured this tendency will pass and reminded that Christians are called to give life to others, whether physical or spiritual.
EXTRACTS FROM POPE FRANCIS' HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
“Fill the earth, be fruitful!”
“Where there is God there is fruitfulness.”
“A few countries come to mind – this is a bit off topic – that have chosen the path of sterility and suffer from that serious disease that is a demographic winter. We know them. They do not have children. 'No, it's for wellbeing, it's this, it's that...' They are countries without children, this is not a blessing.”
“Fruitfulness, he said, is always a blessing of God.”
“What is more sterile than a desert? And yet they say that even the desert will flourish, the dryness will be filled with water. This is God’s promise.”
“The devil does not want us to give life, be it physical or spiritual, to others.”
“He who lives for himself produces selfishness, pride, vanity, greasing the soul without living for others. The devil is the one who grows the weeds of egoism and stops us from being fruitful.”
“Here is an empty cradle, we can look at it. It can be seen as a symbol of hope because the Child will come, or it can be seen as an object from a museum, empty of life. Our heart is like the cradle: is it empty? Or is it open to continuously receive and give life?”
