Sep 25, 2025 Written by 

Salvation according to the Father, not the secure and well-established kind

Man lives 'within himself the drama of not accepting God's salvation', because he would like 'to be saved in his own way'. And Jesus even weeps for this 'resistance' of man, always offering his mercy and forgiveness. In short, we cannot say, 'Save us, Lord, but in our own way!' Pope Francis pointed out during Mass celebrated on Friday, 3 October, in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta.
In the Gospel passage proposed by the liturgy, Luke (10:13-16) presents Jesus as "seeming a little angry." And "he speaks to these people to make them see reason," saying, "If the wonders that happened among you had happened in the pagan cities, they would have long since repented, wearing sackcloth and ashes. But you have not.' Thus, Jesus traces 'a summary of the entire history of salvation: it is the drama of not wanting to be saved; it is the drama of not accepting God's salvation.' It is as if we were saying, 'Save us, Lord, but in our own way!'
Jesus himself recalls many times "how this people rejected the prophets, stoned those who were sent to them because they were inconvenient." The thought is always the same: "We want salvation, but as we want it! Not as the Lord wants it."
We are faced, the Pope pointed out, with the "tragedy of resistance to being saved." It is "a legacy that we have all received," because "even in our hearts there is this seed of resistance to being saved as the Lord wants to save us."
The context of Luke's Gospel passage sees Jesus "speaking to his disciples who had returned from a mission." And he also says to them: "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me. Your fathers did the same to the prophets." Once again, it is the idea of wanting to "be saved" in our own way. Certainly, "the Lord saves us in our freedom," the Pope pointed out, adding, however, that "we want to be saved not with freedom, but with our own autonomy: we make the rules."
"This," Francis pointed out, "is the drama of the history of salvation, from the very beginning." It is first and foremost "a drama of the people," because "the people rebel many times, in the desert for example." However, he added, "through trials, the people mature: they become more mature." And so "they recognise Jesus as a great prophet and also say: God has visited his people."
Instead, he continued, "it is precisely the ruling class that closes the doors to the way God wants to save us." In this sense, "we understand Jesus' strong dialogues with the ruling class of his time: they argue, they test him, they set traps for him to see if he falls," because in them there is precisely "resistance to being saved."
Faced with this attitude, Jesus says to them: "But I do not understand you! You are like those children: we played the flute for you and you did not dance; we sang a lament and you did not weep. But what do you want?" The answer is still: "We want to achieve salvation in our own way." So, "this closure" to God's way of working always returns.
Then, "when the Lord goes on," the Pope recalled, "even in the group close to them, doubts begin." John reports this in the sixth chapter of his Gospel, giving voice to those who say of Jesus: "But this man is a bit strange, how can he feed us with his body? But perhaps he is a bit strange." Probably some people were saying these things, Francis said, and even "his disciples began to turn back." So "Jesus looks at the twelve" and says to them, "If you also want to leave..."
There is no doubt, the Pontiff explained, that "these words are harsh: the words of the cross are always harsh." But they are also "the only door to salvation." And "the believing people accept them: they sought Jesus to be healed" and "to hear his words." In fact, they said: "This man speaks with authority. Not like our class, the Pharisees, the doctors of the law, the Sadducees, who spoke a language that no one understood." For them, all salvation lay in the fulfilment of the numerous commandments "that their intellectual and theological fever had created." But "the poor people could not find a way to salvation." Instead, they find it in Jesus.
However, in the end, the Pope said, "they did the same as their fathers: they decided to kill Jesus." The Lord rebukes this way of acting: "Your fathers killed the prophets, but you, to clear your conscience, build them a beautiful monument." So, "they decide to kill Jesus, that is, to do away with him," because, they say, "this man will cause us problems: we do not want this salvation! We want a well-disciplined, secure salvation. We do not want this one!" Consequently, "they also decide to kill Lazarus, because he is a witness to what Jesus brings: life," in that he has "risen from the dead."."With this decision, the ruling class cancels out God's omnipotence," commented the Bishop of Rome, recalling that "today in our prayer at the beginning of Mass, we praised God's omnipotence so well: 'Lord, who reveals your omnipotence, especially in mercy and forgiveness'." The "drama of resistance to salvation" leads to a lack of belief "in mercy and forgiveness" but in sacrifice. And it pushes us to want "everything well organised, everything clear".
It is "a drama," Francis recalled, that "is also within each of us." For this reason, he suggested some questions for an examination of conscience: "How do I want to be saved? In my own way? In the way of a spirituality that is good, that does me good, but that is fixed, has everything clear and there is no risk? Or in the divine way, that is, on the path of Jesus, who always surprises us, who always opens the doors to that mystery of God's omnipotence, which is mercy and forgiveness?"
Jesus, the Pontiff assured us, "when he sees this drama of resistance, even when he sees ours, he weeps." He "wept before Lazarus' tomb; he wept looking at Jerusalem" and saying: "But you who kill the prophets and stone all those who are sent to you, how many times I wanted to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings!". And he also weeps "before this drama of not accepting his salvation, as the Father wants it".
Pope Francis therefore invited us to "think that this tragedy is in our hearts," insisting that each of us ask ourselves: "How do I think the path to my salvation is: that of Jesus or another? Am I free to accept salvation, or do I confuse freedom with autonomy and want my own salvation, the one I believe to be right? Do I believe that Jesus is the teacher who teaches us salvation, or do I go everywhere hiring gurus to teach me another way? A safer path, or do I take refuge under the roof of prescriptions and the many commandments made by men? And so I feel safe, and with this — it's a bit hard to say this — security, I buy my salvation that Jesus gives freely, with God's gratuitousness?"
All these questions, which 'will do us good to ask ourselves today', culminate in the Pope's final proposal: 'Do I resist the salvation of Jesus?'.
[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano, 4 October 2014]

4 Last modified on Thursday, 25 September 2025 02:34
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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We are faced with the «drama of the resistance to become saved persons» (Pope Francis)
Siamo davanti al «dramma della resistenza a essere salvati» (Papa Francesco)
That 'always seeing the face of the Father' is the highest manifestation of the worship of God. It can be said to constitute that 'heavenly liturgy', performed on behalf of the whole universe [John Paul II]
Quel “vedere sempre la faccia del Padre” è la manifestazione più alta dell’adorazione di Dio. Si può dire che essa costituisce quella “liturgia celeste”, compiuta a nome di tutto l’universo [Giovanni Paolo II]
Who is freer than the One who is the Almighty? He did not, however, live his freedom as an arbitrary power or as domination (Pope Benedict)
Chi è libero più di Lui che è l'Onnipotente? Egli però non ha vissuto la sua libertà come arbitrio o come dominio (Papa Benedetto)
Are they not all spirits charged with a ministry, sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14)
Non sono essi tutti spiriti incaricati di un ministero, inviati per servire coloro che devono ereditare la salvezza? (Eb 1,14)
In order to convert, we must not wait for prodigious events, but open our heart to the Word of God, which calls us to love God and neighbour (Pope Francis)
Per convertirci, non dobbiamo aspettare eventi prodigiosi, ma aprire il cuore alla Parola di Dio, che ci chiama ad amare Dio e il prossimo (Papa Francesco)
And «each of us can say: "for love to me"» (Pope Francis)
E «ognuno di noi può dire: “per amore a me”» (Papa Francesco)
We too, to reach a more conscious confession of Jesus Christ must follow, like Peter, a path made of attentive, caring listening (Pope John Paul II)
Anche noi per giungere a una più consapevole confessione di Gesù Cristo dobbiamo percorrere, come Pietro, un cammino fatto di ascolto attento, premuroso (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
It is a word that must be witnessed to and proclaimed explicitly, because without a consistent witness it proves to be less comprehensible and credible [Pope Benedict]
E’ una Parola che deve essere testimoniata e proclamata esplicitamente, perché senza una testimonianza coerente essa risulta meno comprensibile e credibile [Papa Benedetto]
The “reading and meditation of the word of God root us more deeply in Christ and guide our ministry as servants of reconciliation, justice and peace” (second Synod for Africa, Propositio 46)
La lettura e la meditazione della Parola di Dio ci radicano più profondamente in Cristo e orientano il nostro ministero di servitori della riconciliazione, della giustizia e della pace (Secondo Sinodo per l’Africa, Propositio 46)
For this reason the early Church called baptism photismos – illumination (Pope Benedict)
Per questo, la Chiesa antica ha chiamato il Battesimo “photismos” – illuminazione (Papa Benedetto)
It seems paradoxical: Christ has not enriched us with his richness but with his poverty (Pope Benedict)
Sembra un paradosso: Cristo non ci ha arricchiti con la sua ricchezza, ma con la sua povertà (Papa Benedetto)
The sower is Jesus. With this image, we can see that he presents himself as one who does not impose himself, but rather offers himself. He does not attract us by conquering us, but by donating himself: he casts seeds. With patience and generosity, he spreads his Word, which is not a cage or a trap, but a seed which can bear fruit (Pope Francis)

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