In his address during the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis offers profound insights into our Lenten journey, urging us to cultivate a deeper connection with God by building a sense of home. He reflects on the Gospel narrative where Jesus drives out the merchants from the temple, emphasizing the importance of not reducing sacred spaces to mere marketplaces.
Drawing a distinction between a market and home mindset in approaching God, Pope highlights how the former involves transactional worship, marked by calculations and self-interest, while the latter embodies intimacy, trust, and community. He stresses the significance of viewing the temple as a place for encountering the Lord and fostering solidarity with fellow believers.
Pope Francis underscores Jesus' action as a rejection of the commercialization of worship, advocating for a relational, familial bond with God rather than a distant, transactional one. He emphasizes the transformative power of communion, mercy, and closeness that Christ brings.
During Lent, Pope calls on believers to prioritize prayer as a means of nurturing a childlike trust in God, and to actively cultivate fraternity with others. He challenges us to examine the nature of our relationships and prayer life, urging us to break down barriers of isolation and foster genuine connection.
In conclusion, Pope Francis invokes the intercession of Mary to guide us in "building a home" with God, within ourselves, and in our interactions with others. His message resonates with a call to foster intimacy, trust, and solidarity in our spiritual journey, emphasizing the centrality of communion with God and one another.