Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 28th January 2007

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
There are two pillars of our faith: The truth and the love.
The truth even against everybody and the love above all. 

God says to prophet Jeremiah:
“I have made you a fortified city: against the whole land; against kings and princes, against priests and people”.
Prophet Jeremiah can be sure: Lord is with him. The truth is with him.
Jesus is not afraid to say in the synagogue:
“No prophet is accepted in his own native place”.
His is not afraid to say very strong and hard words about his nation.
“There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, but it was to none of these that Elijah was sent”.
“There were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed”.
The power comes from the truth.
Jesus is not political correct, because he is not going to became a president but the saviour. And the saviour has to tell the truth. Despite any consequences.
What I like in Jesus and in prophets is the courage to tell the truth, to be honest with the people and with God. 

But this is only first part. The second is love.
The truth without love is only fundamentalism.
So Jesus used to say not only the truth but died for us because he loves us. St. Paul writes:
“Faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love”
and
“If I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”.
I don’t want today to discus with the Judaism or with the Islam. What I like in my faith is not only the truth because all religions claim to know the true revelation. What I like in my faith is the love. We Christians, we don’t know the truth without the love and the love without the truth. We know that the love without the truth is immaturity and blindness. We know that the truth without the love  leads only to the quarrels and wars.

I like to be a Christian because my faith says me: love everybody! Love the Jews! Love the Muslims! Love atheists! Love your enemies! And I know: love is good! And I know: I liked to be loved!
I like to be Christian because my faith says me: Get know the truth! Don’t be afraid to say the truth! Don’t be afraid even of presidents, even of bishops, even of consequences! And I know: the truth is good. It gives the power and freedom. 

This is, my beloved, a good news of Christianity for the modern world!
The truth and the love! Never separated. Always together.