Vatican City, Feb 13, 2017 / 10:40 am
Pope Francis on Monday spoke about what it means to kill your brother in your heart, which, may be something as small as envy or bitterness, and if left to grow, can lead to even worse things, such as war or actual murder.
Most people have never actually killed someone, the Pope said in his homily for Mass at the chapel of Casa Santa Marta Feb. 13, but "if you have a bad feeling toward your brother, you killed him; if you insult your brother, you killed him in your heart. Killing is a process that starts from little things."
Reflecting on the story of Cain and Abel, the Pope said it is one "which begins with a little jealousy: Cain is irritated because his sacrifice does not please the Lord and he begins to cultivate a feeling of resentment, a feeling he could control but does not."
"The speck of sawdust becomes a plank in our eye," he continued, "our life revolves around it and it ends up destroying the bond of brotherhood; it destroys fraternity."