Vatican City, Sep 16, 2018 / 05:03 am
A fundamental rule of being a disciple of Christ is the necessity to make sacrifices and deny one's self, Pope Francis said in his Angelus address Sunday.
"Jesus tells us that in order to follow him, to be his disciples, one must deny oneself – that is, the claims of one's own selfish pride – and take up one's very cross," the pope said Sept. 16. "Then he gives everyone a fundamental rule. And what is this rule? 'Whoever wants to save his life will lose it.'"
To have faith, he said, must go further than mere words – it must lead to concrete actions and choices, "marked by love of God, by a great life, by a life with so much love for neighbor."
The pope explained that for many reasons, people may end up on the wrong path, "looking for happiness only in things, or in the people we treat as things."