By Kielce Gussie

During his Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on St. Mark’s Gospel passage of what the greatest commandment is. He explained that the question is not one just for biblical times but it “is essential for us too, for our life and for the journey of our faith.”

In the midst of everyday life, the to-do lists and tasks, it is possible to become overwhelmed and lost, so the Pope posed the question, “where can we find the center from which all the rest radiates?” Just as Jesus told the scribe in the Gospel, the answer lies in putting two commandments together: love of God and love of neighbor. Pope Francis called them “the heart of Christian life.”

The heart of life and faith

The Pope challenged everyone present in St. Peter’s Square to “return to the heart of life and faith” because, he said, “the heart is the radical source of our strengths, convictions, passions and decisions.”

“What counts are not the exterior practices,” Pope Francis explained, “but the readiness of heart with which you open yourself to God and to brethren in love.” He reminded everyone that at the end of our lives, we will have to give an account for the love we gave and the love we withheld.

To close, the Pope gave the thousands in the Square a task: to perform a daily examination of conscience, reflecting on how we love God and our neighbors.

Dilexit Nos

This message of the importance of returning to the heart is a central theme in Pope Francis’ most recent encyclical, Dilexit nos. It is dedicated to the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ and calls for a renewal of devotion to the Sacred Heart. The Pope stressed that we can change the world beginning with changing our hearts.