Christian parrot

Dear friends

In a recent chat with a good priest friend of mine we discussed the colourful preaching of Pope Francis. As odd as it seems, my mate mentioned how often Pope Francis mentions “parrots” in his talks and specifically in his homilies. At the heart of this concept Pope Francis warns that we can (at times) slip into becoming Christian Parrots; whereby we mindlessly just repeat words and gestures without any real thought or reflection. Much like a parrot. Polly want a cracker? Polly want a cracker?

To highlight this point, I thought I would include a couple of snippets from Pope Francis:

1. In our relationship with the Lord, in prayer — I ask — do we let ourselves be astonished or do we think that prayer is speaking with God as parrots do? No, it is trusting and opening the heart so as to let ourselves be astonished. Do we allow ourselves to be surprised by God who is always the God of surprises? Because the encounter with the Lord is always a living encounter; it is not a museum encounter. (15/11/2017)
2. There is a little prayer that we pray, the Gloria — “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit” — but we often say it mechanically, like parrots”. Instead, this prayer is adoration, glory: I adore the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Adore, with little prayers, in silence before the grandeur of God, adore Jesus and say: ‘You are the only One, you are the beginning and the end, and I want to be with you for all my life, for all eternity. (9/1/2017)
3. It is one thing to recite the Creed from the heart and quite another to recite it like a parrot: I believe in God, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe... The Pope then suggested an examination of conscience: Do I believe what I say? Is this confession of faith true or I am saying it from memory because I have to say it? Or do I believe by halves? (10/1/2014)
4. If I say I'm Catholic and every Sunday I go to mass but then I don't talk to my parents, I don't help my grandparents, the poor, I don't visit the sick, then there's no point. In that way, we’re nothing but a Christian parrot: words, words, words. (17/1/17)
   
   ​God bless
   ​Fr Thomas

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