The Pope Wants You to Put the Phone Down and Read the Bible

The maiden Sunday of Lent saw Pope Francis urging the faithful to read the Bible often as they glance at their cell phones.[/tweetit] This, he said, is important if one has to fight against sin's multiple temptations. He reminded the packed audience at St. Peter's Square that during Lent, which lasts 40 days, Christians are encouraged to follow Jesus's actions. They must be aware of the spiritual battle waged against evil. The power of God is a prime force of good in this battle.

The Pope Wants You to Put the Phone Down and Read the Bible[/tweetthis]

The Pontiff gave the speech after he said his weekly Angelus blessing. He said to battle evil, one must read the Bible. It is needed to be read often and meditated on as well. One must assimilate the teachings into the psyche. Pope Francis then said someone asked him what could happen if one treated the Bible as one treats the cell phone. It means the Bible is to be always carried with the reader. The size of the book is immaterial in this case. One could carry a pocket-sized edition of the Bible as well.

Pope Francis interacted with pilgrims prior to leading the Angelus prayer. He stood in St. Peter's Square, and spoke lucidly, making a clear comparison of the attention we provide to our cell phones and to the Bible. He said unlike the Scriptures, we always take our mobile phones with us. Our attractions towards the device is so much if we forget to take our cell phones, we immediately return to our homes to take them. The pontiff said this kind of behavior should also be present when we forget to take Bible from home. Pope Francis read the Gospel, particularly from Matthew. The latter tells about Jesus' temptation in the desert due to Satan's handiwork.

Solution: Church creates app that shows you bible passage for 3 mins every time you unlock phone. (You're welcome!) https://t.co/RatOP0vHaf

— Christopher Chabris (@cfchabris) March 6, 2017

The Pope pointed out that this particular episode happened at a particular time. The event occurred after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River prior to his public prosecution. According to Matthew 3:17, Jesus, after receiving solemn investiture, was ready to begin his mission. However, the son of God had to first fight the three temptations set by Satan. The latter's aim was to divert Jesus away from the road of humiliation and obedience. Satan knew this is the sole reason evil can be defeated. Jesus countered it by saying the Word of God.

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