Moving closer to Christ means facing daily struggles against temptation and battling against evil, Pope Francis has said.
When Jesus approaches the people who have come to hear him and be healed, "the unclean spirits try to stop him, they wage war," which is why those who seek to follow the Lord will face obstacles, too, the Pope said during his early morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Looking at the day's Gospel reading from Mark (3:7-12), the Pope said it was "curious" how the passage ended with the unclean spirits shouting at Jesus, "You are the son of God," after describing the enthusiasm and large number of people who came to see, hear and be healed by Jesus.
