Rome, Italy, Feb 20, 2015 / 08:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his homily Friday, Pope Francis said that love of God and of neighbor are inseparable, and castigated the actions of those who give to the Church, but at the same time exploit and mistreat others.

Although many claim to practice charity because they write a check to the Church every month, “at your home, within your own Church, are you generous and are you fair with those who are your dependents – be they your children, your grandparents, your employees?” the Pope asked Feb. 20.

He used the example of those who go to Mass every Sunday and receive communion, but questioned whether, when these people go home, they pay their employees in cash under the table, giving them a salary lower than the going rate and without making the necessary social security contributions.

“You cannot make offerings to the Church on the shoulders of the injustice that you practice towards your dependents. This is a very serious sin: using God as a cover for injustice.”  

Pope Francis made his comments to attendees of his Feb. 20 daily Mass, held in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse.

Lent is a time when Christians are provided the opportunity to go beyond mere outward signs of piety, and reach out to those in need, he said, adding that love of God and neighbor go hand-in-hand.

Within the Ten Commandments there are laws regarding God and those regarding our neighbor, Francis observed, saying that “both of these go together…if you don’t follow one, you can’t follow the other and if you follow one you must follow the other.”

“Love of God and love of our neighbor is one and the same thing and if you want to show genuine and not just formal penance, you must show it before God and also towards your brothers.”

This charity, Francis said, ought to be practiced at home within one’s family, at work with one’s employees and colleagues, as well as with the needy.

He said that Lent is the optimal time for Christians to reach out to the less fortunate, whether they be children, prisoners or elderly who have no health insurance and are faced with long waits while trying to see a doctor.

Francis gave particular emphasis to prisoners, asking those present if they had room in their hearts for those who have made mistakes, and are now in jail.

To say that you don’t associate with “those type of people” is wrong, the Pope said, noting that if you yourself are not in prison, “it’s because our Lord has helped you not to sin.”

“Do you pray for (prisoners) so that the Lord can help them to change their life?” he asked, and prayed that the Lord be close to each person during Lent, “so that our external observance becomes a profound renewal of the Spirit.”