Pope Francis greets the faithful at the May 8 General Audience (Credit: CNA / Stephen Driscoll)
Posted on 09/07/2013 3:49:35 PM PDT by NYer
.- In his daily homily on Saturday, Pope Francis reflected on the question of authentic Christianity and rejected the practice of focusing more on devotions than on Christ himself.
Jesus is “the center” of faith, said the Pope. “A commandment is valid if it comes from Jesus: I do this because the Lord wants me to do this. But if I am a Christian without Christ, I do this and I don’t know why I have to do it,” he said to the congregation at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta on September 7.
Like the Pharisees, he said, there are some people who “make so many commandments the center of their religiosity.”
Others who have a false sense of religiosity “only seek devotions” or “things that are a little uncommon, a little special, that go back to private revelations,” noted Pope Francis.
“If your devotions bring you to Christ, that works. But if you remain there, something’s wrong,” he explained.
“If Jesus is not at the center, there will be many other things,” so that people become “Christians without Christ.”
Remembering that Jesus is the center of faith “regenerates us, grounds us.”
Pope Francis further explained the mark of a true “Christian with Christ.”
“The rule is simple: only that which brings you to Jesus is valid, and only that is valid that comes from Jesus. Jesus is the center, the Lord, as He Himself says.”
Christians can avoid false religiosity by adoring Jesus as “the Lord, the only Lord.”
“If you aren’t able to adore Jesus, you’re missing something,” warned Pope Francis.
The sign of a true “Christian with Christ” is one who does “that which comes from Jesus” and that which leads to Jesus.
Such adoration bears true fruit in the life of a Christian, encouraged the Pope.
He said that Jesus also gives “the grace of loving Him so much, of following Him, of going along the path that He has shown us.”
A “Christian with Christ” has the courage to proclaim Jesus as Lord.
Pope Francis exhorted Catholics not to focus on false piety, but rather evangelize and “take the Gospel!”
Understandably frustrated! I have been there. A very wise priest once told me not to get in a twist about it because the Holy Spirit is still guiding the Church. Be not afraid.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that "I am pretty sure" is not "I am sure", and may indicate that you've already been to one. Have a relative check your head for scars and get back with us.
What formal training have you had in New Testament Greek?v
My response was to the attempt to divert attention from YOUR question. It is irrelevant whether you or I have formal training in Greek. We have no need for it, except when it is vocational. I attended a Bible College where it was taught. It helped in proper exegesis. But, it isn't used my many Bible scholars, even now. With the internet and the world at our fingertips, we can pull up any question and answer in milliseconds.
But, I hold a NC General Building Contractor License, no longer active. I got it in 1986, after taking a test in Raleigh. I did not go to college for it. I took no classes for it. I had plenty of on-the-job training, and the ability to study the available resources. It consisted of 100 questions about the laws, financial practices, and building codes in the morning part. In the afternoon, I was given 100 questions, relating to a 27 page building plan for a high school already built, designed to reveal knowledge of construction and techniques.. Out of those 200 questions, I missed one. I also finished first in the morning session, and the afternoon. I could have taken the easier residential only test, but chose to be fully licensed for any projects related to construction of buildings.
The church is all of us believers, not just a cultic group based in Rome! It doesn't even need pews. Believe it or not!
Matthew 18: 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Yeah, it’s called Post Polio Syndrome. I’m 65 and I’m hoping I at least have the use of my legs for getting on and off the vehicles I use. I’ve already gotten an electric wheel chair for when I need it. I can still walk across the yard, about 150’, with a walking stick but that’s about it.
“Many seem to think they know what Catholics non-Catholic Christians do and believe, but they do not.”
No, I think many of the non-Catholic “Christians’” comments on threads like these are pretty easy to comprehend. Hatred is the fruit of the devil and it spews forth, no matter how measured the Catholic reply.
It seems only Catholic Christians talk about ecumenism and unity. I’d be more impressed with non-Catholic Christians if more of them would publicly defend civility and chastise the haters when they spew their emotional, illogical, rabid junk.
The “Christ” of Catholicism is a different Christ then is from scripture. The Christ from scripture does not need a stand in here on earth, He is always present Himself within us. The Christ of scripture does not listen to some Catholic designated saint but listens to all the saints who are believers in Him. The Christ of scripture didn’t teach that Mary was to be venerated. The Christ of scripture is a different Christ then the one taught in Catholicism. Catholicism teaches a different gospel then is taught in scripture.
Ah! Gotcha! My bad.
>>The church is all of us believers, not just a cultic group based in Rome! It doesn't even need pews. Believe it or not!<<
Oh that Catholics and other churchianity followers would understand that. I pray more who read these threads see the light.
I don't think I could actually blame anyone for thinking differently concerning motives behind your "simple questions".
I actually DID answer, though, with the first comment I posted to you after you accused "three Protestants" of failing to and avoiding an answer. I cannot help it if the way in which you framed the question was not doing it justice with merely saying "yes" or "no".
Here's a test...
No, the Pope does not deserve the same protection afforded other world leaders.
Now what?
I couldn’t agree more! I doubt converts will come to them since most readers are probably aghast at the vitriol that they spew. I used to be gentle with them, kind, compassionate, understanding; all in the name of ecumenism... until I was in some doozy threads.
Haters gonna hate! And birds of a feather will flock together. All I can do as a Catholic is continue to state the truth: we also love the Bible, we do good works, we follow Christ, and we possess something beyond price: the Eucharist Christ left us. Catholics can no longer keep the Good News under a bushel for fear of hurting people’s feelings. We’ve got to educate these sad souls who’ve been fed lies like pablum.
We’ve got something great and we should tell anyone who will listen. Didn’t St. Paul tell us to be on fire with it? Many Protestants don’t know Luther wrote in his treatise against “The Mass and the Ordination of Priests” of a midnight encounter with Lucifer, during which the devil spoke against the Mass, Mary, and the saints, but gave Luther unqualified approval for his new, man-made doctrine of “faith alone.” Wake up call!!! Lucifer likes Sola Scriptura! If the devil likes what you’re doing, you’d better rethink, I think.
False religiosity is obvious. Spirituality is obvious. And if you’re sure about your religion, you don’t need to hate. Your last paragraph is exactly why I’m not on FR much anymore: sound and fury signifying nothing. It’s time to make the world better. God bless you.
Yes, totally agree. Our sins are against God. God made us perfect and expects us to be so. As our Lord stated:
or...
Deu 18:13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God,
Hey, it looks like I will be in town a good bit over the next year. I'll give you a call.
That would be great to see you. Let me know.
Well stated, thank you.
Does someone need a medical degree to properly apply a bandage to a booboo?
You asked Cynical Bear if he had "formal" training in New Testament Greek to be able to know the meaning of the Greek word translated as "church". Anyone, actually, can read a Greek lexicon or refer to a concordance or interlinear Greek/English Bible to look up a simple word for word translation. One doesn't need a Doctor of Theology degree to do so just as one can apply a bandaid without a medical one. You were asked several times if you objected to the word ekklesia being translated as an "assembly" and if you had contradictory evidence that proved it was a false rendering. So, do you? Let's have it then and set aside the side-sniping and snark for a change.
EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!
Some people define themselves by what they oppose. This in my opinion applies to the fervent bashers of the Catholic Church on this forum. They will predictably deny it, but they obviously act it out on these pages every day. Such creatures could not exist without this enemy they see in the Pope, the Church and Her believers. In this they remind one of Communists, who for over a century have defined themselves by what they hate: Capitalism in all its expressions, the banks, Wall Street, competition and freedom.
Oh, man. I gotta say beards ROCK! I bet your wife LOVES it!
Isn’t it hilarious?! I do NOT answer a phone or answer the door if it is on. And I’m talking about the re-runs, too. Cannot get enough SI!
lol! If that’s the case, this place could use a LARGE roll of it!
I see it as two types of sin. There is the sin of Adam (willful disobedience) and Eve (willfully giving in to deception). A true Christian has a new heart and spirit. A Christian cannot be willfully disobedient as Adam was:
Tit_3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
OTOH, we can be deceived:
1Ti_2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
But those who have obtain grace from God the Father find themselves in David's situation with the sin of Uriah. God will past judgment but spare our lives. And David went on to write some of the most beautiful psalms afterwards.
I’m not Catholic. The question is “what Jesus?” The one of Scripture, or one of those numerous one’s made up by man’s on philosophy of Jesus? Here is where the real problem lies, even among many protestants who are preaching and teaching, “another gospel,” another Jesus.
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