Posted on 04/08/2014 2:19:50 PM PDT by NYer
Christianity is not a philosophical doctrine; its not a programme for life survival or education, or for peace-making. These are consequences. Christianity is a person, a person raised on the Cross, a person who annihilated himself to save us, who became sin, Francis said at this mornings mass in St. Marthas House.
In his homily, the Pope spoke about what it means to be a Christian and about sin and peoples belief, they can escape from sin by themselves. Francis commented on the passage from the Book of Numbers, where God speaks to the Jewish people who were complaining about God and Moses in the desert. He emphasized how in this Gospel passage, Jesus warns the Pharisees saying: "You will die in your sin.
It is impossible for us to free ourselves from sin by ourselves. Impossible, Francis said. These doctors of the law, these people who taught the law, they had no clear idea about this. The believed, yes, in the forgiveness of God, but they felt strong enough on their own merits, they knew everything. But in the end had transformed religion, the worship of God into a culture with values , with reflections, with commandments of conduct to be polite, and they thought, yes, that the Lord can forgive, they knew, but (they were ) far removed from this all.
In the desert, the Lord commands Moses to take a serpent and put it on a staff and says that whoever is bitten by snake but looks upon it, shall live. But what is the snake? "The serpent is the symbol of sin", as we see in the Book of Genesis when "the serpent seduced Eve, proposing sin to her". However, God then orders that "sin be raised like a victory flag". "We don't really understand what this means unless we understand what Jesus tells us in the Gospel". Jesus said to the Jews: "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM.
In the desert sin was lifted up, but it is a sin that seeks salvation, so that it heals there". It is the Son of man, the true Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is lifted up. Just as sin was raised in the desert, here God made man and made sin for us was raised. All our sins were there. You cannot understand Christianity without understanding this profound humiliation of the Son of God, who humbled himself and became a servant unto death, even death on a cross, to serve.
That is why the Apostle Paul, "when he talks about what glory is - we can even say what we glorify " - he says: "Of our sins". We "do not have other things to boast about, this is our misery." But "by the mercy of God, we rejoice in Christ crucified." And for that "there is no Christianity without the Cross and there is no cross without Jesus Christ."
The heart of God's salvation "is his Son, who took all of our sins, our arrogance, our security, our vanity, our desires to become like God upon Himself." For this reason "a Christian who does not know glory in Christ crucified, does not understand what it means to be a Christian.
Our wounds," those that sin leave is us, can only be healed by the wounds of the Lord, with the plagues of God made man, humiliated, annihilated". "This is the mystery of the Cross". "It is not an ornament, that we must always put in the churches, there on the altar. It is not a symbol that distinguishes us from others. The Cross is mystery, the mystery of God, who humbles himself, he becomes 'nothing ', he becomes sin. Where is your sin? 'I do not know, I have so many here. 'No, your sin is there, in the Cross. Go find it there, in the wounds of the Lord, and your sin will be healed, your wounds will be healed, your sins will be forgiven. The forgiveness that God gives us not the same as erasing a debt that we have with Him, the forgiveness that God gives us are the wounds of his Son on the Cross, raised on Cross. May He draw us to Him and may we allow ourselves to be healed by him.
Pope Francis: The Cross is not an ornament but the mystery of Gods love, ping!
Beautiful! A profound understanding.
So many people think that being a Christian just means that you’re “nice.” But that’s not it at all. The martyrs who went to their deaths weren’t put to death for being nice, but for insisting on certain values that were in total conflict with their society.
Nor is it, nor does it mean being a door mat for people or groups to walk all over you or take advantage of you.
Yes Christians, it’s ok to say the word, NO ! and mean it.
You’re exactly right. There’s a limit to the concept of turning the other cheek when others bear you ill will.
The truth is not:
Your debt is forgiven and no one has to pay so rack up more
The truth is not:
Your debt is for forgiven by you picking a scapegoat to pay it..so just pick another scapgoat went needed
The truth is:
Your debt is forgiven because someone of their free will payed your debt ...honor the sacrifice
Very well said. I wish he would speak like this more often. But he obviously understands what he just said.
Maybe I missed something, but I like the referenced article except for its title. Regardless of examples of Jesus being diplomatic, He would also draw the line on being polite and rebuke unrepentant sinners as evidenced by his reprimand of the teachers of the law and Pharisees in Matthew 23.
In fact, Matthew 18:15-17 shows us that a church is ultimately expected to kick unrepent sinners out of the congregation.
The truth is not:
Your debt is forgiven and no one has to pay so rack up more
The truth is not:
Your debt is for forgiven by you picking a scapegoat to pay it..so just pick another scapgoat went needed
The truth is:
Your debt is forgiven because someone of their free will payed your debt ...honor the sacrifice..
In other words... there is no free lunch ..someone paid..(christianity is not a socialist free lunch)
bkmk
“... the forgiveness that God gives us are the wounds of his Son on the Cross, raised on Cross. May He draw us to Him and may we allow ourselves to be healed by him.
These words of Pope Francis are a welcome counterpoint to insipid ideas of the “social justice Catholics” who seem to ignore this very central point of our Faith.
They are also very reminiscent of a prayer of the founder of Francis’ order, and a good prayer to say after Communion:
Anima Christi of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Permit me not to be separated from Thee
From the malignant enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That with thy Saints I may praise Thee
Forever and ever
Amen
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