Pope John Paul II's World Day of Peace Message

http://www.vatican.va/ ^ | 12.08.01 | Pope John Paul II

[Sir Gawain]

John 9

31

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Isa 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me]:

[Sir Gawain]

[a.] The assertions, rightly understood, are true. First, Be it spoken to the terror of the wicked, God heareth not sinners, that is, such sinners as the Pharisees meant when they said of Christ, He is a sinner, one that, under the shelter of God’s name, advanced the devil’s interest. This bespeaks no discouragement to repenting returning sinners, but to those that go on still in their trespasses, that make their prayers not only consistent with, but subservient to, their sins, as the hypocrites do; God will not hear them, he will not own them, nor give an answer of peace to their prayers. Secondly, Be it spoken to the comfort of the righteous, If any man be a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he heareth. Here is, 1. The complete character of a good man: he is one that worships God, and does his will; he is constant in his devotions at set times, and regular in his conversation at all times. He is one that makes it his business to glorify his Creator by the solemn adoration of his name and a sincere obedience to his will and law; both must go together. 2. The unspeakable comfort of such a man: him God hears; hears his complaints, and relieves him; hears his appeals, and rights him; hears his praises, and accepts them; hears his prayers, and answers them, Ps. 34:15.

Source

[JMJ333]

We understand that God doesn't hear the prayer of inadequacy from someone who asks from an unclean or selfish desire. We are saying that God hears repentant sinners because he is infinite in his love and mercy. CC thinks you have to be one of the "saved" to be heard. He thinks God only loves "the chosen."

[CCWoody]

You forgot the other principal passage that I was quoting from (and told them to go lookup BTW):

1 Peter 3:10-12 For, "He that would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.

Let him eschew evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."

My complaint is not that the Pope would seek peace and pursue it, but that he would for the sake of peace and his pursuit of it, not warn the godless that they will utterly perish. It is hateful in that it does not regard the needs of a man and it is dangerous for ones own soul:

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, "Son of man, speak to the children of thy people and say unto them: `When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from their borders and set him as their watchman, and if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people, then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning: his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.'

[JMJ333]

I'm late for work so this will be my last reply til tonight.

God hears everyone. He may not answer the utterings on the iniquitous, but he hears them nonetheless because he is omnipotent.

He also hears and answers the prayers of sinners everyday, because as much as some would like to think themselves perfect around here--they're not. They suffer from unbelievable pride--yet God still answers their prayers.

Having a prayer answered isn't won on merit. Its done because God has an infinite wellspring of mercy and love that we cannot fathom. Grace can redeem the foulest man.

[sinkspur]

You, however, are failing to miss the point that the people that the Pope would meet are unrepentent sinners.

Jesus met with sinners who were unrepentant until they met with Him!

How are sinners to repent unless they actually meet Jesus or someone preaching Him?

[Orual]

For all these reasons I have invited representatives of the world's religions to come to Assisi, the town of Saint Francis, on 24 January 2002, to pray for peace.

And who will represent the Muslims? Who is their leader? Who speaks for them? And why hasn't the nebulous "he" spoken out in the name of Islam to condemn the terrorists' acts? Stay home whoever you are. If the Pope wants to pray for peace, let him do so, but as the Head of the Catholic Church, not as the head of all religions on the face of this earth.