Posted on 10/11/2017 5:35:57 PM PDT by marshmallow
The Pope in Santa Marta, “Those who have stubborn souls do not understand what God’s mercy is” they forget that His omnipotence “manifests itself primarily in His forgiveness”
“Those who have stubborn souls do not understand what God’s mercy is”. Those who are too “rigid” do not know how to “widen their heart” like God does. These were Pope Francis’ words during this morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta.
As Vatican Radio reports, for the second consecutive day, the Liturgy focuses on the Book of Jonah and on God’s mercy, which opens the hearts of all and wins over everything. For the Pontiff, the Prophet is “a stubborn man who wanted to teach God how to do things”.
The last chapter of his story will be told tomorrow, however Jonah’s story is well known: the Lord asks the prophet to convert the city of Nineveh. First the prophet refuses to do so and runs away; then he carries out God’s orders “and he does it well”. But still, Francis observed, Jonah is “angry” and indignant because the Lord shows forgiveness towards the people who, with open hearts, showed repentance. Jonah is a “stubborn, but more than stubborn he was rigid, a rigid, inflexible man,” it was as if his “soul had been starched”.
And the “stubborn” of soul, the rigid, do not understand what God’s mercy is. They are like Jonah, “We must preach this, that these get punished because they have done evil and must go to hell....”. Rigid people do not know how to widen their heart like the Lord does”. The Pope describes them as “cowards with small, closed hearts, attached to “issues of naked righteousness”. And they forget that God’s justice became flesh in his Son, it became mercy and forgiveness; they forget that God’s heart is......
(Excerpt) Read more at lastampa.it ...
Isn’t God pretty rigid? All those Commandments?
They aren’t the Ten Suggestions.
God doesn’t forgive people who don’t believe in Him, do not genuinely ask for forgiveness, do not take Him up on his plan for their salvation.
That is the model that is proper. God is not a sucker nor can he be made to do something on a legal technicality. We do not have to be either.
guess he didn’t notice that suggestion about how to use a millstone on those who corrupt children.
Forgiveness does not mean blindness and letting a predator hurt someone again.
25 percent of crimes actually are prosecuted in courts here in the Philippines, which is why Duterte’s war on drug pushers is so popular.
Repentance? I thought all they had to do is "journey?"
Jesus forgave the adulterous woman but then warned her to "sin no more". After Jesus healed the man at the pool he warned him "Sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you".
John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
(New American Standard Bible) Which of us hasn't broken at least one of the Ten Commandments? If you break one, you've broken them all.
That is why when we all stand before God on Judgement Day, there are none righteous among us. Not a single one.
But what God cleanses, he cleanses indeed.
Yes, “rigidity” is and has always been Modernist code.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.