Posted on 10/13/2014 4:15:07 PM PDT by BlatherNaut
God's laws are meant to lead all people to Christ and his glory, and if they do not, then they are obsolete, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.
In fact, the scholars of the law in Jesus' day were so wrapped up in doctrine as an end in itself, they were unable to see that Jesus was leading people down a new and surprising path toward his glory, the pope said Oct. 13 during his morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.
Jesus did "strange things," like "walk with sinners, eat with tax collectors" -- things the scholars of the law "did not like; doctrine was in danger, that doctrine of the law" that they and the "theologians had created over the centuries," he said, according to Vatican Radio.
The scholars were safeguarding the law "out of love, to be faithful to God," the pope said, but "they were closed up right there," and forgot all the ways God has acted in history.
"They forgot that God is the God of the law, but is also the God of surprises," he said.
"God is always new; he never denies himself, he never says that what he had said is wrong, but he always surprises us," the pope said.
The scholars of the law had forgotten how many times God surprised his people, like when he freed them from slavery in Egypt, he said. They were too wrapped up in their perfect system of laws -- "a masterpiece" where everyone knew exactly what he or she was supposed to do; "it was all settled. And they felt very secure there," he said.
They couldn't see beyond "this system made with lots of good will," and they could not read the "signs of the times," the pope said.
They couldn't see that what Jesus was doing was a sign indicating "that the time was ripe," he said. This is why in the day's Gospel reading (Lk 11:29-32) Jesus said, "This generation is an evil generation," because it sought the wrong kind of sign, the pope said.
The scholars of the law also forgot that the people of God are a people on a journey, "and when you journey, you always find new things, things you never knew before," he said. But the journey, like the law, is not an end in itself; they are a path, "a pedagogy," toward "the ultimate manifestation of the Lord. Life is a journey toward the fullness of Jesus Christ, when he will come again."
The law teaches the way to Christ, and "if the law does not lead to Jesus Christ," he said, "and if it doesn't get us closer to Jesus Christ, it is dead."
Pope Francis asked people to reflect, "Am I attached to my things, my ideas. Am I closed?"
"Am I at a standstill or am I a person on a journey? Do I believe in Jesus Christ, in what Jesus did," dying for humanity's sins and rising again? he asked.
"Am I able to understand the signs of the times and be faithful to the voice of the Lord that is manifested in them?" he asked.
Pope Francis urged people to pray to be able to walk "toward maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord" and to have a heart "that loves the law, because the law is God's."
But may people also be able to "love God's surprises and to know that this holy law is not an end in itself," he said.
“good deeds” can’t undo our sins, but only God bestowing mercy on us through the sacrifice of His Son can save us from eternal punishment, then we come to understand that all glory and credit goes to God. There is nothing we can glory in, except Him.
Exactly where did the pope say the sixth and ninth commandments are obsolete? Don’t give me your INTERPRETATION of where he said it, but give me the actual words in which he said adultery and lust are okay. I’ve noticed that many on here only want a plain, straightforward interpretation of the Word of God, but then they want to engage in all kinds of wild speculation about what the pope is REALLY saying. I’ve seen his words on running from temptation because of the possibility that we will be overpowered by it so I know he’s not against the sixth and ninth commandments. Also I hope you will agree with me that the use of contraception violates the sixth commandment and is a mortal sin because it makes husband and wife into mutual masturbators not leaving every marital act open to life. And couples do have the option for serious reasons of abstaining during fertile periods.
What I’ve noticed most about this papacy is how not one iota of doctrine or dogma has changed despite all the uncharitable judgments about what the pope supposedly REALLY means.
Not my church but if it was I would run.
Why do so many on here jump to the conclusion that the “laws” the pope thinks are obsolete have to do with the commandments or the scriptures? This pope has said that he can’t change Jesus’ words about marriage and divorce and so church teaching on these things and gay marriage have already been reaffirmed at this Synod. Francis has also said he can’t change settled church teaching which is why he can’t allow women priests because in his words, John Paul has closed the matter.
So what “laws” is Francis talking about that are obsolete because they don’t lead to Jesus? I think all he’s talking about are human, disciplinary “laws” of the church which can change. In the pre-Vatican II church, one had to fast from midnight if one wanted to receive communion that day. One of the results of this was children, the sick, the weak or pregnant women passing out at church. And so the communion fast church law was changed to abstinence from food for one hour before Communion so people wouldn’t be fearful at church that they were going to fall over. The laws on fast and abstinence during Lent have also been changed.
In the early church, sinners sometimes had to do public penance for their sins. This was changed because some sinners didn’t repent sacramentally because they didn’t want to be publicly humiliated and shamed. Such a rule wouldn’t lead sinners to Jesus but away from him.
So what “law” is the pope referring to on divorce? He’s probably talking about the streamlining of the process he has mentioned.
There’s so much uncharitable, rash judgment about Francis on these threads. There are so many erroneous interpretations and conclusions about what his words supposedly REALLY mean.
Again, not one iota of dogma or doctrine has changed under this pope.
Chances are, this is exactly what he is referring to. However, pre-Vatican II (Code of Canon Law 1917) also didn't allow non-Catholics to ever receive Holy Communion. NO EXCEPTIONS. Now, with the 1983 Code of Canon Law, non-Catholics can receive communion in certain circumstances. This is just more of the false ecumenism that embodied Vatican II. There are some changes in Canon Law that affect the application of doctrine. I believe that is exactly what we're going to see yet again. And as I've stated before, most "conservative" Catholics and Vatican II "trads" will breathe a sigh of relief and exclaim that doctrine was not changed and go on believing that everything is honky dory in the Vatican II Church.
Is it not the Holy Spirit that lead people to Jesus?
According to Pope Francis, "God's laws are meant to lead all people to Christ and his glory..."
That seems to have been lost on a lot of people it seems.
Christ upheld the law. Without reservation. To say that the law is obsolete is saying that Jesus was wrong.
The Lord is sweet and righteous: therefore he will give a law to sinners in the way. [9] He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways. [10] All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to them that seek after his covenant and his testimonies.
[11] For thy name’ s sake, O Lord, thou wilt pardon my sin: for it is great. [12] Who is the man that feareth the Lord? He hath appointed him a law in the way he hath chosen. [13] His soul shall dwell in good things: and his seed shall inherit the land. [14] The Lord is a firmament to them that fear him: and his covenant shall be made manifest to them. [15] My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for he shall pluck my feet out of the snare.
You are absolutely correct! This is why a holy God sent His son, a perfect unspotted lamb to be slain that His blood would be the ultimate payment for the sin of the world and FREEDOM from the law. The law was given to show us what is sin.
Jesus paid the price, God's wrath and fury for the sin of the world was poured out onto his son. IT IS FINISHED!
God is not angry with us. On the contrary, He has made a way to fulfill the law. We cloth ourselves in Jesus’ righteousness.
Hard for folks to understand that the true gospel of grace is this. Jesus paid for your sins. Past, present and future.
Jesus was beaten, spit on, humiliated, stripped naked, tortured, nailed to a torture device, suffered complete separation from His father in heaven, descended into hell....all in our place.
God wants us to focus on the Lordship of Jesus. Focus on His love and appreciate the blessed hope. Don't be sin focused. By one man sin entered the world, by another sin was crushed.
Focus on your sin and you will struggle to overcome sin. If you focus on the law, you will never be free.
Focus on God's love offering to His creation in that He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him. God did it all. You cannot add to it, you cannot take away from it. It is ALL God's doing.
Why are we still attempting to earn our way into His heaven? If we are just good enough, drive the church bus, pay our tithes, read our bible, pray just a lil harder and then plea with God some more. NO!
God is not this big ol grumpy entity in the heavens just waiting to poof you into a pillar of smoke cause you messed up in an area of your life...NO! God is merciful, loving and accepting.
Think about it, if God is so incredibly holy that sin (no sin) can reside in His presence...what chance do you have to get into His heaven? Your righteousness is like filthy rags. Then came Jesus and His righteousness.
2Corth.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
I must admit that if a non-Catholic is at the point of death and expresses faith in the Real Presence, I think they should be able to receive the Holy Eucharist. I think about some of the early martyrs who had not received any of the Sacraments, but upon seeing the bravery and peace of other martyrs, converted on the spot and were killed. Of course, in dying for expressing belief in Jesus Christ and His Church, they are martyrs suffering a baptism in blood. When I see Jesus telling the good thief on the Cross that he would be with The Lord that day in Paradise, it makes me believe and trust that the Holy Spirit has guided the Church to state that the Holy Eucharist can be received by a non-Catholic expressing a belief in the Real Presence at the point of death.
Now the stuff where all sorts of people who shouldn’t, come up to receive the Holy Eucharist at a wedding, which I’ve witnessed, is a scandal and shouldn’t be allowed.
So basically you are saying that Catholic teaching for over 1900 years was wrong and the Church finally got it right.
I favor this pope or a future pope defining as a dogma Mary as Mediatrix of All Grace and Co-Redemptrix. Does this mean the Church has been wrong for centuries in not formally proclaiming this for belief? No. It means the sense of the faithful and the Holy Spirit has led the Church to this. There can be growth in the Church. And when I say “growth”, please don’t take this to mean the liberal political growth where moral evils are supposed to be understood anew as not moral evils. I say I believe the Church believes a person who sincerely expresses faith in the Holy Eucharist at the point of death can receive Our Lord. But the more important point is I believe the Spirit is still guiding the Church, and has guided it to this conclusion.
If the Church has always believed something and then defines it, that is something different. The Church for 1900 years believed that it was sinful to allow a non-Catholic to receive the Eucharist no exceptions. Now, it is okay (under certain circumstances). According to you and the post Vatican II church it was wrong to not allow them to do so for 1900 years.
The same thing is now true for taking part in non-Catholic ceremonies. False ecumenism is rampant in NewChurch with the popes as the biggest offenders.
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