......”Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.......
I think this goes over their heads because their focus remains on how ‘they’ might gain favor before God...still. While He is trying to open their eyes that is He who has done the work....At the root of their thinking is pride...like the Sadduces and Pharises.
As we know it took the Diciples along time to understand Jesus’s teachings...and He had to repeat time and again His truths to them before they finally got it....and most didn’t until after His Resurrection....which the Resurrection needs a closer look at for many of them I think...as Christ is no longer on the cross.
I say this because I have noted much in the Catholic prayers posted show agony of spirit and begging God for forgiveness....where as He has clearly stated He is more than ready to forgive and cleanse us when we sin. Might be because they do pray to the departed to let Jesus know they are praying this...and the departed for help that they might not know His forgiveness unless they see themsleves begging...once more the focus on how much ‘they” display thier remorse than on His love which does Forgive. Prodical son comes to mind.....even before He got to His father the Father was preparing a feast.
Amen. I love that the father of the prodigal son was keeping watch for him, he never stopped looking for him to return and before the son even got close to the house, his father seeing him from far away ran to meet him and threw his arms around him joyously kissing his neck and shouting, “Come, rejoice with me, for this my son who was dead is alive again; he was lost and now he is found.” I tear up every time I read that passage in Luke 15 because I think of my own life and my past rebellion from him, but he never gave up on me and was constantly drawing me back to him. Praise the Lord for his unceasing mercy and love!