Posted on 04/29/2013 4:18:02 AM PDT by markomalley
The Confessional is not a ‘dry cleaners’ where our sins are automatically washed away and Jesus is not waiting there to ‘beat us up’, but to forgive us with the tenderness of a father for our sins. Moreover, being ashamed of our sins is not only natural, it’s a virtue that helps prepare us for God's forgiveness. This was the central message of Pope Francis’ homily Monday morning during Mass celebrated with staff from the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) and religious present in Casa Santa Marta. Emer McCarthy reports:
Commenting on the First Letter of St. John, which states " God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all," Francis Pope pointed out that "we all have darkness in our lives," moments "where everything, even our consciousness, is in the dark”, but this - he pointed out - does not mean we walk in darkness:
"Walking in darkness means being overly pleased with ourselves, believing that we do not need salvation. That is darkness! When we continue on this road of darkness, it is not easy to turn back. Therefore, John continues, because this way of thinking made him reflect: 'If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us'. Look to your sins, to our sins, we are all sinners, all of us ... This is the starting point. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful, He is so just He forgives us our sins, cleansing us from all unrighteousness…The Lord who is so good, so faithful, so just that He forgives. "
"When the Lord forgives us, He does justice" - continued the Pope - first to himself, "because He came to save and forgive", welcoming us with the tenderness of a Father for his children: "The Lord is tender towards those who fear, to those who come to Him "and with tenderness," He always understand us”. He wants to gift us the peace that only He gives. " "This is what happens in the Sacrament of Reconciliation" even though "many times we think that going to confession is like going to the dry cleaner" to clean the dirt from our clothes:
"But Jesus in the confessional is not a dry cleaner: it is an encounter with Jesus, but with this Jesus who waits for us, who waits for us just as we are. “But, Lord, look ... this is how I am”, we are often ashamed to tell the truth: 'I did this, I thought this'. But shame is a true Christian virtue, and even human ... the ability to be ashamed: I do not know if there is a similar saying in Italian, but in our country to those who are never ashamed are called “sin vergüenza’: this means ‘the unashamed ', because they are people who do not have the ability to be ashamed and to be ashamed is a virtue of the humble, of the man and the woman who are humble. "
Pope Francis continued: “ we must have trust, because when we sin we have an advocate with the Father, "Jesus Christ the righteous." And He "supports us before the Father" and defends us in front of our weaknesses. But you need to stand in front of the Lord "with our truth of sinners", "with confidence, even with joy, without masquerading... We must never masquerade before God." And shame is a virtue: "blessed shame." "This is the virtue that Jesus asks of us: humility and meekness".
"Humility and meekness are like the frame of a Christian life. A Christian must always be so, humble and meek. And Jesus waits for us to forgive us. We can ask Him a question: Is going to confession like to a torture session? No! It is going to praise God, because I, a sinner , have been saved by Him. And is He waiting for me to beat me? No, with tenderness to forgive me. And if tomorrow I do the same? Go again, and go and go and go .... He always waits for us. This tenderness of the Lord, this humility, this meekness .... "
This confidence, concluded Pope Francis "gives us room to breathe." "The Lord give us this grace, the courage to always go to Him with the truth, because the truth is light and not the darkness of half-truths or lies before God. It give us this grace! So be it. "
Yes, faith is a conscious act - one of receiving and believing what God has revealed and given to us. Scripture, however, makes clear that faith is NOT a work in the sense of our own efforts. Verses such as Romans 4:5, "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." as well as others differentiate our works from belief/faith.
I do not disagree that a genuine faith WILL be demonstrated in good works, but that is a far cry from saying our works are necessary for salvation or, as NL insisted, enable us to retain the grace necessary for salvation. Grace is the gift of God that gives us eternal life in heaven through the atonement of Christ. We receive this gift by faith and the works we do afterward are the sign of true sanctification. We are justified by faith APART from works. For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law. (Romans 3:28)
That is yet another mischaracterization of my statements. For the record I NEVER said that works are necessary to achieve or keep Salvation or in anyway enable us to retain Salvation or Sanctifying Grace. I do so wish you would drop that anti-Catholic canard. Whoever taught you that did you, the Church, Protestantism, and God a great disservice.
Peace be with you.
The salvation of EVERYONE will be judged by the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. Those who are already saved have heard and obeyed.
And those Scriptures are for everyone to learn from. No one can say they didn't know. And JESUS said those words - as did the good prophet of God, Isaiah.
not by any quiz administered and graded by members of fringe Protestant sects on the internet.
It is not a quiz but an open Book answer that warns 'man made teachings' are from false teachers that deceive their subjects/flock.
You can call me whatever makes you feel better in torment as those Scriptures are NOT my words but The Words of JESUS that are being rebuked KNOWINGLY.
So Catholics, Mormons, Muslims and all those under man made teachings DO KNOW where their eternal destination is and it is not with Jesus for eternity. They knowingly are on the road to destruction by entering the wide gate.
OK< you have my attention, (that is why you insist on all CAPS, isn't it?). Why then don't you take this opportunity to explain to me exactly what the Word, as used by St. John in his gospel, really is and how that differs from Catholic teaching.
Peace and blessings be with you
Ignoring what JESUS says about 'man made teachings'?
Being hell bent on 'man made teachings' is not a place to start.
That does not even attempt to answer my question. I asked what the Word actually is. Surely you have to admit that its understanding is essential since St. John went to great lengths in his Gospel to introduce us to the term.
And when you have done that tell me how that differs from Catholic teachings. We can explore the phrase "man made teachings" that you use so frequently, no doubt borrowed from anti-Catholic websites, without explanation at a later time.
Peace be to you
Oh, please! Just stop with that foolishness. You are acting like spilled mercury from a broken thermometer! Can't pin you down, can't get you to say what you really mean, can't get you to defend the statements you DO make, even. I DO so wish you would drop the anti-Protestant canard that pretends the whole Reformation was simply a big misunderstanding and the Reformers were the ones who got it wrong. Here is what you previously said:
Works do, however, have an efficacious effect on Grace which is an input to Salvation. As the Holy Spirit is the manifestation op the love between the Father and the Son, Grace is the manifestation of the love between God and man. Agape is the sharing of that Grace / love, with each other. Passing on the Grace we receive, through corporeal and spiritual works of mercy, is the only way we can cooperate with and retain the Grace God gives us freely.
Now, explain to me - and anyone else who is scratching their heads wondering the same thing - how that is not saying "works enable us to retain the grace necessary for salvation". Can you do that?
That is what catholic and mormons teachings are! I need to 'borrow' that phrase? LOL! Besides I don't go to anti-catholic-mormon websites - I remain with God's Word.
"Ignoring what JESUS says about 'man made teachings'?"....That does not even attempt to answer my question.
It SHOULD answer all your questions! 'Man made teachings' are from bad fruit. Why do you choose to dwell in it?
Looking for 'loopholes' to satisfy yourself IN SPITE OF Jesus having already spoken is just you continuing in deception KNOWINGLY and I will have no part of that.
Since you have already rejected a discussion of the differences between Sanctifying and Actual Grace no explanation is possible. And to avoid further misrepresentation of my statements please do not attempt to reword them into Reformationist jargon. They stand on their own.
Peace be with you
You continue to argue what the Word is not. Please now try to tell me what the Word is. Thank you.
Jesus is LOVE and LOVE is teaching and warning the hypocrites that what they are taught through 'man made teachings' do not produce a heart for HIM and their praise of Him is in vain. There is no greater LOVE as Jesus died for those hypocrites but evil/man came to deceive them.
No doubt that God is love and is loved. The Father loves the Son and the Son the Father and the love shared between them is the Holy Spirit. Similarly, the love God has for us is Grace, and our love of God is latria. All have specific and deep meanings. But to say that Jesus is love expresses an understanding or concept of the Trinity that begs further explanation. Please elaborate.
That said, you still have not told me what St. John was telling us in the opening of hid Gospel when he referred to Jesus as the Word.
Peace and blessings
I didn't reject the discussion, in fact, I quoted Ludwig Ott in the use of those words. Did you skip that part?
Apparently your statements do not "stand on their own" since every attempt I have made to pin down exactly what is meant by the buzzwords/jargon you use, I have been met with yet another anti-Protestant canard that accuses me of distorting, misusing or rewording wrongly whatever it is you are trying to communicate. Do you think that continuing to repeat the same phrase gets us any closer to understanding you? What is wrong exactly with my interpretation of your words? Try to be specific since, obviously, we are talking past each other - unless you just enjoy the opportunity to patronize and ridicule.
The Holy Spirit is the 'Spirit' of God. The THREE are ONE.
Now get back to what Jesus says to the hypocrites. Jesus said only what the Father said. Does KNOWING what Jesus said and the The Father and Spirit agree with - bring turmoil that you feel a need to change the subject?
Ignoring and disobeying The Words of Jesus with the desire to follow evil/man teachings brings destruction for eternity.
Now you are on your own. As Jesus turned away for He knew what was in them, so do I.
Are you saying that the "Words" are the same thing as the Word?
Nothing if it accomplishes something. Which only the work of Christ could do.
Then after Christ worked and God worked, salvation was offered to men freely as a gift, not something earned or deserved.
So yes, someone had to pay for the sin. Jesus did that because we CAN'T.
Then He offers to us freely what we can NEVER earn or deserve on our own.
Interesting how the word is considered *anti-Catholic*.
God is love. (1 John 4:8)
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. Galatians 5:22
And now saying Jesus is love means something different? What's the matter? Don't you believe that Jesus is God?
That is saying then, that the Holy Spirit isn't really a person, but rather a thing; an action or an emotion. Or the name we give to the love shared between them.
Sounds like denial of the Trinity to me because of the denial of the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
Why would you expect them to invite you to a Catholic church if you aren’t Catholic and how would they know the relative merits of other churches to recommend one to you?
I certainly wouldn’t expect a Methodist to invite me to church if they knew I was a Catholic. I don’t understand your point,
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