Pope Francis greets the faithful at the May 8 General Audience (Credit: CNA / Stephen Driscoll)
Posted on 09/07/2013 3:49:35 PM PDT by NYer
.- In his daily homily on Saturday, Pope Francis reflected on the question of authentic Christianity and rejected the practice of focusing more on devotions than on Christ himself.
Jesus is “the center” of faith, said the Pope. “A commandment is valid if it comes from Jesus: I do this because the Lord wants me to do this. But if I am a Christian without Christ, I do this and I don’t know why I have to do it,” he said to the congregation at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta on September 7.
Like the Pharisees, he said, there are some people who “make so many commandments the center of their religiosity.”
Others who have a false sense of religiosity “only seek devotions” or “things that are a little uncommon, a little special, that go back to private revelations,” noted Pope Francis.
“If your devotions bring you to Christ, that works. But if you remain there, something’s wrong,” he explained.
“If Jesus is not at the center, there will be many other things,” so that people become “Christians without Christ.”
Remembering that Jesus is the center of faith “regenerates us, grounds us.”
Pope Francis further explained the mark of a true “Christian with Christ.”
“The rule is simple: only that which brings you to Jesus is valid, and only that is valid that comes from Jesus. Jesus is the center, the Lord, as He Himself says.”
Christians can avoid false religiosity by adoring Jesus as “the Lord, the only Lord.”
“If you aren’t able to adore Jesus, you’re missing something,” warned Pope Francis.
The sign of a true “Christian with Christ” is one who does “that which comes from Jesus” and that which leads to Jesus.
Such adoration bears true fruit in the life of a Christian, encouraged the Pope.
He said that Jesus also gives “the grace of loving Him so much, of following Him, of going along the path that He has shown us.”
A “Christian with Christ” has the courage to proclaim Jesus as Lord.
Pope Francis exhorted Catholics not to focus on false piety, but rather evangelize and “take the Gospel!”
Little girls playing violins is not what angels are....and they certainly don't carry a train for what appears to be Mary. Curious to know who this artist was depicting at the rear of her train.
At any rate one would say the imaginations of these artists were in a heightened state...but then artists do have vivid imaginations.
That brings to 3 the total of “Christians” on this thread that refuse to answer the question. I find this very telling. I will be offering my Rosary tonight for all three of you and any others that feel the same way.
Jesus thought otherwise... and He owns EVERYTHING!
Matthew 10: 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. ...
Christ doesn’t need a stand in on earth. He’s in every true believer.
John 17:23: Christ Himself prays to His Father: "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one."
Galatians 2:20: Paul speaks of himself and all true Christians: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."
I John 3:24: John writes: "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us."
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Oh, the thing I watch my Star Trek (original series) DVD’s on.
Gotcha.
They *say* is the operative words there. Scripture does not and will not contradict itself.
Now, if YOU and I can see that their teaching contradicts Scripture, then they do too. Their problem is that they deny it and go fishing and rationalizing.
And they're lying because the Holy Spirit would never call what was sin to not be sin any more.
Acts 15:28-29 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
If what they claim is contradicted by teaching in Scripture, then the Holy Spirit is not doing the interpreting, no matter what they claim.
If sacred tradition is not invalidated because of people who have misused it, then neither is the word of God, which is more sure and absolute truth.
Post 167 needs a yopios.
...”A sectarian will not have the faith given by Christ as Christ gave it”.....
Christ made it clear Faith comes by hearing the word of God...... He himself is the author of faith...and will give it to ALL who ask....When God moves someones heart it won’t matter where he is worshipping....it is His work in the heart of those who seek Him...not ours.
Did we ourselves receive His Spirit by the works of the law, or by ‘believing’ what we heard????
It is dangerous to label people for we cannot know their heart as God does...nor their motives for being among those they choose to be among. If they are in error AND desire to know His truth ‘walls’ of any building or organization and teachings within it will not prevent that. HE is able to change a heart and move it to the place where they can know Him...and have the Faith HE intends even among heathens.
I have known many who were in a place of error in their beliefs....the majority believed what they did because they ‘put their faith in the teachers’ and the organized religion they taught... rather than in His word....most “followed” along...few cared to confirm by their own use of Gods word let alone ask Him.
Yet equally as many who seek God through His word and ASK for understanding of the Truth are rarely disappointed. Because at some juncture they looked away from mans teachings to the one source of truth...Jesus Christ...and then looked to His word...Always their faith increases as they seek what is true. God never disappoints the sincere seeker..never.
You mean this wasn't a rhetorical question?
Are you so jaded that you don't feel he deserves the same protection afforded other world leaders?
If that IS your question, the Scripture I posted SHOULD have been a good enough answer and it sounds as if this Pope gets it, too. Do you get it that if a person is in the will of God that there is NOTHING that can happen to him that God does not permit for His own perfect will? That there is nothing that we need to fear if we are following after righteousness and to live to honor and glorify God? Nobody is talking about recklessness or "testing" God, but everyone should realize that God protects His own. Now, if you don't really believe that the Pope is a man of God, then, I guess, you ought to worry about crazies out in the world that would want to harm him. It sounds to me, though, that he is confident in the Lord. Perhaps his example will spread to the rest of the Catholic world.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Context here....
This is not Jesus giving the disciples blanket power to forgive or retain someone's sins.
What is going on is that He is talking about if someone offends an individual. Step one is that that individual is responsible to go to the person and try to be reconciled,
If that person does not listen, in the second step, they are to take two or three witnesses to try to resolve the matter.
If the person STILL won't listen, THEN it is to be taken to the church, in the third step.
The FOURTH step comes into play only if the person refuses to listen to the church. It is then to treat him as a Gentile or tax collector. It's only at that step, that Jesus even mentions the binding and loosing, so the binding and loosing is not in connection with a person's sin that he goes to the priest privately for being absolved, but rather this is a public declaration by the church body.
Peter then asks how many times he must forgive one and Jesus says 70 x 7. IOW, there is no justification for the idea of retaining the sins of anyone who comes to you asking forgiveness.
The person who won't even listen to the church has NOT asked for forgiveness, so those verses used to support the teaching that a person comes to the priest privately for confession and the priest can retain those sins if he feels the person is not truly repentant is not supported.
Jesus never made any indication of judging the intent of the heart, that is determining if the person was truly repentant, but rather said if the person asks forgiveness, forgive without stint or measure.
....” It sounds to me, though, that he is confident in the Lord. Perhaps his example will spread to the rest of the Catholic world”......
Sounds that way to me as well...He has been interesting to follow as HE goes about cleaning house. Surely He has many within who oppose Him. I believe HE is guarding himself MORE from those within than any without.. in order to make the changes He’s attempting.
Noted early on his frequent change of venue as he set his day...and also his place of residence. He has his own way of getting things done and seems to be confusing those who would dictate to him what is what....purposefully.
There’s a new Pope in town and he isn’t following those who have had the wheel....and he’s choosing his fights carefully.
Certainly I agree that local assemblies are set up with a pastor/teacher and that elders and deacons help in the administrations of the congregation when things come up with members. Things like disagreements between members and matters of offenses of one against another. We are told to resolve our differences and not take each other to court, involving the "world" in matters between brethren.
What I of course don't agree with you about is the idea that ONLY the Roman Catholic Church is the one, true church established by Jesus and that its "headquarters" in Rome had to be established to rule over all of Christendom. God ensured that the rule of faith for believers was written down in a form that could be preserved and kept pure. As such, the Scriptures state that we are not to "go beyond that which is written" and to obey "from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered" to us.
As to deluded deniers of God's clearly stated truths and those who twist and pervert the truth, we are to mark them and have no fellowship with them. In a free country anyone can set up any club they want and even call it whatever they want but it doesn't fool God. He will be the judge who knows the hearts of men and they WILL answer to Him. Their misuse of Scripture doesn't change the truth and the people of God will not be tricked or deceived. What these people do doesn't change what is true.
Has having the church interpret it for them done anything to change their behavior or convince them the church has it correct?
Is there some other way that Catholics or Catholicism interpret the passage to avoid sexual immorality?
Do you disagree with the interpretation that avoiding sexual immorality means that homosexuality should not be practiced?
Would that not then make it YOUR own personal interpretation of Scripture?
This from the Public relations department of the largest cult in the world!
You have a disagreement with interpreting the command to avoid sexual immorality meaning that homosexuality is wrong and should be avoided?
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