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!”
The Prince of Peace lives in me.
And yet here you are. Voluntarily opening a non news thread and participating!
And yet here you are, answering a post and wasting bandwidth.
Five Protestants on this thread have openly called for assassination? Really?
Just don’t be posting those catholic bashing scriptures!
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You can't see the threats unless you have a polarizing monitor, and wear the correct color of polarizing glasses.
ROFL! Ironic isn’t it?
>> “I Will Be a Second Mohammed” <<
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Hence the book by John Ahmanson: “Vor Tids Muhamed”
(English version: “Secret History” Translation by Gleason L. Archer)
Have we asked to have him list those posts where that was done or is he just projecting?
Uh oh! I’m thinking there’s going to be a whole lot of bashing going on still.
I must commend you on you ability to twist the words of others./SARC
That would be the person who made the snotty comment that is projecting.
I seem to always be missing some piece of equipment. Just this morning I was felling a tree and wished I had a peavey. Nope, no peavey.
Solution..pick Breaking News not latest posts...problem solved.
I come to FR because of the debates and information among Freepers....and they can all get hot and heavy from time to time.
Looks like you need to use your scroll more often.
I helped!
Can’t prove me wrong ey? Strong’s, Thayer’s, NASEC and others agree with me. Can you list anyone who disagrees? You must have some evidence. You seem to be implying that I am wrong. Or are you just attacking the messenger because you have no evidence?
Your getting noticed...tsk tsk...
Ooh look! a sophist!
What place then for the auto-diadact? Most leaps in technology come from such as these.
I wired my house just fine (and several others) - All of them passed code and inspection. It ain't rocket-science.
I plumbed my house too (and several others). - It ain't rocket-science either. In this day and age, plumbing tech is easy.
In fact, rocket-science ain't really rocket-science anyway, as calculating payload and multi-stage rocketry isn't all that hard.
As for doctors, where they work, they're fine... But by and large, I have gotten better results from folk/alternative medicine.
It doesn't take a phd to run a concordance.
Tolerance: The last and only virtue of the completely immoral society.
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