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!”
As a Protestant I wish the anti-Catholics here would focus on Protestant churches that embrace gays, gay marriage, and abortion.
Thank you for a well reasoned response. Sadly you will now be vilified by quite a few of your brothers and sisters. Keep in mind CINO can also refer to "Christian..."
And that’s the simplified version.
Re ‘anti-Catholicism’ - well said, gwag. A Catholic convert, 20 years Protestant, I find it, also, reprehensible that 1) some Protestants are still fighting the Reformation, and that 2) we Christians cannot unite against the REAL forces of darkness.
Re ‘anti-Catholicism’ - well said, gwag. A Catholic convert, 20 years Protestant, I find it, also, reprehensible that 1) some Protestants are still fighting the Reformation, and that 2) we Christians cannot unite against the REAL forces of darkness.
Indeed. Something God says is ignored, and manmade rules and traditions are placed in front of His Truth... Thank God for His Holy Spirit providing life and guidance to our souls!
1 Corinthians 1: 10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Wow! How incredible is that? I post that it’s Jesus and only Jesus then you post a kindergarten picture post making fun of that statement. How telling.
And that's what we're seeing here. The cross of Christ is an offense to so many, so they establish their own path to God instead.
Because they are not here incessantly exalting and advertizing themselves as the One True Church® , and also unlike RCs, we are contending for a faith based on Scripture being the supreme authority as the wholly inspired basically literal Word of God, which evangelical view liberal churches effectively deny, and not a particular church as being supreme .
And actually, Catholics testify that they are more like liberal Prots in their moral views than evangelicals, which i basically represent in its historical denotation.
The protestant version: 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul Luther”; another, “I follow Apollos Calvin”; another, “I follow Cephas the preacher of the month”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
How many protestant denominations and non-denominational groups do you have now?
The problem is that let you self identify. If I was to guess I would say that based on years of informal observation half of those that self identify as Catholics are actually catholic in name only. ie Nancy Pelolusy, and Joe Biteme, John “I was in Vietnam” Kerry, and the vast majority of the Kennedy clan.
You should really check that caps-lock key.
Because they are not here incessantly exalting and advertizing themselves as the One True Church®
At the same time it appears that the pope is addressing some of these issues that many protestants have a problem with.
For instance he is preaching against extravagance in the Church its self,:Church leaders living in luxury: living in penthouses or castles and driving limousines.
He seems to choose his words careful, if not he may have his head in a noose before he even gets started. i am not sure i read him right but if i do then i agree with him.
But these same issues are prevalent in the protestant Churches also, rich people do not bother me what so ever but if they get rich suffering for God, that makes me sick.
This has nothing to do with your comment but it is very noticeable to me that almost no one, Catholic or protestant will answer a question about Rev 17.
I guess it is because Rev 17 puts both Catholic and Protestant in the same place.
I'm not sure how many groups that are devoted to worshipping our Savior, but Christ is at the center of all of them that I know. Unlike the massive cult of roman Catholicism, we are led by the Holy Spirit in our individual lives. We don't place any worth or merit in praying to dead "saints", nor do we see any value in asking the woman who gave birth to Jesus to get His ear for us. We have His promise to approach Him on our own...
Sorry, but you can make all the obeisance to your upbringing, but it does nothing to advance God's plan of salvation. The Roman Catholic cult only serves to perpetuate the anti-God plan of Satan. If Satan can keep your attention on those graven idols and your worship of Mary, Jesus is just second fiddle in your perpetual orchestra...
Fail is all you have!
What about the part where he says: “If your devotions bring you to Christ, that works.”?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, in the company of saints in heaven we pray, amen.
There’s a problem with that coming from him. The Christ of the RCC who listens to Mary more than He listens to all believers is not the Christ of scripture. The Christ of the RCC who needs a “vicar”, aka stand in, here on earth is not the Christ of scripture.
The true Christ of scripture is the sole mediator between the Father and believers. The Christ of scripture indwells each of the believers and thus is present here on earth Himself and needs no stand in. The Christ of scripture is not the Christ of the RCC.
“Didn’t happen at my church — the homily was on the Gospel”
Exactly!
In his homily at today’s Mass, the priest at my church focused on the following statements from the Gospel reading:
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
I would like to think that most everyone posting on this thread would agree with this teaching.
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