Posted on 03/27/2014 5:39:00 AM PDT by BlatherNaut
Yesterday, during a homily, Pope Francis had some things to say about humility and salvation. Unfortunately I see only the excerpts as published by the Catholic News Agency. The puzzling statement is this: "Jesus tells us: ‘if you do not put yourself on the margins, if you don’t feel what it is to be an outcast, you will not obtain salvation.'" Biblical citation, please?
What is this with "margins" and "feel what it's like to be an outcast"? I thought the idea was to recognize that I'm a sinner in constant need of His mercy, to repent of my sins and to obey His will. Now maybe that does entail "feeling what it's like to be an outcast", but I think at best that speaks of an inappropriate reliance on superficial circumstances. It shouldn't matter what I feel, one way or the other. God's law is objective - that is, having no basis in the caprices of human emotions and experiences. Oftentimes being a serious Christian will put us on the outskirts of contemporary culture, as Cardinal Burke aptly noticed, but again that's a superficial side-effect (at most) to following Jesus Christ, not a key indicator of sanctity. For instance, I would imagine that a cold-blooded mass-murderer might feel him/herself to be a bit of an outcast; but no one with two working brain cells would opine that his/her "outcast" status is any indication that he/she is on the road to salvation - no, quite the opposite!
I'd love to see the entire homily, if a complete text is available.
Bump
This sounds like a variation of the “We are in the world but not of the world” message contained in the High Priestly Prayer of John 17.
Having been an obese bookworm going through public schools, I was an outcast my entire young life, and I credit that with my faith in God. So often today kids are consumed with social media and video games, movies, TV, and sex that morality and closeness to God are not even in their vernacular. Adults are much the same, oftentimes struggling to be relevant in their own social circles in spite of their beliefs. I know I’ve done it.
If we live in the margins, even for a brief time, I believe we can put aside the noise, the static of life, and that allows us to better connect with God spiritually since so much of life today is vacuous and unnecessary.
What a great testimony.
Thanks rare..
AMDG
Hmmm...
In Matthew, a rich young man asks Jesus what actions bring eternal life. First Jesus advises the man to obey the commandments. When the man responds that he already observes them, and asks what else he can do, Jesus adds:
If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
Luke has a similar episode and states that:
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples then ask Jesus who then can be saved, and Jesus replies: “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
I agree, i would much rather hear some one quote the scripture then there is no doubt about what is being said.
also Heb 10:35, “you should not throw away your freedom of speech”
also Heb 10:35, “you should not throw away your freedom of
speech”
“apovalite” to cast out, throw away as worthless
actually used 5 “avolato” places in NT but never applied to any person at all except when St. Paul refers to his “relatives?” -viz “those whom are my own flesh’ to whom he preached
also Heb 10:35, “you should not throw away your freedom of
speech”>>>>
I can not quite get that from the KJV Heb 10:35 but it is so obvious that the apostles believed in freedom of speech because they kept on speaking regardless of the threats being made against them.
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2and He began to teach them, saying:
3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“God’s law is objective - that is, having no basis in the caprices of human emotions and experiences. Oftentimes being a serious Christian will put us on the outskirts of contemporary culture, as Cardinal Burke aptly noticed, but again that’s a superficial side-effect (at most) to following Jesus Christ, not a key indicator of sanctity.”
Left over liberation theology.
The Pope is nuts.
Rather than repeatedly posting the Beatitudes, how about addressing this confusing comment by the Pope: “Jesus tells us: ‘if you do not put yourself on the margins, if you don’t feel what it is to be an outcast, you will not obtain salvation.’”
Was Pope John Paul II “an outcast”? Was Pope John XXIII an outcast? As you probably know, they are about to be canonized.
Hi Blath...
You know Occam’s Razor says the simplest explanation is overwhelmingly right.
‘if you do not put yourself on the margins, if you don’t feel what it is to be an outcast, you will not obtain salvation.’”
The most self-centered, self-directed, self-congratulating people on earth are Americans and specifically American children.
How can one possible attain salvation being the center of things - only God is the center of things.
When God is at the center of your life - He must be the whole center - that would mean you are definitely at the margin - because you cannot be two places at one.
I believe Francis says was he means and he means what he says (of course prior to the media twisting it like a pretzel.)
AMDG
yeah right...liberation theology
sooooo - you, onedoug, are the center, not the margin.
you are like most typical Americans - self-centered with the whole world revolving around you.
God is not the center of your world - you are.
well good luck with that attitude and ‘splaining that when you came face to face with the real center of the universe.
For the Greater Glory of God
We're called to spiritual union with God, not banishment to some nebulous spiritual margin.
From "The Interior Life" by Very Rev. Father Joseph Tissot:
"The intelligible essence of things - I am therefore called to the dignity of being a child of God, living by His life; He has intended my union with Himself."
We are called to practice spiritual and corporal works of mercy (in accordance with our particular state of life, e.g. a father with a family to support isn't expected to give away all his worldly possessions in imitation of St. Francis).
The statement that if you do not put yourself on the margins, if you don't feel what it is to be an outcast, you will not obtain salvation" is odd. Since when did experience of a particular feeling become a prerequisite to sanctity? Did something once again get lost in the translation? On the face of it, this statement does seem to carry the odor of liberation theology.
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