POPE FRANCIS:
“If you cannot forgive, you’re not a Christian”
According to the Vatican radio, Pope Francis, -commenting on today’s Gospel passage, “Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful (Lk6:36)” in his September 10, 2015 Homily at Casa Santa Marta-, focused on mercy, peace and reconciliation as opposed to war and hatred.
PEACE SAVES US AND MAKES US LIVE AND GROW
He asked whether we are capable of accepting the gift of peace which we receive from Jesus and lamented about the actual events of wars, destruction, hatred, division and hostility we see and read in the media. He said:
“There are also many men and women who work hard — really hard – in order to manufacture lethal weapons, arms that eventually become bathed in the blood of so many innocent people, so many of them. There are wars (being waged)! There are these wars and there is also that wickedness of preparing for war, of making weapons (to be used) against other people in order to kill! Peace saves us, peace makes you live, it makes you grow: war annihilates you, it drags you down.”
IF YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN, YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO FORGIVE
The Holy Father also warned that there are other forms of war which exist “within our Christian communities, between us.” He underlined the fact that today’s liturgy highlights the necessity of forgiving others and making peace among ourselves.
“If you can’t forgive, you are not a Christian. You may be a good man, a good woman…. but you are not doing what our Lord did. What’s more, if you can’t forgive, you cannot receive the peace of the Lord. And every day when we pray the ‘Our Father:’ Forgive us as we have forgiven those……It’s a condition. We are trying to ‘convince’ God that we’re good, that we’re good by forgiving: in reverse. (It’s just) words, right? As that beautiful song went: ‘Words, words, words,’ wasn’t it? I think it was (the Italian singer) Mina who sung it. Words! Forgive one another! Just as the Lord has forgiven us, do likewise.”
Pope Francis also urged all of us to show feelings of compassion, kindness, humility, goodness for this is the Christian way of life. It is not being arrogant nor condemning or speaking badly about others. He concludes saying: “May the Lord give us all the grace to provide support to others, to forgive and be merciful, just as our Lord is merciful towards us.”
Dear friends, though difficult it might be for us to forgive those who did us harm, it is the only way to identify ourselves with Christ’s example, regain our interior joy and peace, and mental health (yes…) as well. Let us ask the help of Our Lady so that God will grant us the grace to overcome our pride and learn how to forgive, to be sowers of peace, unity and mercy in the place where He put us.
-Fr. Rolly Arjonillo, priest of Opus Dei. CATHOLICS STRIVING FOR HOLINESS. We are also in Facebook: www.facebook.com/CatholicsstrivingforHoliness Hope you like our page and invite your friends as well to do so in order to help more people.
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NEWS SOURCE: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/09/10/pope_francis_a_person_who_can%E2%80%99t_forgive_is_not_a_christian/1170862
PHOTO SOURCE: Jesús, El Gran Poder, (Seville, Spain) https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/107e1-jesus2bdel2bgran2bpoder2boracion2bpara2bpeticiones2bdificiles2bimposibles2b3.jpg