I am all about Sin but Pope Francis is all about Mercy

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Why is it so hard to change? I was given a great homily today on patience. We should strive to change, why does holiness take so long? I want to be a saint. I love saints - reading about them. I love going to church. I love religion. I still love my sins too even though I know they are wrong. I wish to be just like Jesus but I am scared of what all that entails. When I look in the mirror, there is so much to change. I am more afraid of the truth than lies. Why can’t live in oblivion or ignorance of God so I can be blind from my convictions? I feel my personality was meant to follow God. Jesus is probably one thing in my life that I actually do not give up on. I cannot think of rational argument to persuade people to believe in God. I just feel his presence. I wish I thought more quantifiable. I “feel” God if that makes any sense. I am always left thinking where do I begin. Am I really that sinful? My relationship with Jesus is not solid, I am honestly afraid to hear what Jesus might say. Sometimes I am closer but I easily and knowingly drift away.
 
We are all sinners. Some of us have lost our awareness of what is sinful, while others seem to be fixated on their sins and the sins of others. To all of us, Pope Francis is now emphasizing the message of mercy, which is a message of hope. He reminds us, “Mercy will always be greater than any sin, no one can put a limit on the love of the all-forgiving God.” I think anyone who is aware of their tendency to keep falling into sin will feel discouraged at times, I know I do. But with mercy, there is hope, so we keep getting up whenever we fall.
 
Sometimes one is hardest on themselves.
Give your better self a chance for pete’s sake.
God is merciful, but we have to ACCEPT his mercy.
Stop fighting it.
Peace.
 
It takes so long because we’re constantly putting up walls to God’s grace. Thank God, it would seem you have been told what sort of walls you put up. But the next step is, by the grace of God, to actively take measures to tear them down.

We shouldn’t worry about time or how fast things happen. Rather, we should focus on loving Jesus and constantly opening our hearts to Him. Most of us are just like you: we love ourselves far more than anything or anyone else, and we love pleasure more than discomfort, and taking up even small crosses is as odd to us as the thought of suddenly becoming an astronaut. (Remember what the Little Flower said about the priests she saw at Rome: the best of them are weak.)

But if we bear in mind that Jesus wants us to be great Saints, and if we remember that we wouldn’t want Sainthood unless Jesus gave us the desire, then we will be ready to rely more on His mercy. Because it’s His mercy, indeed, that thirsts for us despite how utterly unfaithful and cold and ungrateful and foolish we are.
 
AttendeDomine said:
It takes so long because we’re constantly putting up walls to God’s grace. Thank God, it would seem you have been told what sort of walls you put up. But the next step is, by the grace of God, to actively take measures to tear them down.

We shouldn’t worry about time or how fast things happen. Rather, we should focus on loving Jesus and constantly opening our hearts to Him. Most of us are just like you: we love ourselves far more than anything or anyone else, and we love pleasure more than discomfort, and taking up even small crosses is as odd to us as the thought of suddenly becoming an astronaut. (Remember what the Little Flower said about the priests she saw at Rome: the best of them are weak.)

But if we bear in mind that Jesus wants us to be great Saints, and if we remember that we wouldn’t want Sainthood unless Jesus gave us the desire, then we will be ready to rely more on His mercy. Because it’s His mercy, indeed, that thirsts for us despite how utterly unfaithful and cold and ungrateful and foolish we are.
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But should we be patient with mortal sin? What if overcoming a habit of mortal sin will take a while? How does one survive in such a wretched state?

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Lucretius said:
But should we be patient with mortal sin? What if overcoming a habit of mortal sin will take a while? How does one survive in such a wretched state?
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Unless God has a special reason against it, of course it will take a while. The fact is that habits take time to form, the good and the bad. But if we aren’t tempted, and thereby struggle against a sin, then how can we develop the habit of resisting it?

I would humbly recommend you read this book: amazon.com/How-Resist-Temptation-Francis-Remler/dp/1928832393/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459444251&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+resist+temptation

One of the things you’ll learn is *why *Jesus permits us to be tempted, and what good our resisting temptations can do, and why we aren’t always simply freed from our bad habits.

The development of things like humility and trust in God have a wonderful source in struggling against sin. Likewise, as with all suffering, we have an opportunity to continue to give ourselves over to Jesus. If we really look in our hearts, I think we’ll see we only love Jesus in an incredibly shallow way. But suffering can help to deepen that love.
 
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