Jesus 'wants pastors, not combers of sheep,' Pope Francis says

[livingwordunity]

Vatican City, Jun 18, 2013 / 02:12 pm (EWTN News/CNA)

Christians are called to be evangelists, seeking out the sheep who are lost rather than staying at home tending to the few who have never left, Pope Francis said at the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

“It’s the 99 who we’re missing! We have to go out, we must go to them,” the Bishop of Rome said June 17 to the participants of the annual convention of the Diocese of Rome.

“The Lord wants pastors, not combers of sheep; pastors! And when a community is closed, always among the same people who talk, this community is not a community that gives life.”

Pope Francis opened his speech discussing grace, and its tremendous power to make saints out of sinners, through the freedom it brings. He called the power of grace “revolutionary,” and that it must have a revolutionary effect on the hearts of Christians.

“Only one thing is necessary to become saints: accept the grace that the Father gives us in Jesus Christ. Behold, this grace changes our heart. We continue to be sinners, because we are all weak, but even with this grace that makes us think that the Lord is good, that the Lord is merciful.”

The heart revolutionized by grace, he said, will be “full of tenderness for those bearing the wounds of life.” He turned to the many people in Rome who live without hope.

Everyone, the Bishop of Rome said, can think of those “who are immersed in deep sadness that they try to get out of, believing to have found happiness in alcohol, in drugs, in gambling, in the power of money, in sexuality without rules.” These people, he said, are living without hope.

“How can we go ahead and offer hope? Go down the street saying, ‘I have hope’? No! With your testimony, with your smile, saying: ‘I believe that I have a Father.’”

“The proclamation of the Gospel is this: with my words, with my testimony to say: ‘I have a Father.’”

Yet, he emphasized, Christians should not proselytize, or to seek to convince others. “The Gospel is a like a seed,” he said, but the sowing must be done with both word and witness.

“The word alone is not enough, not enough. The word without the witness is air. Words are not enough.”

The proclamation of the Gospel, he said, is “destined primarily to the poor, to those who often lack the essentials for a decent life. The good news is first announced to them, that God loves them before all others and comes to visit them through the acts of charity that the disciples of Christ carry out in his name.”

“We have to go to the flesh of Jesus suffering,” Pope Francis said, “to the existential peripheries.”

To do this, he stressed, requires courage, but this courage is necessary to bring the Gospel to neighborhoods, workplaces, and “wherever people … develop relationships.”

Speaking to leaders in his diocese, which is approximately 82 percent Catholic, the pontiff made reference to the Gospel passage of the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to seek the one which is lost.

“But, brothers and sisters, we have one; it’s the 99 who we’re missing! We have to go out, we must go to them! In this culture – let’s face it – we only have one. We are the minority.”

“And do we feel the fervor, the apostolic zeal to go out and find the other 99? This is a big responsibility and we must ask the Lord for the grace of generosity and the courage and the patience to go out, to go out and proclaim the Gospel.”

He noted the temptation to “stay home, with the one lamb. It’s easier to comb its hair, caress it.”

“But the Lord wants pastors, not combers of sheep; pastors! And when a community is closed, always among the same people who talk, this community is not a community that gives life.”

“It’s a sterile community, it is not fruitful. The fruitfulness of the Gospel is by the grace of Jesus Christ, yet through us, our preaching, our courage, and our patience.”

Pope Francis assured his listeners that evangelization is not easy, and that it will be opposed by the devil, but this spiritual battle is “the daily lot of Christians.”

The work of bringing Jesus’ grace to others, he said, is a martyrdom. “Martyrdom is this: to fight the fight, every day, through witness … Of some, the Lord asks the martyrdom of life, but there is the martyrdom of every day, of every hour: the witness against the spirit of evil, who does not want us to be evangelists.”

He concluded by focusing on the love God has for each person, noting that the “cross forcefully reminds us that we are sinners, but above all that we are loved, that we are so dear to God’s heart.”

“Every person needs to feel themselves loved the way they are because this is the only thing that makes life beautiful and worthy of being lived.”

In our time, when what is freely given seems to fade in our interpersonal relationships, we Christians proclaim a God who, to be our friend, asks nothing but to be accepted,” he said.

“Think of how many live in desperation because they have never met someone who has shown them attention, comforted them, made them feel precious and important.”

“We, the disciples of Christ, can we refuse to go to those places that no one wants to go out of fear of compromising ourselves or the judgment of others, and thus deny our brothers and sisters the announcement of God’s mercy?” the Pope added.

“We have received this gratuity, this grace, freely. We must give it freely. Don’t be afraid of grace. Don’t be afraid to go out of yourselves, out of our Christian communities, to go and find the 99 who are not home.”

“Go out to dialogue with them, and tell them what we think. Go show them our love, which is God’s love.”

Source

 

[seekerz]

“Every person needs to feel themselves loved the way they are because this is the only thing that makes life beautiful and worthy of being lived.”

In our time, when what is freely given seems to fade in our interpersonal relationships, we Christians proclaim a God who, to be our friend, asks nothing but to be accepted,” he said.

“Think of how many live in desperation because they have never met someone who has shown them attention, comforted them, made them feel precious and important.”

“We, the disciples of Christ, can we refuse to go to those places that no one wants to go out of fear of compromising ourselves or the judgment of others, and thus deny our brothers and sisters the announcement of God’s mercy?” the Pope added.

“We have received this gratuity, this grace, freely. We must give it freely. Don’t be afraid of grace. Don’t be afraid to go out of yourselves, out of our Christian communities, to go and find the 99 who are not home.”

“Go out to dialogue with them, and tell them what we think. Go show them our love, which is God’s love.”

Okay, so I wasn’t totally crazy in suggesting that what poor people need from us Catholics are not theories of why they are poor, not powerpoint presentations on how to become ‘unpoor’, but relationships with those of us who are less disadvantaged and who can offer guidance and good example…hmm.

That sounds like the lessons I learned from the Sisters; it sounds like the Catholic teaching I grew up with. Not enough of it seems to be in vogue these days; now the ‘hands off’ approach to ‘problem people’ seems to be too popular.

 

[godisgood77]

Source

Atta boy Papa Francis!

 

[godisgood77]

Okay, so I wasn’t totally crazy in suggesting that what poor people need from us Catholics are not theories of why they are poor, not powerpoint presentations on how to become ‘unpoor’, but relationships with those of us who are less disadvantaged and who can offer guidance and good example…hmm.

That sounds like the lessons I learned from the Sisters; it sounds like the Catholic teaching I grew up with. Not enough of it seems to be in vogue these days; now the ‘hands off’ approach to ‘problem people’ seems to be too popular.

No, you’re not crazy… The pope is sounds like Jesus. The Church (meaning the people) needs to wake up … Your words are right on seeker!

 

[fix]

Source

Great words:

Everyone, the Bishop of Rome said, can think of those “who are immersed in deep sadness that they try to get out of, believing to have found happiness in alcohol, in drugs, in gambling, in the power of money, in sexuality without rules.” These people, he said, are living without hope.

“But, brothers and sisters, we have one; it’s the 99 who we’re missing! We have to go out, we must go to them! In this culture – let’s face it – we only have one. We are the minority.”

The work of bringing Jesus’ grace to others, he said, is a martyrdom. “Martyrdom is this: to fight the fight, every day, through witness … Of some, the Lord asks the martyrdom of life, but there is the martyrdom of every day, of every hour: the witness against the spirit of evil, who does not want us to be evangelists.”

 

[livingwordunity]

“But, brothers and sisters, we have one; it’s the 99 who we’re missing!" - Pope Francis

This is so true. The majority of Catholics go with the flow of the culture of death.

.

 

[Marie5890]

A big part of the problem is that across the world and in the eyes of many people, due to scandels, the corruption in the Curia, etc., the Church has the problem of lacking serious credibility.

Many point to both small “t” and Big “T” traditions of the Church as evidence.

Whether or not rightly or falsely placed blame, the Church and many of it’s leaders and it’s history has given it credibility problem.

 

[livingwordunity]

A big part of the problem is that across the world and in the eyes of many people, due to scandels, the corruption in the Curia, etc., the Church has the problem of lacking serious credibility.

Many point to both small “t” and Big “T” traditions of the Church as evidence.

Whether or not rightly or falsely placed blame, the Church and many of it’s leaders and it’s history has given it credibility problem.

It’s important to distinguish between the Church’s infallible teaching authority and the fact that the Church is made up of sinners (including you and me).

 

[ReConverted]

I LOVE that man!!!

 

[opus101]

I LOVE that man!!!

 

[LoveMercyGrace]

Reminded of Jesus cleansing the Temple. He is effectively working now

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[edwest2]

For all of us, it’s time to speak up. And to the poor, it’s time to go into the highways and byways and not just drive by. Yes, if you are by yourself, caution is warranted. It’s Jesus standing on that street corner. We exchange first names. They smile when they see you. They sometimes shake your hand. I ask them if they’ve been to Church and encourage them to go.

By the grace of God alone,

Ed

 

[seekerz]

And to the poor, it’s time to go into the highways and byways and not just drive by.