Pope Franciis - "This is the essence of Christianity: to

[MariaChristi]

This is the essence of Christianity: to spread the regenerating and gratuitous love of God, with the attitude of acceptance and mercy to everyone, because everyone can meet the tenderness of God and have fullness of life.

Yes, Brothers and Sisters,

Pope Francis is repeating the Great Commission of Jesus recorded for us in the Gospel (Mt. 28) : “Go make disciples…” In his Angelus Address yesterday he is repeating also Pope Paul VI’s message in “Evangelization in the Modern World” wherein Pope Paul VI exhorted us with the words, “The Church exists to evangelize”. Each of the Baptized is called to grow in the Life of Christ and to carry on the Mission of Jesus, to bring the “Good News” of God’s Love to the world so very much in need of Him.

By God’s Grace, are we committed to doing the Truth we hear? Will we set out into the deep today and lower our nets, at His command? Do we trust God’s Word to us? In concluding his Angelus Address yesterday, Pope Francis said:

…Today’s Gospel challenges us: Do we really trust the Word of the Lord? Or do we let ourselves be discouraged by our failures? In this Holy Year of Mercy, we are called to comfort those who feel they are sinners and unworthy and downhearted for their mistakes, telling them the same words of Jesus: “Fear not.” The Mercy of the Father is greater than your sins. Don’t fear. It’s greater. Let’s pray that the the Virgin Mary helps us to understand more and more that being a disciple means to put our feet on the footprints left by the Master: they are the footprints of divine grace that regenerates life for all. Full text may be read HERE

Come, Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of Mercy, intercede for us.

 

[Ontheway]

I really hope people pay attention to these words:

.

Only other people?

 

[MariaChristi]

Only other people?

Dear Ontheway and Daddy Girl,

Thank you both for your replies.

When I began this thread I underlined the first words the Pope used to finish his sentence: “This is the essence of Christianity: to…”

This is the essence of Christianity: to spread the regenerating and gratuitous love of God, with the attitude of acceptance and mercy to everyone, because everyone can meet the tenderness of God and have fullness of life.

If we have not the “regenerating and gratuitous love of God” within us, then we will not be practicing the “attitude of acceptance and mercy to everyone”. The Letter of John warns us:

…We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (1 John 4 : 19 - 21)

I think this is one of the reasons Pope St. John Paul II called for “Re-evangelization”, i.e. As baptized Christians, called to follow Jesus, we need to begin examining our own consciences on how well we are living Christ’s Lfe. If we are truly filled with His Love then like Pope St. John Paul and all the saints beginning with our Mother Mary we will want to go in haste to others.