In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis once again spoke on those who identify themselves as Christians, yet live like 'pagansâ?. He explained that they cause scandal, especially because they do not forgive.
POPE FRANCIS
'Without faith you cannot live without scandal and nor always forgive. No one with books, going to conferences, can have faith. Faith is a gift of God that comes to you and this why the Apostles asked Jesus, 'Increase our faith!''
Pope Francis concluded that a Christian that does not forgive is not a Christian, because in the Our Father, Jesus taught to ask forgiveness and to forgive.
EXCERPTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'When a Christian man or a Christian woman, who goes to church, is part of the parish, does not live in this way, they cause scandal. How often have we heard men and women say: ' I do not go to church because it is better to be honest at home and not go to church like that man or woman who then do this, this, this ...'. Scandal destroys, it destroys the faith! And that is why Jesus is so strong: 'Beware! Watch out! '. It would do us good to repeat this today: â??Be on your guard!'. All of us are capable of causing scandal'.
'We have to forgive, because we have been forgiven. This is in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us about it there. Human logic is incapable of fathoming this. Human logic leads us not to forgive, to seek revenge; it leads to hate, division. How many families have broken up because unable to forgive, how many families! Children separated from their parents, husbands and wives who have grown distant form each other ... It is so important to think about this: If I do not forgive I don't, it appears, have the right to be forgiven and I do not understand what it means that God has forgiven me. This is the second word, forgiveness'.
'Without faith you cannot live without scandal and always forgiving. Only the light of faith, the faith that we have received: the faith of a merciful Father, a Son who gave His life for us, a Spirit that is within us and helps us grow, faith in the Church, faith in the people of God, baptized and holy. And this is a gift, faith is a gift. No one with books, going to conferences, can have faith. Faith is a gift of God that comes to you and this why the Apostles asked Jesus, 'Increase our faith!'â?.
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