During his Monday morning homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis warned that Christians must not close their hearts to change. He added that those who refuse to understand new perspectives are sinning.
POPE FRANCIS
'Obstinacy is also the sin of idolatry: the Christian who is obstinate sins! The sin of idolatry. â??And what is the way, Father?â?? Open the heart to the Holy Spirit, discern what is the will of God.â?
The Pope explained that 'habits must be renewed in the newness of the Spiritâ? to ensure that the faith remains strong.
EXTRACTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'What does this mean? That He changes the law? No! That the law is at the service of man, who is at the service of God â?? and so man ought to have an open heart. â??Itâ??s always been done this wayâ?? is a closed heart, and Jesus tells us, â??I will send you the Holy Spirit and He will lead you into the fullness of truth.â?? If you have a heart closed to the newness of the Spirit, you will never reach the full truth. And your Christian life will be a half-and-half life, a patched life, mended with new things, but on a structure that is not open to the voice of the Lordâ??a closed heart, so that you are not able to change others.â?
'Christians who obstinately maintain â??itâ??s always been done this way,' this is the path, this is the streetâ??they sin: the sin of divination. Itâ??s as if they went about by guessing: â??What has been said and what doesnâ??t change is whatâ??s important; what I hearâ??from myself and my closed heartâ??more than the Word of the Lord.â?? Obstinacy is also the sin of idolatry: the Christian who is obstinate sins! The sin of idolatry. â??And what is the way, Father?â?? Open the heart to the Holy Spirit, discern what is the will of God.â?
'This is the message the Church gives us today. This is what Jesus says so forcefully: â??New wine in new wineskins.â?? Habits must be renewed in the newness of the Spirit, in the surprises of God. May the Lord grant us the grace of an open heart, of a heart open to the voice of the Spirit, which knows how to discern what should not change, because it is fundamental, from what should change in order to be able to receive the newness of the Spirit.â?
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