Pope Francis, in his homily at Casa Santa Marta, spoke about the gift of salvation, which is always free. He said one who cannot understand the gratuity of God's love and His invitation to paradise does not understand Christianity.
POPE FRANCIS
'When you lose – I'm not saying the ability to love, because that can be recovered - the ability to feel loved, there is no hope. You've lost everything. It makes us think of the writing in the door of Dante's Inferno: 'Abandon All Hope,' you've lost everything. We must think before the Lord: 'Because I tell you, I want my house to be filled.' This Lord, who is so great, who is so loving, wants to fill your house for free.”
He concluded by saying the prayer one must ask the Lord is to save us from losing the ability to feel loved.
EXCERPTS OF THE HOMILY
“If you do not understand the gratuity of God's invitation, you do not understand anything”.
“He spent all his money, he wasted his inheritance in vices and sins, and you celebrate his homecoming? I am a practicing Catholic, I go to Mass every Sunday and carry out my duties and you do nothing for me? He does not understand the gratuity of salvation”.
“When one loses – not the capacity to love because that is something that can be recuperated – but the capacity to feel loved there is no hope and all is lost”.
