In his daily homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis asked how many times do people invent excuses to not visit and pray to Jesus. He warned not to play around with Jesus' mercy.
POPE FRANCIS
“He is merciful, but He is also just. If you close the door of your heart from within, He cannot open it, because He is very respectful of our heart. Refusing Jesus is closing the door from within, and He cannot enter.”
The pope reminded people that Christ died on the cross for everyone. He concluded by asking for the grace “to understand this mystery of hardness of heart, of obstinacy, of rejection, and for the grace to weep.”
EXTRACT OF PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican News)
“And this refusal makes us think of ourselves, of the times that Jesus calls us; calls us to celebrate with Him, to be close to Him, to change our life. Think about seeking out His most intimate friends and they refuse! Then He seeks out the sick… and they go; perhaps some refuse. How many times do we hear the call of Jesus to come to Him, to do a work of charity, to pray, to encounter Him, and we say: 'Excuse me Lord, I’m busy, I don’t have time. Yes, tomorrow [today] I can’t…' And Jesus remains there.”
“Each one of us should think: In my life, how many times have I felt the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to do a work of charity, to encounter Jesus in that work of charity, to go to pray, to change your life in this area, in this area that is not going well? And I have always found a reason to excuse myself, to refuse.”
“Yes, He is good, He is merciful – He is merciful, but He is also just. And if you close the door of your heart from within, He cannot open it, because He is very respectful of our heart. Refusing Jesus is closing the door from within, and He cannot enter.”
“May the Lord grant us the grace to understand this mystery of hardness of heart, of obstinacy, of rejection, and [grant us] the grace to weep.”
