Thoughful blogfrom Daniel O'Connor https://dsdoconnor.com/2015/07/01/remnant-faithful-we-need-the-chastisements-also/
I agree that conservative, well-read, prayerful, devout, reverant folks need and deserve correction. Very much. But too often it seems "mercy" is being used as a catch-all word / expression to excuse sin, or to incline folks towards not exposing, calling out, or disagreeing with sin. Even silence can be a strong weapon. Mercy does not mean that we ignore sin.
To know mercy is to know how wretched and sinful we truly are. Mercy cannot come until we acknowledge/know sin. Once we know sin...we either stop sinning or we continue sinning. Mercy cannot come unless we stop sinning.
garabandal, Sometimes I too easily conclude I'm on the road to sanctity, and then I 'll read a blog entry like the above. When I start saying to myself a number of "Yes, but..." statements followed by a defensive comment or two, I realize Daniel speaks the truth. I agree that when Pope Francis speaks about reaching out to the marginalized he is clearly proclaiming the Gospel. It is an area in which I need to grow. Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire!
God does not expect perfection in our journey, he expects us to, step by step, advance in our spiritual walk. In doing so he is always merciful, especially to sinners. The just do not need mercy to the extent the sinners do. "His mercy is from generation to generation to those that fear him", our Blessed Mother repeated in her Magnificat. Fear of the Lord, means we keep trying to die to sin and when we fall we get back up again. Perfection will only come in heaven. Mercy came to St. Paul when he did not know sin. He come to know mercy after killing Christians and the Lord woke him up by knocking him off his horse and blinding him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me"? It was because of God's mercy in his evilness that he came to know and accept our merciful savior.
Oddly enough the ones the Pope marginalizes is those who hold fast and proclaim boldly the unchanging truths of the faith. "The poor we will always have", but in their poverty they come to know the Lord who was poor. But when one marginalizes those who cling to the Truth, who is Jesus himself, then one is truly at odds with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The rest of his life...he acknowledged sin. And St. Paul tried to stop sinning from that moment forward. Two types of Mercy... The greatest Mercy is shown at judgement. Brother al
We are shown mercy by God but at judgement He sees us as we really are. And we see Him as He really is, the Thrice Holy God. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy-God!—St. Faustina;Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary That is why we need to become saints here below!
Would a validly elected pope marginalise and ignore cardinals, bishops and lay faithful who seek clear teaching from the Bishop of Rome on the formerly settled matter of Holy Communion for divorced re-married Catholics.?