Dont get to soft Brian. Here ,read this and get going again... When I say to the wicked: O wicked man, thou shalt surely die: if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked man from his way: that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at thy hand.
When my soul is weary I read Benedict XVI: Jesus reveals to the blind man who he had healed that he had come into the world for judgement, to separate the blind who can be healed from those who do not allow themselves to be healed because they consider themselves healthy. Re. John 9:1-41, Angelus March 2 2008 ...our real enemy is attachment to sin, which can lead us to failure in our lives. Jesus sent the adulterous woman away with this recommendation: "Go, and do not sin again". He forgives her so that "from now on" she will sin no more. In a similar episode, that of the repentant woman, a former sinner whom we come across in Luke's Gospel (cf. 7: 36-50), he welcomed a woman who had repented and sent her peacefully on her way. Here, instead, the adulterous woman simply receives an unconditional pardon. In both cases - for the repentant woman sinner and for the adulterous woman - the message is the same. In one case it is stressed that there is no forgiveness without the desire for forgiveness, without opening the heart to forgiveness; here it is highlighted that only divine forgiveness and divine love received with an open and sincere heart give us the strength to resist evil and "to sin no more", to let ourselves be struck by God's love so that it becomes our strength. Jesus' attitude thus becomes a model to follow for every community, which is called to make love and forgiveness the vibrant heart of its life. Re. John 8:1-11, Homily March 25, 2007 All homilies etc are available free online at vatican.va, but I read these in "The Joy of Knowing Christ. Meditations on the Gospels" which I bought for my Kindle. It's great to have his wisdom sitting in my bag for whenever I feel that thirst!
I believe we can identify three significant events in the history of the Church that symbolize its birth in different ways: the birth through Blood, marked by Christ's atoning death on the cross; the birth through the Keys, when Christ grants divine authority to Peter and the other apostles; and the birth through the Spirit, with the descent of the Paraclete upon the congregation on the day of Pentecost. This division into three moments, I believe, helps us understand the process of the Church’s development as a divine institution, despite the failures of its priests. We observe that even in the presence of priests of poor character, the grace of the sacraments is not nullified, for it derives from the authority of the Keys that Our Lord first granted to Peter. Similarly, the failures of priests do not negate the grace of redemption and the Holy Spirit for those who seek Christ through the sacraments, even when ministered by unfaithful servants. As for the power of the Keys, it is somewhat challenging to situate it precisely within the biblical context. There are debates about whether it was established in Peter's confession of faith (the rock), in Christ’s call for Peter to shepherd His flock after the resurrection, or at the moment Christ summoned the twelve apostles to heal the sick and cast out demons. What is most intriguing, however, is that even though Judas received apostolic gifts, he was possibly not redeemed by the Lord, who refers to him as the "son of perdition."
Matthew 10:1-20 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.