Jesus said that He is the way to Heaven.
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Pope Francis said the knowledge of Christ’s presence fills Christians with “a hope which liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city”.
However, he also noted the challenges presented by such a large influx of diverse peoples, and recognized that it’s not always easy to look beyond differences into the soul of the person. But, without Christ, it is impossible to please God. So do not be afraid to welcome them. He further indicated that if your heart is truly at home in this dying world, this world will indeed love you.
Today I would like not only to address you, but through the entire people of the United States. Pope Francis emphatically stated he was not a lefty. It is better for people to do good such as preaching and teaching about the Kingdom, healing of the sick, and casting the demons out from people who are possessed in God’s name, rather than keep on committing sins and wrongdoings that displease God and hurt our fellow beings.
Speaking in terms that are distinctly American, while acting out of a profoundly Biblical faith and life, the Pope is sending a deeply prophetic message to the people of the United States. In this she images the fecundity of the Church.
“We ourselves are witnesses of that light”, the Pope continued.
With most of the songs inspired from the Holy Bible, the album was simply a devotion of the brothers’ allegiance to God and also believe that each one of us are the salt of the word, and our season is now! There are many unjust situations, but we know that God is suffering with us, experiencing them at our side. I want to share some scriptures with you today from the Bible that will show you the only way to get there.
He emphasized the need to remember the joy of being shepherds, as well as that of a personal encounter with Christ in prayer.
A bumper sticker I haven’t seen for a while encapsulates many agnostics’ motivation away from Christianity: “It’s not Jesus I hate, it’s his fan club!”
Remembrance of when we were first called, remembrance of the road travelled, remembrance of graces received… and, above all, remembrance of our encounter with Jesus Christ so often along the way. We punish ourselves with the decisions we make when we refuse to obey God. Faith gave Joseph the power to find light just at the moment when everything seemed dark. Prayer unites us; it makes us brothers and sisters. So contraception was condemned by Pope Pius XI, Wills notes, through a pretty tortuous interpretation of a couple of lines in Genesis that say Onan “spilled his seed on the ground” – since it involves ejaculation without the intent of conception. That why the Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Like St. Joseph, you may ask: Why are we homeless, without a place to live? We know how great God’s love is, because He hung on that old rugged cross.
Another posted, “As a Catholic I see an anti-Pope in him”. I think I’ve been looking forward to it most because he brings with him, in a very special way, the Gospel.
While some members did appear upset at the comments, other users were quick to defend Pope Francis, believing that his words were taken out of context.
Pope Francis said that when people in the Gospels asked Christ “what must we do?” the first thing he did was “to propose, to encourage, to motivate”.
He also spoke on the importance of being humble and of fostering collegiality among themselves. Consequently, the Church, “the seamless garment of the Lord” can not allow herself to be rent, broken or fought over. There are a number of Christian churches around and there are head preachers who claim to be “the one chosen and divinely anointed”. This thought, this realization is why I started writing my column for the week a whole two days before Friday, September 25, 2015, which would have been the deadline for writing and submitting the piece for this week’s column to my Editor.
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Their service to unity is particularly important for the United States, he said, because its “vast material and spiritual, cultural and political, historical and human, scientific and technological resources impose significant moral responsibilities in a world which is seeking, confusedly and laboriously, new balances of peace, prosperity and integration”. I encourage you, then, to confront the challenging issues of our time.
