The Pope lamented in his homily today those who take refuge in the rigidity of commandments or laws, but miss the most important thing: the message of God's forgiveness.
POPE FRANCIS
'How do I receive the redemption, the forgiveness that God has given me, the making of me a son with His Son? Lovingly, tenderly, with freedom? Or do I hide in the rigidity of the closed Commandments, that are more and more 'safeâ?, but that do not give joy, because they does not make you free.â?
Obviously the Pope does not intend to cancel the commandments, but asks that one does not transform to God in a handful of laws.
SUMMARY OF PAPAL HOMILY IN ENGLISH
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'When Jesus says: â??The Father is always at work: I, too, am always at work,â?? the teachers of the law were scandalized and wanted to kill him for this. Why? Because they could not receive the things of God as a gift! Only as Justice: â??These are the Commandments: but they are few, letâ??s make more. And instead of opening their heart to the gift, they hid, have sought refuge in the rigidity of the Commandments, which they had multiplied up to 500 or more ... They did not know how to receive the gift â?? and the gift is only received with freedom â?? and these rigid characters were afraid of the freedom that God gives us: they were afraid of love.â?
'And that is why today we have praised the Father: â??You are great, O Lord! I love you so much, for you have given this gift. You saved me, you created me.â?? And this is the prayer of praise, the prayer of joy, the prayer that gives us the joy of the Christian life. And not the closed, sad prayer of the person who never knew how to receive a gift because he is afraid of freedom that always carries with it a gift. Such a one knows only how to do duty, but closed duty. Slaves of duty, but not love: when you become a slave of love, you are free! It is a beautiful bondage that, but such men did not understand that.â?
'How do I receive the redemption, the forgiveness that God has given me, the making of me a son with His Son? Lovingly, tenderly, with freedom? Or do I hide in the rigidity of the closed Commandments, that are more and more 'safeâ? â?? with emphasis on the scare-quotes â?? but that do not give joy, because they does not make you free. Each of us ought to ask himself wonder how he is experiencing these two wonders: the wonder of creation and even greater wonder of re-creation. May the Lord make us understand this great thing and make us understand what He was doing before creating the world: He was loving. Let us understand His love for us, and may we say â?? as we said today: â??Lord, you are great! Thank you, thank you!â?? Let us go forward like this.'
