Today in his homily at Casa Santa Marta, the pope asked that people do not cover-up their sin, but instead look deeper to experience true forgiveness and healing that has the power to transform the heart.
POPE FRANCIS
'We are all sinners, but look to the root of your sin, and that the Lord goes there and re-creates it; and that bitter root will flourish, flourish with works of justice; and you will be a new man, a new woman. But if we [say]: â??Yes, yes, I have some sins; I go, I confess myselfâ?¦ two little words, and then I go on as before,â? I donâ??t allow myself to be re-created by the Lord.â?
He continued by asking people to open their hearts to the Lord to be recreated, completely transformed with faith and courage as Christmas approaches.
EXCERPTS FROM PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'But what Jesus did was not only change things from ugly to beautiful, from wicked to good: Jesus made a transformation. Itâ??s not a problem of making something beautiful, itâ??s not a problem of cosmetics, of make-up: He changed everything from the inside! He made a change that was a re-creation: God had created the world; man fell into sin; Jesus came to re-create the world. And this is the message, the message of the Gospel, that we can clearly see: before healing that man, He forgave his sins. Go that way, to a re-creation, He re-creates that man, [changing him] from a sinner to a just man: He re-creates him as a just man. He makes him new, totally new. And this gives scandal: this gives scandal!â?
'We are all sinners, but look to the root of your sin, and that the Lord goes there and re-creates it; and that bitter root will flourish, flourish with works of justice; and you will be a new man, a new woman. But if we [say]: â??Yes, yes, I have some sins; I go, I confess myselfâ?¦ two little words, and then I go on as before,â? I donâ??t allow myself to be re-created by the Lord. Only two coats of paint, and we believe that with this the storyâ??s over. No! Naming my sins, with name and surname: Iâ??ve done this, and this, and this, and I am ashamed at heart. And I open my heart: â??Lord, the only thing I have. Re-create me! Re-create me! And so we have the courage of going with true faith â?? as we asked â?? towards Christmas.â??â?
'The Saint, talking to the Lord said, â??Are you content, O Lordâ?? â?? â??No!â?? â?? â??But I have given you everything!â?? â?? â??No, thereâ??s something missingâ?¦â?? And this poor man did another penance, said another prayer, did another vigil: â??I have done this for you, O Lord. Is everything ok? â?? â??No! Somethingâ??s missingâ?¦â?? â?? â??But what is missing, Lord?â?? â?? â??Your sins are lacking! Give me your sins!â?? This is what the Lord is asking of us today. â??Courage! Give me your sins and I will make you a new man, a new woman.â?? May the Lord give us faith, to believe this.â?
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