11/7/2014

Pope at Santa Marta: God goes to the limit so no one should be lost

Pope at Santa Marta: God

goes to the limit so no one
should be lost
2014-11-06 Vatican Radio
(Vatican Radio) The true Christian is not
afraid to get his hands dirty by reaching
out to sinners, even at the risk of losing his
reputation, because as the parable of the
Good Shepherd teaches us, no one should
be lost, said Pope Francis at Mass on
Thursday morning.

Emer McCarthy reports, Listen:

1:52

Pope Francis based his homily on the two parables of the lost sheep and the lost
coin. The Pharisees and scribes were scandalized because Jesus "welcomes
sinners and eats with them". "It was quite a scandal at the time, for these people,"
observed the Pope. "Just imagine if there had been press at that time!. "But Jesus
came for this very reason: to look for those who had strayed from the Lord. These
two parables - he said - "allow us to see what the heart of God is like. God does
not stop, God does not go up to a certain point, God goes all the way, to the very
limit, He always goes to the limit; He does not stop at the half way point on the
journey of Salvation, as if to say 'I did all I could, its their problem. He always
goes, moves out, takes to the field".
The Pharisees and the scribes, however, stop "half-way. They were only
concerned about balancing their profits and losses and were quite content with
this. 'Yes, it's true, I've lost three coins, I lost ten sheep, but I earned a lot more.
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11/7/2014

Pope at Santa Marta: God goes to the limit so no one should be lost

This does not even enter Gods mind, God is not a moneymaker, God is a Father
and He goes to the very end to save us, to the limit. This is Gods love. Half-way
shepherds are so sad.
"It is sad to see a shepherd open the doors of the church and just stand there
waiting. Its sad that the Christian does not feel within, in his heart, the need, the
need to go to tell others that the Lord is good. How much perversion there is in the
hearts of those who think they are righteous, like these scribes, these Pharisees.
Well, they do not want to dirty their hands with sinners. Let us recall what they
thought, 'Well, if he were a prophet, he would know that she is a sinner'. The
contempt. They used people, then they despised them".
"Being a half-way shepherd - Pope Francis said - is a defeat". "A shepherd must
have the heart of God, go to the very limit" because he does not want anyone to
be lost:
"The true shepherd, the true Christian has this zeal within: no one should be lost.
And this is why they are not afraid to get his hands dirty. He is not afraid. He goes
where he needs to go. He risks his life, he risks his reputation, he risks losing his
comforts, his status, even lose his ecclesiastical career as well, but he is the Good
Shepherd. Even Christians have to be this way. It is so easy to condemn others,
as they [the Pharisees] did - the tax collectors and sinners - it's so easy, but it is
not Christian! It is not [the attitude of] the children of God. The Son of God goes to
the very limit, the giver of life, as Jesus gave his for others. He cannot be content,
keeping to himself: his comfort, his reputation, his peace of mind. Remember this:
no half-way shepherds, never! No half-way Christians, never! Thats what Jesus
did".
"The good shepherd, the good Christian - said the Pope is outward bound, is
always outward bound: he is moves out of himself, he moves toward God in
prayer, in worship; he moves out towards others to bring them the message of
salvation. The good shepherd and the good Christian know what tenderness is:
"These scribes, the Pharisees did not know, did not know what it means to set the
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11/7/2014

Pope at Santa Marta: God goes to the limit so no one should be lost

sheep on his shoulders, with tenderness, and bring it back to its place. These
people do not know what joy is. The half-way Christian and shepherd knows
perhaps know some fun, calm, a certain peace, but joy, the joy there is in heaven,
the joy that comes from God, the joy that comes from the heart of a father who
saves! 'I have heard the cries of the Israelites and I took to the field! This is so
beautiful; do not be afraid that they badmouth us because we go to visit our
brothers and sisters who are distant from the Lord. Let us ask this grace for each
of us and for our Mother, the Holy Church. "

3:05

(from Vatican Radio)

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