Pope says our problem lies in not returning to right path after going astray

March 31, 2014 - The problem with the followers of Christ lies not in mistaking, but in not returning to the right path once we have realized our mistake. The Pope made this exhortation in his homily at Mass, Monday morning, in the chapel of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta residence, where he lives. Reflecting on first reading of the Mass from the Book of Isaiah on God’s promises, the Pope said God always promises before asking in return. In this regard, he spoke about three categories of Christians. Firstly, there are those who go ahead trusting in God’s promises. Then there are those with weak hope who observe all the commandments and every precept, but don’t go ahead, hoping things will go well. This is a real problem, the Pope pointed out, because the Lord cannot make yeast of these Christians. Lastly, there are Christians who go off the path, and all of us have sometime or other mistaken the road. The problem, the Pope pointed out, is not in mistaking, but in not returning when we realize we have mistaken. In this regard, the Pope offered as model the figure of the royal official whose dying son Jesus healed. The official believed in Jesus and went ahead to find his son as promised. The Pope spoke about a ‘very dangerous’ group of Christians who deceive themselves but don’t make progress. They wander about as if life were an ‘existential tourism, without any goal and they don’t take promises seriously.” The Pope admitted that because of our sinful condition we tend to mistake, but, added, “the Lord always gives us the grace to return.”