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.”