I just finished reading The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis. It's a wonderful work, laced with scripture lessons. One of his key points is that Mercy is greatly missing in our world today. Too many have forgotten how to practice it, or what it even means. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this work:
"The Church lives an authentic life when she professes and proclaims mercy--the most stupendous attribute of the Creator and of the Redeemer..."
"...in a word, wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy."
"The Lord asks us above all not to judge and not to condemn. If anyone wishes to avoid God's judgment, he should not make himself the judge of his brother or sister."
(See how badly too many "Christians" are missing the boat on this!)
"How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out by the indifference of the rich!"
"Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!"
"Corruption is a sinful hardening of the heart that replaces God with the illusion that money is a form of power. It is a work of darkness, fed by suspicion and intrigue... If it is not combatted openly, sooner or later everyone will become an accomplice to it, and it will end up destroying our very existence."
This is a voice, we all need to heed, regardless of our church affiliation. It looks like Pope Francis's successor is trying to carry this mission on. I pray for him in this ministry, even though I'm not Roman Catholic. Rather, I belong to the "holy catholic (universal) church, which encompasses all Christians.
It's time the politicians quit telling the Pope not to talk about religious doctrine. How ridiculous! Someone needs to tell the politicians to stop talking politics, to think about the good of all people, not just themselves and their power.
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