Pope Francis 10 years ago, just after being elected Pope issued a long letter, called an Apostolic Exhortation, called Evangelium Gaudium (The Gospel of Joy) which is filled with
warnings, encouragement, and challenges, all rooted in a pastor's love for the
flock. He speaks in general how our religion, our Gospel is one of joy. These
are some extracts from it:
“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to
a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to
letting Him encounter them.“
“People should seek to abandon the complacent attitude that
says: ‘We have always done it this way’. I invite everyone to be
bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and
methods of evangelization in their respective communities.”
On difficulties we have to face, Pope Francis writes: “Let us
not say, then, that things are harder today; they are simply different. But let
us learn also from the saints who have gone before us, who confronted the
difficulties of their own day.“
On Mercy he says - “Let me say this once more:
God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
He speaks about Joy - “Sometimes we are tempted to find
excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions
were met. To some extent this is because our ‘technological society has
succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure, yet has found it very difficult
to create, enhance and engender joy’.”
He speaks also of people going to confession..... “Penitents
may not be joyful when they enter a confessional but possess boundless joy when
they leave. Such is the working of grace.“
There’s a lot more to digest but these are just a
few sentences that struck me as worth chewing on.
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