No matter how serious the sins are all you need to do is "repent and ask for forgiveness": "you do not have to pay anything," because "Christ already paid for us". Confession "more than a judgment, is an encounter” with the Lord who "embraces you." "Teach our children, our young people to confess well, so that going to confession is not like going to the dry cleaners to remove a stain. No! It is going to meet the Father."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The "work" of God is reconciled, because "our God forgives" any sin, He always forgive and He "rejoices" when someone seeks forgiveness. Moreover, confession "rather than a judgment, is an encounter" with God who "embraces us".  This was the heart of Pope Francis' homily at Mass today in Casa Santa Marta. The Pope reflected on the passage from the Letter  to the Jews, in which it speaks vigorously about the "new covenant" established by God with His chosen people.

"The God who reconciles" choose to send Jesus to re-establish a new covenant with humanity and the cornerstone of this pact is basically one: forgiveness. A forgiveness that has many features. "First of all, God always forgives! He never tires of forgiving. We are the ones who get tired of asking for forgiveness. But He does not get tired of forgiving. When Peter asked Jesus:" How many times must I forgive? Seven times? "." Not seven times: seventy times seven". In other words, always. Just as God always forgives. If you have lived a life of many sins, done so many bad things, but in the end, are a little sorry, ask for forgiveness, He will forgive you right away! He always forgives. "

Yet, the question that might arise in the human heart is the "how much" God is willing to forgive. Well all you have to do is "repent and ask for forgiveness": "you don't have to pay anything," because "Christ already paid for us." The model is the prodigal son in the parable, who having repented prepares a speech for his father, who instead does not even give him the chance to speak but embraces him and holds him tight. "There is no sin that He does not forgive. He forgives everything. 'But, father, I do not go to confession because I've done so many bad things, many bad things, so many that I will never be forgiven ...' No. It is not true. He forgives everything. If you go to Him repentant, He will forgive everything. When ... eh, not so often He doesn't let you speak! You begin to ask for forgiveness and He makes you feel the joy of forgiveness before you've finished saying everything".

And another thing, when He forgives, God "rejoices". And finally, God "forgets". Because what matters to God is "His encounter with us." And here, Francis suggested an examination of conscience for priests in the confessional. "Am I am willing to forgive everything?", "To forget the sins of that person?". Confession, in fact, "is more than a judgement, it is an encounter." "So often, confessions seem a practice, a formality: 'Po, po, po, po, po ... Po, po, po ... Go." All mechanical! No! And where is the encounter? The encounter with the Lord that reconciles, embraces and gives joy. And this is our God, so good. Also - he concluded - we must teach: Teach our children, our young people to confess well, so that going to confession is not like going to the dry cleaners to remove a stain. No! It is going to meet the Father, reconciling, embracing rejoicing".

 

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