Pope: God is greater than all of our sins

At today's General Audience Francis explains the Psalm known as the "Miserere". "The only thing we really need in our lives is to be forgiven, delivered from evil and its deadly consequences". God’s love  "is an ocean in which we immerse ourselves without fear of being overwhelmed: God forgiveness guarantees us that He will never abandon us."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "If you fall, pick yourself up, if you fall in sin out of weakness hold out your hand and the Lord will pull you up, this is the dignity of God's forgiveness", the only one who can forgive you, by “uprooting" sin, because "God is greater than all of our sins".  The confession of guilt and asking for forgiveness were the focus of Pope Francis’ catechesis today the last one dedicated to mercy in the Old Testament.

Speaking to 40 thousand people in St. Peter's Square, Francis proposed a reflection on Psalm 51, also known as the Miserere. "It is – he said - a penitential prayer in which the pardon is preceded by the confession of guilt and in which the person praying, is purified by the Lord, becomes a new creature, capable of obedience, firmness of spirit, and sincere praise. The 'title' that the ancient Jewish tradition has placed on this Psalm refers to King David and his sin with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. We know the story. King David, called by God to nourish the people and to guide them on the paths of obedience to the divine law, betrays his mission and, after committing adultery with Bathsheba, makes her kill her husband. Bad, very bad! Nathan the prophet reveals his guilt to him and helps him to recognize it. It is the moment of reconciliation with God, in the confession of his sins. And here David was humble, he was great".

"Those who pray this Psalm are invited to have the same feelings of repentance and faith in God who welcomed David when he came, and, despite being a king, he humiliated himself and did not fear to confess his guilt and to show his misery. However, he is also convinced of the certainty of the Lord’s mercy; and it was not a little lie that he had told, but adultery and murder”.

"The Psalm begins with these words of supplication:"Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin"(vv. 3-4). The invocation is addressed to the God of mercy that He has a great love like that of a father or a mother, have mercy, that face grace, show your support with kindness and understanding. It is an impassioned plea to God, the only one who can free us from sin. Very vivid images are used: blot out, wash me, make me pure. This prayer reveals real human needs: the only thing we really need in our lives is to be forgiven, delivered from evil and its deadly consequences. Unfortunately, we often experience these situations in life. First and foremost, we must trust in mercy. God is greater than our sin, do not forget this, God is greater than our sin! God is greater than all of the sins that we may do, and His love is an ocean in which we immerse ourselves without fear of being overwhelmed: God forgiveness guarantees us that He will never abandon us. Whatever we can reproach ourselves with, He is still and always will be greater than everything (cf. 1 Jn 3:20) because God is greater than our sin. Do not forget this: God is greater than our sin! 'Father, I do not know to say this, I've done so many really bad things, so many!'. God is greater than all the sins that we can do. God is greater than our sin. Shall we say it together? All together: God - all together! - is greater than our sin !. Once more, God is greater than our sin! Once more, God is greater than our sin !. And his love is an ocean in which we immerse ourselves without fear of being overwhelmed: God forgiveness guarantees us that He will never abandon us. Whatever we can reproach ourselves with, He is still and always will be greater than everything (cf. 1 Jn 3:20) because God is greater than our sin. "

"In this sense, those who pray this Psalm are looking for forgiveness, confessing guilt, but recognizing it celebrating the justice and holiness of God. And then they ask for grace and mercy. The psalmist relies on the goodness of God, knows that God's forgiveness is most effective because it creates what he says. It does not hide sin, but destroys it, and blots it out, right from the root, it uproots it, without leaving any trace. So the penitent becomes pure again, all stain is removed and he is now whiter than pristine snow. We are all sinners, we are sinners, with forgiveness, we become new creatures, filled up by the spirit and full of joy. Now begins a new reality for us: a new heart, a new spirit, a new life. We, forgiven sinners, we welcome God's grace, we can even teach others to sin no more. (...)If you fall, pick yourself up, if you fall in sin out of weakness hold out your hand and the Lord will pull you up, this is the dignity of God's forgiveness! God created man and woman to raise them up, not to sin. The psalmist says: " A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. [...]that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you "(vv. 12:15)."

"God's forgiveness is what we all need, and it is the greatest sign of His mercy. A gift that every forgiven sinner is called to share with every brother and sister they meet. All those whom the Lord has placed beside us, family members, friends, colleagues, parishioners ... all of them are, like us, in need of the mercy of God, it is great to be forgiven but to be forgiven, one must first forgive! Forgive! May the Lord grant us, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy, to be witnesses of His forgiveness, which purifies the heart and transforms lives".

• Vatican Pope Francis mercy sin