At Mass in Santa Marta Francis speaks of the Gospel of the miraculous catch and invites participants to recognize themselves as sinners "not in theory, in practice" and to recognize the Savior. The Lord "forgives even those who deny him, if they have the grace of this double confession: You are God, I am a sinner."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The wonder of the crowd, of the apostles, of Peter faced with their encounter with Christ "opened the hearts of the faithful", while those who only appreciated the grandeur while beginning to make calculations "behaved like the Pharisees and demons, who recognize the essence of Christ but are closed in their pride”.  This was the subject of Pope Francis’ reflections this morning during daily Mass in Santa Marta.

Vatican Radio reports that the Pope, commenting on the Gospel of the miraculous catch said: "I like to think that most of his time Jesus was on the streets, with people; then later in the evening would go away on his own to pray, but that he encountered people, he sought people". This encounter however, demands a response, and there are two ways to formulate it: "On the one hand that of Peter, the apostles, the people, that is: Wonder." Another group that met Jesus, however, "do not let this wonder into their heart, they listened to Jesus, made their calculations, the doctors of law: ‘He is intelligent, he is a man who says what is true, but we do not agree these things, no, eh! '. They made their calculations, and then distanced themselves".

This way of doing things is exactly the same as demons: "They confessed, they proclaimed that Jesus was the 'Son of God', but as the teachers of the law and bad Pharisees, they did not have the capacity of wonder, they were locked in their sufficiency, in their pride. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah but also confesses to be a sinner. " Instead the inability to recognize ourselves as sinners "distances us from the true confession of Jesus Christ. And that's the difference. "

Admitting our sinful nature, said Francis, "opens us to the wonder of the encounter of Jesus Christ, the true encounter. Even in our parishes, in our society, even among consecrated persons: how many people are able to say that Jesus is Lord? So many! But it is difficult to say sincerely: 'I am a sinner, I am a sinner'. This is easier to say of others. When we gossip? ‘Him , her yes ...'. We are all doctors in this, right? ".

But it is a wrong: "To arrive at a real encounter with Jesus we need to make a double confession: 'You are the Son of God and I am a sinner', but not just in theory: because of this, and of this ... ". Even Peter - said the pope - forgets the wonder of encounter and denies the Lord: "But since he is humble, he allows himself to be found by the Lord, and when their eyes meet, he cries, he makes the confession: 'I am a sinner'. The Lord give us the grace to encounter him but also to let Him encounter us. Give us the grace, this beautiful, this wonderful encounter. And give us the grace to make the double confession in our lives: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, I think. And I'm a sinner, I believe. '"

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