Pope: always remember that God has mercy on my sins and has chosen me

"When the Apostle forgets his origins and begins to make a career, he moves away from the Lord and becomes an official", will be a "system of pastoral plans", but unable to transmit Jesus. To those who are scandalized, Jesus replies that I am not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - If you want to get "right to the heart of God", "take the path of mercy" and remember where the Lord has chosen us, so as not to become "a businessman of God’s Kingdom", said Pope Francis at Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta, inspired by the passage of the Gospel that tells the "calling" of Matthew (Mt 9: 9-13).

Matthew, the tax collector was corrupt "because he was betraying his country for money. A traitor to his people: the worst kind". Someone may therefore think that Jesus "has no sense in choosing people", because in addition to Matthew he chose so many others by taking them "from the most despised places". It was the same with the Samaritan woman and many other sinners and he then made them apostles. "In the life of the Church, so many Christians, so many saints were chosen from among the lowest ... chosen from the lowest. This conscience that we Christians should have - where I was chosen from, where I was chosen to be a Christian from - must stay with us throughout our lifetime, so I remember my sins, so that I remember that the Lord has had mercy on my sins and chose me to be a Christian, to be an apostle.”

The Pope then described Matthew's reaction to the Lord's call: he did not dress in luxury, he did not begin to say to others: I am the prince of the Apostles, here I am in charge. "No! He worked all his life for the Gospel ". "When the Apostle forgets his origins and begins to chooses to follow a career, he moves away from the Lord and becomes an official; he may do well for himself, but it is not an Apostle. He will be unable to transmit Jesus; he will have a system of pastoral plans, of many things; but in the end, he will just be a businessman. A businessman of the Kingdom of God, because he forgot where he was chosen ". For this reason, Francis continued, the memory of our origins is important: "This memory must accompany the life of the Apostle and of every Christian".

Instead of looking at ourselves, however, we are led to look at others, their sins and to talk about them. A habit that makes you sick. It is better to accuse yourself, the Pope repeated, and to remember where the Lord has chosen us, bringing us here. The Lord, Francis recalled, when he chooses, chooses for something great. "Being a Christian is a big, beautiful thing. We are the ones who move away from ourselves  and want to stay halfway ". We lack generosity and we negotiate with the Lord, but He waits for us.

At being called, Matthew renounces his love, money, to follow Jesus. He invites his friends to have lunch with him to celebrate the Master. So at that table sat "the worst of the worst of the society of that time. And Jesus with them ". "And the doctors of the Law were scandalized. They called the disciples and said: 'But what is your Master doing with these people? But, he will become impure! ': Eating with an impure infects you , impurity, you are not pure. And Jesus takes the word and says this third word: 'Go and learn what this means 'I want mercy, and not sacrifice ''.

The mercy of God seeks everyone, forgives everyone. He only wants you to say, 'Yes, help me'. Only that ". To those who are scandalized, Jesus replies that it is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick and: "Mercy I want, and not sacrifices". "To understand the Lord's mercy - concluded Francis - is a mystery; the greatest, most beautiful mystery is the heart of God. If you want to get right to the heart of God, take the path of mercy, and let yourself be treated with mercy ".

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