The Pope's Mission of Mercy - and Our Rejection of It.

Pope Francis recently stated we need to keep watch over our hearts. I think this is so interesting. Over the last few weeks we have seen a lot of controversy over the new document on blessings in the Church. It seems everyone has an opinion on this new document, even those who haven't taken the time to read it, or understand it. This document seems to be one more polarizing issue for so many, and Catholics and non Catholics alike are weighing in on both sides of an argument that doesn't really seem to even exist within this document. This document is also meant for the clergy, and not the laity. It seems the laity is on an ever increasing mission to exert themselves into realms and areas they do not belong. This has been a constant theme since the Second Vatican Council. Many of us are striving to assume roles reserved for the clergy and negating our own spiritual progress and journeys to that end.

This document doesn't change the Church's teaching on marriage, and it doesn't promote condoning sin, in fact it stresses the opposite. And yet, for many the sky seems to be falling. We are living in interesting times. Times when so much information is available to so many, yet few seem to really validate or understand the messages. I'm not sure we want to. Mainstream and social media alike have entered into a warzone over clicks and likes, leaving the virtuous practice of verifying information for truth a casualty. There seems to be two sides to the war, and the war seems to be centered and focused on God's mercy. Not just God's mercy, but who is worthy of receiving it and who is twisting and manipulating it to condone sin and vice. Very few of us seem to be in the middle, which is where we all should really be. Divine Justice is God's role alone. None of us can read and know what is truly in individual hearts and so as we are called to judge actions as good or evil, and then execute the spiritual works of mercy. We must not forget that those works are aimed toward conversion of behaviors and hearts toward God, not justice and vengeance, that is not ours to distribute. We are called to love - and love means willing the good of another, and the ultimate good we should want for all is Heaven.

Public rejection of the Church and Her teaching authority is gravely evil. Publicly declaring the Pope a heretic, the anti=pope, or even Satanic is too. It certainly does not provide those considering conversion to Catholicism a confidence to act. How many are we driving away with this nonsense. How are we destroying and hardening our own hearts in this process? There is definitely room for criticism and questioning, but it must be done in a charitable and constructive way, and we don't much of that these days.

We are a hard hearted people, in one way or another. Some of us exercise this hardness of heart in ways that exclude and shame those living in irregular situations and outwardly struggling with sin. Others of us are hard hearted in the opposite way - so hell bent on accommodating sinners, that we excuse and condone the sin and cause scandal and confusion to those who have a very meek and mild understanding of our faith, and the moral lives we should be striving to live. As it turns out, we are all sinners, some sin is more obvious and visible than others, but just because our sinfulness is less obvious and visible, doesn't make it less toxic and dangerous. We all need mercy, and we are all called to be merciful

Those of us who are distorting and condemning the availability of God's mercy to those sinners with obvious and very visible sinfulness, should be looking inward at hearts that may be guilty of less obvious and visible sinfulness, yet sinfulness just the same. We don't dismiss God's mercy for those sins, only those we see others struggling with - those obvious sins. Those who suffer from sins of the flesh, especially those fighting through same sex attraction, are truly heroic. We can all learn from them. Just because so many of us struggle with sinfulness that is not so obvious or visible, doesn't make us more worthy of a blessing, or God's mercy. As a matter of fact, where sinfulness abounds, Grace abounds all the more. Christ himself claims to leave the 99 in search of the one who is lost, and all of Heaven rejoices for one repentant sinner than 99 who are not in need of repentance. Why are we so hard hearted about God's mercy? We truly are the older brother in the story of the prodigal son. That story really does apply to most of us, and we fail to see it. Who in the story is worse? Who in the story enters the Father's House, and who is left sitting outside sulking? Angry about mercy shown to the sinner, and the repentant response to it. We should not be resentful of the rejoicing found in those seeking and finding God, but we should revel and immerse ourselves within it. We are all one, are we not?

As laity, this document isn't even our concern or business. The way individual clergy determine how to best navigate this document is up to them, and they will reap the rewards or the punishments due to their actions and intentions. Why are we getting ourselves so wound up and angry about issues that should not even concern us? Why aren't we more concerned about our own journeys and aims toward virtuous living and holiness and less so about others. God will sort all of this out in the end. There is much pride on display here than anyone realizes, it is a pride masked in self-righteousness and hypocrisy, and it levels it's ugly heads at all levels and various missions and ministries of the Church. It benefits nobody, and only destroys Truth, Love, charity and real evangelization. Christ warned us, that dang log in our eyes, can definitely be blinding.

The bottom line is, the Holy Spirit guides the Church of Christ. We either believe that or not. If we do, there is no need to worry. Do we really believe Christ's promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail? If we do, there is no need for these types of public outcries. Public statements against the Church and her teaching authority. That is the true destroyer of hearts, and not just of those sinners among us, but the sinners who are us. One day we will be held accountable, and we may be surprised of how our actions either united or divided the Bride of Christ - His Church.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world.