There is no pettiness in God, and he gives his love freely, with an unbounded generosity, says Pope Francis.
This was the theme of the Pope’s homily at morning Mass today in the Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio.
Noting that the word «abundance» is found three times in the reading today from Paul’s letter to the Romans, the Holy Father reflected, «God gives in abundance up to the point as Paul wrote in his final summing up: ‘But however much sin increased, grace was always greater.’ It abounds everything. And this is God’s love for us, without limits. All of Himself.”
Pope Francis went on to explain that God’s heart is always open, like that of the Prodigal Son’s father.
“God is not a petty God. He doesn’t know pettiness. He gives everything. God is not somebody who stays still: He is watching and waiting for us to convert. God is a God who goes out. He goes out to search, for each one of us.
«But is this true? Every day he searches, he is searching for us. As he already has done and already said, in the Parable of the lost sheep or the lost coin: He is searching. He is always doing this.”
Recognizing that for human beings, this love is difficult to understand, the Pope shared a recollection of an 84-year-old religious sister that he knew in his home diocese who, he said, still goes out to visit ill people in the hospital and speaks to them with a smile about God’s love. Pope Francis said this sister received the grace to understand the mystery of God’s boundless love, a grace that so many do not receive.
“It’s true, we always tend to weigh up the situation or things with the measurements that we have, and our measurements are small. For this reason, we’d do well to ask the Holy Spirit for this grace. Pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to draw closer, at least a little bit, in order to understand this love and have the desire to be embraced and kissed with that boundless love.”
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Daily readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:
Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 474
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.
If by that one person’s transgression the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
For if, by the transgression of the one,
death came to reign through that one,
how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the gift of justification
come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression
condemnation came upon all,
so, through one righteous act
acquittal and life came to all.
For just as through the disobedience of one man
the many were made sinners,
so, through the obedience of the one
the many will be made righteous.
Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification
for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”
