If in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be 'devout' and to perform my 'religious duties', then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely 'proper', but loveless.
Pope Benedict XviRead
The "door of faith" (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of faith and the transformative journey it offers through connection with God.
Pope Benedict XVI highlights the 'door of faith' as a continuous opportunity to engage with God and the community of the Church. This journey begins with receiving God's word and being open to the transformative grace that shapes one’s heart, signifying that faith is not a one-time event but a lifelong exploration of communion with the divine.
Themes
FaithJourneyGraceCommunionGod
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about faith and community, you might say, 'As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, the door of faith is always open.'
More from Pope Benedict Xvi
All quotes →The life of the community, both domestically and internationally, clearly demonstrates that respect for rights, and the guarantees that follow from them, are measures of the common good that serve to evaluate the relationship between justice and injustice, development and poverty, security and conflict.
Pope Benedict XviRead
If you follow the will of God, you know that in spite of all the terrible things that happen to you, you will never lose a final refuge. You know that the foundation of the world is love, so that even when no human being can or will help you, you may go on, trusting in the One that loves you.
Pope Benedict XviRead
I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools.
Pope Benedict XviRead
Faith is above all a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus, and to experience [His] closeness, [His] friendship, [His] Love; only in this way does one learn to know [Him] ever more, and to love and follow [Him] ever more. May this happen to each one of us.
Pope Benedict XviRead
Do not be afraid of seeming different and being criticized for what might seem to be losing or out of fashion; your peers but adults too, especially those who seem more distant from the mindset and values of the Gospel, are crying out to see someone who dares to live according to the fullness of humanity revealed by Jesus Christ.
Pope Benedict XviRead
Similar quotes
Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love—but sometimes it was so hard to love. Sometimes my heart was sinking so fast with anger, desolation and weariness, I was afraid it would sink to the very bottom of the Pacific and I would not be able to lift it back up.
Yann MartelRead
Without Christ, not one step; with Him, anywhere!
David LivingstoneRead
In this Year of Faith, we pray to the Lord that the Church may always be a true family that brings God’s love to everyone.
Pope FrancisRead
I grew up in a very religious family and it is the motivating force to every thing I do. I am fortunate to have had adults all around me who really lived their faith, in helping other people and doing the best you can do.
Marian Wright EdelmanRead
I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God.
Ignatius Of AntiochRead
Allah will never humiliate the one who takes his Lord as friend and patron.
Ibn Qayyim Al-JawziyyaRead