Remember: Christ is calling you; the Church needs you; the Pope believes in you and he expects great things of you.
Pope John Paul IRead
What a mistake those who do not hope make! Judas made a huge blunder the day in which he sold Christ for 30 denarii, but he made an even bigger one when he thought that his sin was too great to be forgiven. No sin is too big: any wretchedness, however great, can always be enclosed in infinite mercy.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of hope and the belief in forgiveness, no matter the magnitude of one's sins.
Pope John Paul I reflects on the profound mistake of losing hope, especially in the context of forgiveness. He illustrates this with the story of Judas, who betrayed Christ for monetary gain, but highlights that Judas's true error was believing that his betrayal was so severe that it could not be forgiven. This underscores a fundamental belief in the mercy and compassion that is available to everyone, regardless of their past actions.
In practice
In a discussion about overcoming personal struggles, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of hope.
Remember: Christ is calling you; the Church needs you; the Pope believes in you and he expects great things of you.
The priestly vocation is essentially a call to sanctity, in the form that derives from the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Sanctity is intimacy with God; it is the imitation of Christ, poor, chaste and humble; it is unreserved love for souls and self-giving to their true good; it is love for the church which is holy and wants us to be holy, because such is the mission that Christ has entrusted to it. Each one of you must be holy also in order to help your brothers pursue their vocation to sanctity.
If someone had told me I would be Pope one day, I would have studied harder.
Because I teach and write about depression and bipolar illness, I am often asked what is the most important factor in treating bipolar disorder. My answer is competence. Empathy is important, but competence is essential.
In everything one must consider the end.
I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business.
He (the Sage) does not show off, therefore he shines.
There is no joy for the one who does not bear sadness, there is no sweetness for the one who does not have patience, there is no delight for the one who does not suffer, and there is no relaxation for the one who does not endure fatigue.
May we never risk the life of our souls by being resentful or by bearing grudges.
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