God saves with love, not force – He proposes himself not impose – Pope Francis

Pope Francis explained that God waits for us to accept his infinite love. He continued, saying this infinite love, at times, “can be rejected”.

Speaking before Sunday’s Angelus, Pope Francis said this is precisely what the eldest son does in the parables, cited in today’s readings. He imagines God as a “master” rather than as a “Father”; a “rigorous” God rather than a “merciful” one. “No”, said the Pope, “God saves with love, not with force. He proposes himself but does not impose himself”.

Before the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Pope recalled the Sunday Gospel, in which Jesus is criticized for being “in the company of tax collectors and sinners”, with the phrase “He welcomes sinners and eats with them”.

The Pontiff commented that this is actually a “great announcement”, because Jesus does exactly that: he “welcomes sinners and eats with them”. This is a phrase, said the Pope, that could be written on the doors of our Churches, as he explained that “at every Mass, in every Church: Jesus is happy to welcome us at his table, where he offers himself to us”.

Via Vatican News