Mar 6 Thu
Should I insist, "God loves me; thus, the world must change for me"?
A contemporary Pharisee mentality has turned the phrase "God loves me as I am" into a shield against true conversion and the action of grace. Many people have made their ego their only priority, continually insisting that God loves everyone as they are—which is true—but they often neglect to mention the crucial point: He also calls us to repentance and radical conversion. How frequently do we hear talks and lectures centered on the message, "Relax, God loves you as you are, without limits and without conditions"? We seldom hear a compelling call to "Have faith, repent, change, be converted, go, and sin no more."
In this modern, distorted spirituality, it is no longer man who must adapt to God's plans; rather, it is God—and the Church, and society—that must adapt to man, along with all his vices and sins.
If someone cannot or does not want to change, the solution is no longer to allow oneself to be transformed by sanctifying grace, but rather to seek self-affirmation with the belief: "I am this way, and God loves me... Therefore, everyone must accept me, and they must change their mindset so that I feel good." This is a subtle and highly effective trick of the Enemy. It fits with the attitude that Pope Francis describes as "self-referential." In this case, I become the center of everything, and the world must change for my emotional stability.
The Church engages in dialogue with the world to judge it and offer the light of Jesus, while remaining true to the Word of God.
The main question is: Do you want to be cured?
Jesus asked, "Do you want to be healed?" (John 5:6). His power is available to all, but His conditions are clear: faith, courage, a radical inner change, repentance, conversion, and embracing the cross.
However, today's mentality reverses this process: instead of allowing grace to transform the sinner, the Church is expected to modify morality to avoid traumatizing anyone. It’s as if a doctor, instead of curing illnesses, were to declare any disease a healthy condition to avoid hurting people's feelings—a phenomenon that, unfortunately, has already taken place.
Is there hope? Yes, but it must be realistic!
Holiness is not reserved for superheroes; it is for the humble. Being humble does not mean being pleased about one’s wounds, but rather allowing God to heal them instead of demanding that the world applaud them. Ultimately, the one who deserves admiration is the person who says, "Lord, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner," and who allows Him to perform the miracle.
There will be setbacks; there may be mistakes and sins, but by turning to the sources of grace, we will find consolation and, above all, restoration. Remember, "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord,' will be saved, but only he who does the will of my Father."
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