Pope briefs priests: Don’t be smug, don’t judge sinners

“At times this service can be tiring and burdensome”, the pope said, “yet we are certain that the Lord will surely turn our human efforts into something divine”.

“Look upon your servants, Lord, that we are sending as messengers of mercy, salvation and peace”.

Pope Francis receives the ashes during the Ash Wednesday mass, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.

Francis then addressed the Missionaries of Mercy directly, telling them that their mandate is to be a sign and instrument of God’s forgiveness.

“He is saying that God’s love is stronger than any sin”.

“Usury is a grave sin before God”, he said, and noted that many times, people in desperation “end up committing suicide because they can’t do it and they don’t have hope”.

However, he warned that certain obstacles frequently get in the way, such as the temptation to lock the doors of our heart, to give into feelings of shame, and to distance ourselves from the door by wallowing in our own misery.

Praying for a loved one’s health and healing, tenderly caring for them and asking very human questions about why people suffer are experiences Christians, Muslims and Jews all share, Pope Francis said.

The third danger is when people walk away from Christ, becoming distant or isolated by holing themselves up with their own suffering, wallowing endlessly in negative thoughts and sinking into the darkest recesses of the soul, he said.

“I like him”, Mr. Trump said.

“Being a missionary of mercy is a responsibility that is entrusted to you because it asks you to be a firsthand witness of God’s closeness and his way of loving, not our way, which is always limited and sometimes contradictory”, he said on Tuesday.

“I think this year there will be lots of overtime that will not be paid”, he said to laughter.

The ritual, which included smudging ashes on foreheads, symbolizes mortality, and marks the start of Lent, a period of prayer, penitence, and self-sacrifice in preparation for Easter. Reflecting on the Capuchin Franciscan tradition as one of giving forgiveness, he cited the many well-known Capuchin confessors like St. Leopold of Mandic and St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more commonly known as Padre Pio.

“THE PATH OF POPE FRANCIS”: Father Jeremy Zipple, executive editor of America Films, will present a lecture, “Living Mercy: The Path of Pope Francis”, at 7 p.m. February 24 in Ignatius Chapel in Bobet Hall at Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans.