"He throws down the gauntlet!"
How's that for an inflammatory* headline?
Actually, Pope Francis doesn't seem to smack down anyone in the Church - rather he speaks heart to heart, like a father. He gently points out difficulties, as did Christ in the Gospel. He doesn't ridicule or demean others in the process. The Holy Father respects others - evidently even the lukewarm.
"Lukewarm Christians are those who want to build a church to their own specifications, but it is not the Church of Jesus."
In the Gospel from the liturgy of the day many disciples truly believe the language of Jesus, they whisper, are shocked and eventually leave the Master:
"These people have turned away, they are gone, they say, 'this man is a bit' strange, he says things that are hard…It 's too big a risk to go down this road. We have common sense, eh? Let's go 'back a little and not so close to Him'. These people, perhaps, had a certain admiration for Jesus, but little 'from afar: not to meddle too much with this man, because he says things that are a bit' strange ... ".
These Christians - the Pope said - " are not united in the Church, they do not walk in God's presence, they don’t have the security of the Holy Spirit, they do not make up the Church":
"They are Christians of good sense only: they keep their distance. Christians - so to speak they are - 'satellites', that have a small church, in size: to quote the words of Jesus in Revelation, 'lukewarm Christians'. The indifference that is in the Church ... They walk only in the presence of common sense, common sense ... that worldly prudence: This is a temptation just worldly prudence. "
Pope Francis reflected on so many Christians "that now bear witness to the name of Jesus, even unto martyrdom." These - he says - are not 'Christian satellites', because "they go with Jesus on the path of Jesus":
"These people know exactly what Peter says to the Lord. They understand exactly what Peter says the Lord, when the Lord asks the question: 'Do you also want to go, be' Christian satellites '?'. Simon Peter answers him: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life '. So from a large group there becomes a group a little 'smaller, but those who know perfectly well that they cannot go somewhere else, because only He, the Lord, has the words of eternal life. " - Vatican Radio
*BTW. My dentist told me inflammation can be a huge problem - it leads to more serious infections - so it is best to reduce inflammation ASAP.
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