Vatican City, Jul 8, 2017 / 03:00 am
On Friday Pope Francis said that just like the biblical tax collectors, despite our sinfulness, Jesus seeks us out to be near us and to heal us, as long as we have the humility to recognize that we need him.
"First of all we must recognize this: none of us, none of us here, can say, 'I am not a sinner.' The Pharisees said this. And Jesus condemns them," the Pope said July 7.
"They were proud, vain, they believed themselves to be superior to others. Instead, we are all sinners. It is our title and it is also the opportunity to attract Jesus to us. Jesus comes to us, comes to me, comes to me because I am a sinner."
Francis spoke at a private Mass Friday morning for the maintenance staff of Vatican City. In his homily, he reflected on the day's Gospel from St. Matthew, which tells how Jesus called St. Matthew to follow him, dining with him and with other "tax collectors and sinners."