Vatican City, Aug 31, 2016 / 06:46 am
On Wednesday Pope Francis stressed the importance of having the courage to recognize our sins and ask God for forgiveness, moving forward rather than getting stuck in feelings of shame and rejection.
"How many times do we feel rejected internally because of our sins!" the Pope said Aug. 31, noting that what the Lord tells us in these moments is "have courage, come. For me you are not discarded, have courage."
In the face of our sins Jesus calls us sons and daughters, he said, adding that "this is the moment of grace, of forgiveness, a moment of inclusion in the life of Jesus, in the life of the Church. It's the moment of mercy."
To hear someone say "you are no longer discarded, I forgive you, I embrace you," is truly "the mercy of God," he said, adding that "we must have courage to go to him and ask forgiveness for our sins, and then move forward with courage."