Grace is not part of consciousness; it is the amount of light in our souls, not knowledge nor reason.
Interpretation
Grace is an inherent quality of our inner self, transcending mere understanding or logic.
In this quote, Pope Francis emphasizes that grace is fundamentally linked to the light and vitality within our souls rather than being contingent upon our rationality or intellectual understanding. It suggests that true grace is an innate characteristic that illuminates our being and connects us to a higher, spiritual realm beyond mere consciousness or academic knowledge.
In practice
In a sermon, to illustrate the importance of inner light over intellect.
We are a church of sinners but we must not be afraid of holiness. Do not be afraid to aim for holiness and turn yourselves over to the love of God. Holiness does not mean performing extraordinary things but carrying out daily things in an extraordinary way that is with love, joy and faith.
I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable.
No one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their own lifestyle demands more attention to other areas. This is an excuse commonly heard in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial circles. While it is quite true that the essential vocation and mission of the lay faithful is to strive that earthly realities and all human activity may be transformed by the Gospel, none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice
We face so many challenges in life: poverty, distress, humiliation, the struggle for justice, persecutions, the difficulty of daily conversion, the effort to remain faithful to our call to holiness, and many others. But if we open the door to Jesus and allow him to be part of our lives, if we share our joys and sorrows with him, then we will experience the peace and joy that only God, who is infinite love, can give.
More and more people work on Sundays as a consequence of the competitiveness imposed by a consumer society.
This Christmas may we be consistent in living the Gospel, welcoming Jesus into the centre of our lives.
Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, uses that something to support their own existence.
When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring.
Grief does not seem to me to be a choice. Whether or not you think grief has value, you will lose what matters to you. The world will break your heart. So I think weβd better look at what grief might offer us. Itβs like what Rilke says about self-doubt: it is not going to go away, and therefore you need to think about how it might become your ally.
I wonder that religion can live or die on the strength of a faint, stirring breeze. The scent trail shifts, causing the predator to miss the pounce. One god draws in the breath of life and rises; another god expires.
What does all this stuff about flying saucers amount to? What can it mean? What is the truth?
I was modest--they accused me of being crafty: I became secretive. I felt deeply good and evil--nobody caressed me, everybody offended me: I became rancorous. I was gloomy--other children were merry and talkative. I felt myself superior to them--but was considered inferior: I became envious. I was ready to love the whole world--none understood me: and I learned to hate.
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