Saturday, December 13, 2008

2Thes 3, 4-6 May the Lord direct your hearts

(2Thes 3, 4-6) May the Lord direct your hearts
[4] We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you (both) are doing and will continue to do. [5] May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ. [6] We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us.
(CCC 1464) Priests must encourage the faithful to come to the sacrament of Penance and must make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians reasonably ask for it (Cf. CIC, can. 486; CCEO, can. 735; PO 13). (CCC 1465) When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner. (CCC 1466) The confessor is not the master of God's forgiveness, but its servant. The minister of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of Christ (Cf. PO 13). He should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity. He must pray and do penance for his penitent, entrusting him to the Lord's mercy.

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