“The doctrine of the law is enriched with Jesus and that ‘Jesus makes all things new.’ The law allows you to hate the enemy, instead Jesus says to pray for him, to not hate him. This, then, is the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached. It is renewal, true renewal. And this renewal begins first of all in our heart.
Being a Christian means being renewed by Jesus in this new life. I am a good Christian, every Sunday, I do this as if it were a collection. But the Christian life is not a collage of things. It's a harmonious whole, and the Holy Spirit does it. You cannot be a Christian in bits and pieces, part-time. It’s full-time. Being a Christian does not mean the end of things, but being renewed by the Holy Spirit, or, to use the words of Jesus, to become the new wine.
The newness of the Gospel is a newness in the law itself which is inherent in the history of salvation. It is a newness that goes beyond us and renews structures. That is why Jesus said new wine needs new skins. In Christian life, even in the life of the Church, there are ancient structures: it is necessary to renew them! And the Church has always been attentive to that, through dialogue with the cultures. Always renew according to places, times and people.
From the first moment, we remember the first theological battle: to become a Christian you must keep all the Jewish practice or not? They said no! The Gentiles may come as they are: OK ... come to Church and receive Baptism. A first renewal of the structure. And so the Church has always let the Holy Spirit renew these structures, structures of churches. Do not be afraid of the newness of the Gospel! Do not be afraid of the news that the Holy Spirit is in us! Do not be afraid of the renewal of the structures that imprison us.”
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With those pointedly timed and chosen words in his morning homily of July 6th (emphases added), the Pope signed off from the Domus pulpit for the summer break... ...and now, the much-sought, intensely awaited discernment undertaken before and since begins its full emergence to the fore.
Established 30 days after his election with the expressed mandate "to advise him in the government of the universal church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, 'Pastor Bonus,'" as the members of Francis' "Gang of Eight" commission of cardinals begin the trek to Rome for their first meeting with Papa Bergoglio starting Tuesday – or possibly even earlier – for those who forgot, just be reminded at the outset that notice of the changes to come has already been served.
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