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| Thomas à Kempis |
After, with chapter 1, condemning the pagan rejection of God and its attendant homosexuality--the distortion of nature derived from the betrayal of the Lord of nature--Saint Paul in his Letter to the Romans chapter 2 turns his attention to "the faithful."
Saint Paul there contrasts the infidelity and judgment of the non-believer with that of the believer and concludes that the believing "Jew" and the non-believer will both be judged, each according to his conduct before God, whether good or evil. The purpose of religion and ritual is holiness, to make men really like God, and not just externally but also internally, really: loving God with one's whole mind, heart, soul and strength.
Christ says it this way: "Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 7:21-23
This is Pope Francis' favorite preaching point, the purification, the "circumcision of heart" necessary for believers, and especially for those in sacris.
I would say that one of the first consequences of this is the need for mortification. Believers need to do penance, corporal penance, in order to purify their hearts, beginning with popes, bishops and priests. Fasting and alms-giving are essential to the Christian life. A Catholic who does not deny himself in many things for love of God is no disciple of Jesus Christ! He would be a hypocrite and a liar.
Self-denial for the sake of Christ is the theme of The Imitation of Christ, which should be, along with the New Testament, the constant meditation and daily exercise of all Catholic clergymen. The Roman Catholic clergyman should take delight in that in Latin, the official language of the Church, which, according to the present and long-standing discipline of the Church, he should know very well. Canon. 249
