The parish is the presence of the Church in any given territory, an environment for hearing God's word, for growth in Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration.
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Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and manner of life, is undermining the Church's credibility.
The Child who lies in the manger has the face of our brothers and sisters most in need, of the poor who are "a privileged part of this mystery; often they are the first to recognize God's presence in our midst".
Every Christian can witness to God in the workplace, not only with words, but above all with an honest life.
If the Christian is a restorationist, a legalist, if he wants everything clear and safe, then he will find nothing. Tradition and memory of the past must help us to have the courage to open up new areas to God.
Only a merciful Church shines! Were we to forget, even only for a moment, that mercy is 'what pleases God most,' all our efforts would be in vain, for we would become slaves of our institutions and our structures, however renewed they might be. We would always be slaves.
The Church does not exist to condemn people but to bring about an encounter with the visceral love of God's mercy.
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