The importance of our imperfection

Publish date 09-09-2022

by Domenico Agasso

An imperfect but humble faith is better than a strong and presumptuous one. "The Lord does not seek perfect Christians". Pope Francis affirms this at the Regina Coeli on April 24, Sunday of Divine Mercy.
In the introduction, he explains that on that day, "the last day of the Octave of Easter, the Gospel tells us about the first and second apparitions of the Risen One to the disciples". Jesus Christ "comes at Easter, while the Apostles are closed in the Upper Room, out of fear, but since Thomas, one of the Twelve, is not present, he returns eight days later". The Pontiff invites us to focus on the two «protagonists, Thomas and Jesus, looking first at the disciple and then at the Master. It's a nice dialogue these two have. " The apostle Thomas, first of all: "He represents all of us, who were not present in the Upper Room when the Lord appeared and we had no other physical signs or apparitions from him. We too, like that disciple, sometimes struggle: how can we believe that Jesus is risen, that he accompanies us and is the Lord of our life without having seen him, without having touched him? How do you believe this? Why doesn't the Lord give us some more evident sign of his presence and of his love for him? Some signs that I can see better ... Here, we too are like Thomas, with the same doubts, the same reasonings ». But “we must not be ashamed of this. In telling us the story of Thomas, in fact, the Gospel tells us that the Lord does not seek perfect Christians. The Lord does not seek perfect Christians. I tell you: I am afraid when I see some Christian, some association of Christians who believe themselves to be perfect. The Lord does not seek perfect Christians; the Lord does not seek Christians who never doubt and always flaunt a sure faith ”. When a Christian is like this, "there is something wrong. No, the adventure of faith, as for Thomas, is made up of lights and shadows. If not, what faith would that be? It knows times of consolation, enthusiasm and enthusiasm, but also weariness, bewilderment, doubts and obscurity ». The Gospel shows the "crisis" of Thomas to tell us that we must not fear the crises of life and faith. Crises are not a sin, they are a journey, we must not fear them ».

Many times they make "humble, because they strip us of the idea of ​​being right, of being better than others. Crises help us to recognize ourselves as needy: they rekindle the need for God and thus allow us to return to Lord, to touch his wounds, to experience his love again, like the first time. Dear brothers and sisters, it is better an imperfect but humble faith, which always returns to Jesus, than a strong but presumptuous faith, which makes us proud and arrogant. Woe to these, woe! ». And in the face of the absence and journey of "Thomas, who is often ours too, what is Jesus' attitude? The gospel twice says that He "came". A first time, then a second time, eight days later.

Jesus does not give up, he does not tire of us, he is not afraid of our crises, of our weaknesses. He always comes back: when the doors are closed, he returns; when we doubt, he comes back; when, like Thomas, we need to meet him and touch him more closely, he returns.
Jesus always comes back, always knocks on the door, and does not come back with powerful signs that would make us feel small and inadequate, even ashamed, but with his wounds; he returns showing us his wounds, signs of his love for him who married our frailties ». Especially when “we experience weariness or moments of crisis, Jesus, the Risen One, wishes to return to be with us. He only waits for us to seek him, invoke him, even that, like Thomas, we protest, bringing him our needs and our unbelief. He always comes back ».

Why? "Because he is patient and merciful. he comes to open the cenacles of our fears, of our incredulities, because he always wants to give us another opportunity". Jesus is the Lord "of" other opportunities ": he always gives us another, always". Bergoglio then advises us to think about "the last time - let's do some memory - in which, during a difficult moment, or a period of crisis, we closed ourselves in, barricading ourselves in our problems and leaving Jesus out of the house. And let us promise ourselves, next time, in the effort, to seek Jesus, to return to him, to forgive him - he always forgives, always! -, return to those wounds that have healed us. Thus, we will also become capable of compassion, of approaching the wounds of others without rigidity and without prejudice ".


Domenico Agasso
NP May 2022

This website uses cookies. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Click here for more info

Ok