Francis recalled the story of Nathanael who "goes to see him whom they tell him is the messiah, a little sceptical. To him Jesus says: "I saw you under the fig tree". Therefore, "always God loves first". This is also recalled in the parable of the prodigal son: "When the son, who had spent all the money of his father's inheritance on a life of vices, returns home, he finds that his father is waiting for him. God always waits for us first. Before us, always. And when the other son doesn't want to come to the party, because he doesn't understand daddy's attitude, daddy goes looking for him. And so God does with us: he loves us first, always'.
Thus, the Pope relaunched, "we can see in the Gospel how God loves: when we have something in our heart and we want to ask the Lord for forgiveness, it is he who is waiting for us to give forgiveness".
This year of mercy, Francis affirmed, "is also a bit of this: that we know that the Lord is waiting for us, each one of us" And he is waiting for us "to embrace us, nothing more, to say: 'Son, daughter, I love you. I let them crucify my Son for you; this is the price of my love; this is the gift of love'".
The Pope suggested always thinking of this truth: 'The Lord is waiting for me, the Lord wants me to open the door of my heart, because he is there waiting for me to enter. Without conditions.
Of course, someone might say: "But, Father, no, I would like to, but I have so many bad things inside!". In this regard, Francis' answer is clear: "It's better! Better! Because he waits for you, as you are, not as they tell you 'you must do'. You must be as you are. He loves you like this, to embrace you, kiss you, forgive you'.
Here, then, is the Pope's concluding exhortation to go without delay to the Lord and say: 'But you know Lord that I love you'. Or, if I really "do not feel like it, to say: 'You know Lord that I would like to love you, but I am such a sinner, such a sinner'". With the certainty that he will do as the father did "with the prodigal son who spent all his money on vices. He will not let you finish your speech, with an embrace he will silence you: the embrace of God's love".
[Pope Francis, St Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 09/01/2016]