mercy over justice (jas 2:13)
"You have mercy on all, because You can do all things; and You overlook the sins of men that they may repent." —Wisdom 11:23
Before we sin, the devil tells us that sin is "no big deal," life is trivial, and guilt is an unnecessary hang-up. After we sin, the devil changes his tune and then tells us that we should be ashamed of ourselves, that we are monsters and perverts, and that we can't expect to be forgiven.
In contrast, the Lord tells us of His mercy. Paul proclaimed: "You can depend on this as worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I myself am the worst. But on that very account I was dealt with mercifully" (1 Tm 1:15-16). The psalmist rejoiced that the Lord's mercy was everlasting (Ps 136). As much as the Lord desires sacrifice, He desires mercy even more (Mt 9:13; 12:7). He so desires to show us mercy that He suffered and died, thereby meeting the demands of justice and opening the door for mercy.
Therefore, the Church repeatedly leads us to ask the Lord, the Lamb of God, to have mercy on us. The Lord wants to extend His mercy to all: the ashamed, the hated, to abortionists, sexual perverts, murderers, rapists, and even us. Accept the grace to go to Confession as soon as possible. Pray: "Lord, have mercy."
Prayer: Lord, by Your grace may I be merciful to those who continue to hurt me (see Mt 5:7).
Promise: "Today salvation has come to this house." —Lk 19:9
Praise: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever" (Ps 136:1), "Who remembered us in our abjection, for His mercy endures forever" (Ps 136:23). Alleluia!
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape on The Necessity of Confession for Renewal on audio AV 70-1 or video V-70.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 6, 2010
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