Year of Mercy Reflection

Friday, Oct. 14, 2016

We live in a world that is filled with inequality at every turn, so, nobly, we strive for justice.  I’ve had discussions with fervent people who firmly believe in God’s justice. Death-bed conversions aren’t fair. What about Hitler? What about Judas?  

Luckily for us, God’s justice is not man’s justice. God’s justice is permeated with mercy. If God’s justice were not thickly coated with mercy, each of us would be sunk.

Jesus’ incredible sacrifice wasn’t a matter of justice.  It was mercy beyond belief.

Why is it that we so easily believe in a God of justice but have problems with a God of mercy? Like the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son, we can’t understand that forgiveness is synonymous with mercy. 

I used to think the faithful brother had a point. Justified in his complaint, he forgot about LOVE. Then I grew up, realized that I, too, was a prodigal daughter, and was glad that God is like the father in Jesus’ story.

Pope Francis reminds us that God = Mercy. It is not within the realm of possibility that God would stop loving us – no matter what. His love does not depend on what we do. It all depends on God Himself – mercy incarnate. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. God doesn’t walk away; we do. But even that doesn’t stop God. We simply cannot survive without God’s mercy.  Given man’s poor concept of justice, would you really prefer a God of justice or a God of mercy? I’d take a God of mercy any day!

My bedtime prayer is this: “Jesus, I entrust the past to your mercy, the future to your providence, and the present to your love. Amen.” (And I never remind him about the justice part!)