WHILE SOME THINK of God as a judge waiting to catch us in wrongdoing and punish us, this is not the God whom Jesus reveals to us. Jesus said of himself: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).
So then, how do the Gospels portray Jesus? Jesus was compassionate and understood our burdens. Therefore, He invited us to come to him for support: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Mt. 11:28-30).
Jesus was merciful, defending the woman caught in adultery. He told her accusers “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn. 8:7). At the same time, He did not condone sin, for after their departure He asked her “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” and upon hearing her response, “No one, sir” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore” (Jn. 8: 10-11). He wants us to be our best and true selves, created in His own image and likeness. Sin defaces and distorts His image in us, weakening or destroying our union with Him.
Jesus was magnanimous in His mercy, not only forgiving but also promising immediate Merchandise entry into heaven to a dying man who had no possibility of reforming his life.
“Dismas,” one of the two criminals crucified along with Jesus, turned to Jesus, asking to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom, and heard: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43). It is never too late to sincerely repent of our sins, ask God’s forgiveness even with our dying breath and to receive it. At times God chooses messengers to reveal in a special way His mercy and love, and this month we celebrate two of them. Jesus appeared to Sr. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1670s in France, revealing His love for humankind through His Sacred Heart. His sixth promise, that “Sinners will find in My Heart an infinite ocean of mercy” is another instance of how deeply Jesus desires each of us to turn to Him, repenting of our sins and accepting His infinite love and mercy. Her feast day is Oct. 16.
When Jesus appeared to a Polish nun, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, in the 1930s, it was to remind us once again of His love and mercy, for He desires us to cling to His Merciful Heart, repent and trust in Him. He gave her many messages; one particularly striking one was: “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy” (Diary, 723). Her feast day is Oct. 5.
FOR YOUR FAMILY:
■ Make the effort to apologize to each other when appropriate, saying “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” rather than just “Sorry” and “That’s ok.”
■ Ask God’s help to recognize and rejoice in His many gifts of love and mercy and then offer your mercy and love to others.
■ When praying the Creed, focus on the words “I believe in … the forgiveness of sins…” and thank God for this precious gift.
■ Go to Confession regularly, asking for and receiving God’s merciful love and forgiveness. Read Jesus’ promises to St. Margaret Mary and St. Faustina, and share which means the most to you.