God's Everlasting Mercy - July 2016

In a previous reflection titled “Free Will…The Gift of” I stated that this was the greatest gift God has given to humanity because without it we would never appreciate Him and all He has done for us. I still stand by my theory on this great gift. However, it is difficult to pick and choose or enumerate the wonderful manner of God’s gifts to us and the importance of one over another.

Pope Francis has designated this year as a year of Mercy, and of course that in itself is most endearing and heartwarming. Once a priest said in a homily to not seek His Judgement, as we could not stand the outcome, but to seek His Mercy, On that alone rests our hope.

One only need to look at so many passages from scripture and see the words and direction that Jesus spoke about and how His Father wishes for all souls to be saved and share His Kingdom with His creatures. The words of Paul state that God’s plan was to share His Life and Love with us. But because of the manner in which we, as His creatures, continue to turn our backs to Him, run and hide from His countenance and seek the pleasures of this dying world continue to evade the very touch of Grace and therefore His endless Mercy.

This Mercy is not something we can earn since there is no price that can be placed on it. It is also something that we can not buy since it was purchased by Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary. Already paid for!

And Mercy is not something we can bargain for since it comes as a free gift to all that will accept His generosity and endless love. So let’s look at His Mercy from the perspective of how God ordained to bring salvation to his creatures and starting with the creation God already was planning, if indeed we can put this in a chronological sense, to arrange in our time the Incarnation of Jesus Christ to use Divine Justice for our forgiveness. See the reflection titled the Lamb of God” in which I touched on this matter more extensively.

Our Holy Father has chosen a perfect theme in the Year of Mercy to alert our senses and touch our hearts to share with one another the grace that comes from being merciful to those around us. Look and see those, who may be even in our families, who are in need of mercy as well as simple human needs. O’ to have these people understand how much the Divine Mercy is at our fingertips if only we would open our minds and hearts to feel the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, always nudging our senses to accept what is given so graciously and constantly.

When we shall stand before God and are asked how the Mercy and Grace that entered into our souls via our simple acceptance of these gifts, especially His endless Mercy, what will our answer be if asked; “Did you share this with others as well as having your own sins forgiven? I certainly hope all of us can respond with a “Yes, we gave back this mercy to one another with the grace given us.”

Let us pray that our lives have not been so cluttered with self-serving attitudes and activities that somehow God’s Mercy slipped by our cognitive senses and missed us completely because we were just too busy. Remember “The Hound of Heaven” and see how often the Lord doesn’t give up on us! Become open to the fact that our God is loving, caring, and always searching for us, no matter our sins. He cares, simply and profoundly. This is the mercy we receive and the same mercy we are expected to give back to all in our life’s acquaintances and especially our enemies.