Reflection #16
On the Mercy of God
On the Mercy of God
So great is the desire which God has to dispense to us His graces that, as St. Augustine says, He is more anxious to give them to us than we are desirous to receive them from Him. And the reason is that goodness, as philosophers say, is of its own nature diffusive; it is moved by its nature to diffuse itself in benefits to others. God, therefore, being infinite goodness, has an infinite desire to communicate Himself to us His creatures and make us share His goods.
Hence arises the great compassion which He has for our miseries. David says that the earth is full of the Divine Mercy. It is not full of the Divine Justice because God does not exercise His Justice in punishing evildoers, except when necessary and when he is, as it were, constrained to do so. On the contrary, He is bountiful and liberal in exercising His Mercy upon all, and at all times; whence St. James says: "Mercy exalteth itself above judgment." (James 2:13). Mercy frequently snatches from the Hand of Justice the scourges which are prepared for sinners and obtains their pardon. Therefore the prophet calls God by the very name of Mercy: "My God, my Mercy." (Psalms 58:18). And for the same reason he says, "For Thy name's sake, O Lord, Thou wilt pardon my sin." (Psalms 24:11). Lord, pardon me for Thy name's sake, for Thou art mercy itself.
Isaiah said that chastisement is a work which is not according to the Heart of God, but alien and foreign to it, as if he would say that it was far from His inclination. "The Lord . . . shall be angry . . . that He may do His work, His strange work; that He may perform His work, His work is strange to Him." (Isaiah 28:21). In a word, His mercy it was that induced Him to send His own Son on earth to be made man and to die upon a cross to deliver us from eternal death. Therefore, Zachary exclaimed: "Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high visited us." (Luke 1:78). The expression, "the bowels of the mercy of God," implies a mercy which proceeds from the depth of the Heart of God, since He was content that His own Son-made-man should die, rather than we should perish.
In order to see how great is the compassion of God for us and the desire He has to do us good, it is enough to read these few words which He says to us in the Gospel: "Ask, and it shall be given to you." (Luke 11:9). What more could one friend say to another to show his affection? Ask me what you will, and I will give it to you. This is what God says to everyone of us. Seeing our misery, He invites us to come to Him and promises to relieve us: "Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matthew 11:28). The Jews on one occasion complained of God and said they would no longer go to ask favors of Him; whereas, He said to Jeremias: "Am I become a wilderness to Israel, or a lateward springing land? Why then have My people said: 'We are revolted; we will come to Thee no more?" (Jeremias 2:31). At the same time, God was willing to prove the wrong which the Jews did to Him, since He always and immediately consoles everyone who has recourse to Him, as He said by Isaiah: "As soon as He shall hear, He will answer Thee." (Isaiah 30:19).
Art thou a sinner, and wilt thou have pardon? "Doubt not," says St. John Chrysostom, "for God has more desire to pardon thee than thou hast to be pardoned." If then God sees anyone obstinate in his sin, He waits in order to show him mercy, as Isaiah says: "Therefore the Lord waiteth, that He may have mercy on you." (Isaiah 30:18). And meantime He points out the chastisement that awaits him, in order that he may repent. "Thou hast given a warning to them that fear Thee, that they may flee before the bow; that Thy beloved may be delivered." (Psalms 59:6). At one time He stands and knocks at the door of our hearts, that we may open to Him: "Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock." (Apocalypse 3:20). At another, He entreats His people, saying, "Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezechiel 18:31). As if He were saying, in compassion, "O my son, why wilt thou perish?" St. Dionysius the Areopagite writes, "God follows like a lover, even those who turn from Him, and entreats them not to perish." And this same thing was written before by the Apostle, when he implored sinners, on the part of Jesus Christ, to be reconciled with God, on which Chrysostom remarks: "Christ Himself is beseeching you, and what does He beseech you? That you would be reconciled to God."
If then some determine to continue obstinate, what more can God do? He makes all understand that whosoever comes to Him penitent, He will not drive him away: "Him that cometh to Me, I will not cast out." (John 6:37). He says that He is ready to embrace everyone who turns to Him: "Turn ye to Me . . . and I will turn to you." (Zacharias 1:3). He promises every wicked man that if he repents, He will pardon him and forgive his sins. "If the wicked do penance, he shall live; I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done." He even says: "Come, and accuse Me; . . . if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18)--as though He would say: "Come unto Me, repentant sinners, and if I embrace you not, reproach Me as one who had broken his word."
But no, the Lord knoweth not how to despise a contrite heart. "A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." (Psalms 50:19). We read in St. Luke with what joy He embraced the lost sheep and with what love He welcomed the Prodigal Son when he returned to His feet. And Our Lord Himself adds: "I say to you that even so, there shall be joy in Heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance." (Luke 15:7). St. Gregory explains the reason for this by saying that, for the most part, penitent sinners are more fervent in loving God than those who, being innocent, have grown lukewarm in their security.
O my Jesus, since Thou hast had so great patience with me in waiting for me and so great love in pardoning me, as I trust, I resolve to love Thee very much; but it is Thou who must give me this love. Give it to me, O my Lord; little honor were it to Thee that I, a sinner so favored by Thee, should love Thee but little. O my Jesus, when shall I begin to be as grateful to Thee as Thou hast been gracious to me? In the past, instead of being grateful to Thee, I have offended Thee and despised Thee. Shall I then hereafter always behave thus towards Thee, who hast spared nothing to gain my love? No, my Savior, I will love Thee with all my heart, I resolve never to displease Thee. Thou dost command me to love Thee, and I desire nothing else but to love Thee. Give me Thy help, without which I can do nothing.
O Mary, O Mother of mercy, draw me entirely to God.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
Hence arises the great compassion which He has for our miseries. David says that the earth is full of the Divine Mercy. It is not full of the Divine Justice because God does not exercise His Justice in punishing evildoers, except when necessary and when he is, as it were, constrained to do so. On the contrary, He is bountiful and liberal in exercising His Mercy upon all, and at all times; whence St. James says: "Mercy exalteth itself above judgment." (James 2:13). Mercy frequently snatches from the Hand of Justice the scourges which are prepared for sinners and obtains their pardon. Therefore the prophet calls God by the very name of Mercy: "My God, my Mercy." (Psalms 58:18). And for the same reason he says, "For Thy name's sake, O Lord, Thou wilt pardon my sin." (Psalms 24:11). Lord, pardon me for Thy name's sake, for Thou art mercy itself.
Isaiah said that chastisement is a work which is not according to the Heart of God, but alien and foreign to it, as if he would say that it was far from His inclination. "The Lord . . . shall be angry . . . that He may do His work, His strange work; that He may perform His work, His work is strange to Him." (Isaiah 28:21). In a word, His mercy it was that induced Him to send His own Son on earth to be made man and to die upon a cross to deliver us from eternal death. Therefore, Zachary exclaimed: "Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high visited us." (Luke 1:78). The expression, "the bowels of the mercy of God," implies a mercy which proceeds from the depth of the Heart of God, since He was content that His own Son-made-man should die, rather than we should perish.
In order to see how great is the compassion of God for us and the desire He has to do us good, it is enough to read these few words which He says to us in the Gospel: "Ask, and it shall be given to you." (Luke 11:9). What more could one friend say to another to show his affection? Ask me what you will, and I will give it to you. This is what God says to everyone of us. Seeing our misery, He invites us to come to Him and promises to relieve us: "Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matthew 11:28). The Jews on one occasion complained of God and said they would no longer go to ask favors of Him; whereas, He said to Jeremias: "Am I become a wilderness to Israel, or a lateward springing land? Why then have My people said: 'We are revolted; we will come to Thee no more?" (Jeremias 2:31). At the same time, God was willing to prove the wrong which the Jews did to Him, since He always and immediately consoles everyone who has recourse to Him, as He said by Isaiah: "As soon as He shall hear, He will answer Thee." (Isaiah 30:19).
Art thou a sinner, and wilt thou have pardon? "Doubt not," says St. John Chrysostom, "for God has more desire to pardon thee than thou hast to be pardoned." If then God sees anyone obstinate in his sin, He waits in order to show him mercy, as Isaiah says: "Therefore the Lord waiteth, that He may have mercy on you." (Isaiah 30:18). And meantime He points out the chastisement that awaits him, in order that he may repent. "Thou hast given a warning to them that fear Thee, that they may flee before the bow; that Thy beloved may be delivered." (Psalms 59:6). At one time He stands and knocks at the door of our hearts, that we may open to Him: "Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock." (Apocalypse 3:20). At another, He entreats His people, saying, "Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezechiel 18:31). As if He were saying, in compassion, "O my son, why wilt thou perish?" St. Dionysius the Areopagite writes, "God follows like a lover, even those who turn from Him, and entreats them not to perish." And this same thing was written before by the Apostle, when he implored sinners, on the part of Jesus Christ, to be reconciled with God, on which Chrysostom remarks: "Christ Himself is beseeching you, and what does He beseech you? That you would be reconciled to God."
If then some determine to continue obstinate, what more can God do? He makes all understand that whosoever comes to Him penitent, He will not drive him away: "Him that cometh to Me, I will not cast out." (John 6:37). He says that He is ready to embrace everyone who turns to Him: "Turn ye to Me . . . and I will turn to you." (Zacharias 1:3). He promises every wicked man that if he repents, He will pardon him and forgive his sins. "If the wicked do penance, he shall live; I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done." He even says: "Come, and accuse Me; . . . if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18)--as though He would say: "Come unto Me, repentant sinners, and if I embrace you not, reproach Me as one who had broken his word."
But no, the Lord knoweth not how to despise a contrite heart. "A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." (Psalms 50:19). We read in St. Luke with what joy He embraced the lost sheep and with what love He welcomed the Prodigal Son when he returned to His feet. And Our Lord Himself adds: "I say to you that even so, there shall be joy in Heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance." (Luke 15:7). St. Gregory explains the reason for this by saying that, for the most part, penitent sinners are more fervent in loving God than those who, being innocent, have grown lukewarm in their security.
O my Jesus, since Thou hast had so great patience with me in waiting for me and so great love in pardoning me, as I trust, I resolve to love Thee very much; but it is Thou who must give me this love. Give it to me, O my Lord; little honor were it to Thee that I, a sinner so favored by Thee, should love Thee but little. O my Jesus, when shall I begin to be as grateful to Thee as Thou hast been gracious to me? In the past, instead of being grateful to Thee, I have offended Thee and despised Thee. Shall I then hereafter always behave thus towards Thee, who hast spared nothing to gain my love? No, my Savior, I will love Thee with all my heart, I resolve never to displease Thee. Thou dost command me to love Thee, and I desire nothing else but to love Thee. Give me Thy help, without which I can do nothing.
O Mary, O Mother of mercy, draw me entirely to God.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.