24th Sunday, God's Infinite Mercy

 

All of the readings today speak of God’s mercy. In the first reading, God threatens to destroy the Hebrew people because they created a molten calf and began to worship it. But Moses implored God’s mercy, sparing their destruction.

The responsorial psalm asks for God’s mercy and reveals His compassion by washing away sin and guilt.

The second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul states Jesus came to the world to save sinners and Paul considers himself the worst of sinners, but was mercifully treated so in him, Jesus might display His patience as an example for those who come to believe in Him.

In the Gospel, tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to Jesus, when the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus responded by telling them the parable of the prodigal son.

After spending years away from his family and spending half of his family’s inheritance, and sleeping with prostitutes, he finally realizes his sinfulness, and decided to come home, and say to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” And so, he decided to return home to be with his father.

What would was he thinking on his way back home? He must have thought his father would be angry, as well as his brother. Perhaps, he thought his father would give him a good scolding. Maybe his father would turn him away, and tell him to fend for himself; after all, he had enough money to live on, for the rest of his life. Maybe he thought his father might disown him, after all, the property had been in the family for generations. He must have slowly walked back, with his head hanging down, and in fear and trembling, not knowing what to expect.

But, Jesus reveals God the Father’s mercy is infinite. In the great distance, as the son was coming home, the father caught a glimpse of him, coming over the horizon. The father wipes his tear filled eyes, perhaps thinking in the distance, it was a mirage, or a stranger. But no--, he recognizes his son,-- his heart leaps, and he is moved with compassion. Years of worry and sorrow, turn into joy and excitement. The elderly father runs, in flight,--- dashing with all his might-- for the darkened figure. From the depth of his heart, he cries, out, “My son, My son”, “It is I your father!”

When they meet, the son confesses saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as one of your workers.” The father’s heart is touched by his plea for mercy. He embraced him, because “he who was lost has now been found”.

As tears of the father fall from his cheeks, he embraces his son, and kisses him. He puts a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet and a robe. When they return to the house, he threw a great feast to celebrate the return of his son, who was lost, and now has been found.

Jesus told the parable to the scribes and Pharisees, so they may see, God’s infinite mercy and love toward sinners. And that God Himself rejoices over one repentant sinner. He wanted them to understand sinners are not be scorned, or avoided, but rather loved and forgiven. Our Blessed Lord wanted them to understand God, the Father, is filled with joy, as He runs toward the repentant sinner. As Father, God is loving, and merciful, slow to anger, full of love, kind and compassionate, and rich in mercy. God’s forgiveness towards sinners is unfathomable.

What would you do, to the person, who captured your son, tortured him, killed him, and then, after he was dead, stabbed his heart with a spear? How would feel? Could you forgive? Would you want revenge?

If God was going to destroy the Hebrew people for worshiping a calf, how much more would God want to destroy those who crucified and killed His Son? By our sins, we all participated in the killing of Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father.

In the movie the Passion of Christ, there is a scene after Jesus died, a teardrop from God the Father, falls from heaven. And when it hits the ground, there was a great earthquake? The hand of the Father was stayed, as a great act of mercy.

The saints and ordinary people show us the beauty and power of mercy in forgiving others. St. Maria Goretti, a 12 year old girl, forgave Alessandro who stabbed her 14 times. Maria’s mother forgave him and even went to Midnight Mass with him after he was released from prison. St. Pope John Paul II went to the prison cell to forgive Ali Agca who shot him. Immaculee Ibbgaza forgave the man who killed her parents and brothers and many from her tribe during the Rwanda genocide. Americans had to forgive the terrorists of 911, who killed over 2000 innocent people. If these people, by the grace of God, can forgive each other, how much more abundant is God’s infinite and endless mercy?

Bernard Nathanson, a Jewish man, and former abortionist, was responsible for the deaths of 60,000 unborn infants, repented of all of his sins, and became Catholic. Through the waters of baptism, God not only forgave his original sin, but forgave all of his personal sins and the punishment due to his sins. So if he would have died immediately after baptism, he would have went straight to heaven. How incredible is God’s mercy!

Abby Johnson, a baptized Christian, was the director of Planned Parenthood, an abortion clinic in Texas. She had two abortions and was responsible for helping many obtain abortions. But, when she became Catholic, confessed her sins, and received Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, God not only forgave all her sins, but all the punishment due to them. All washed away in the ocean of God’s mercy.

Jesus told St. Faustina, the greater the sinner, the greater the right one has to God’s mercy. In a vision, she saw an angel coming down from heaven to destroy a city in Poland, due to the sin of abortion. However, when she prayed, “Eternal Father, I offer you the body, blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”, the angel lost its power, and returned back to heaven. With this prayer from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Jesus gave to her and us, it prevented God from destroying the city in Poland. She pleaded for God’s mercy offering the suffering and death of Jesus in atonement, and obtained mercy, for the people of her country.

God’s mercy is for everyone. We need to have confidence in God’s mercy, that no matter how many sins or how grievous they are, God will forgive.

The image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who finds the lost sheep and carries it home rejoicing, touches our heart, because we experience God’s infinite mercy in confession. When we make the effort to go to confession, God the Father runs with all His might to embrace us. And once we confessed our sins, He wants us to celebrate with a feast, because, we who were lost in sin, have now been found and forgiven.

We should go to confession monthly or if we committed a mortal sin, we should confess as soon as possible, by running to Jesus to receive His mercy. We should bring our children to confession regularly. Many children won’t go to confession on their own, because they need the example and encouragement of their parents.

We teach our young children how to clean their room, how to do homework, how to play games and sports, but especially need to teach them how to practice their Catholic faith, so they will have all the help the need to get to heaven later in life.

The greatest task of parents is to help their children to get to heaven. We need to take seriously our obligation to help them receive God’s loving and tender mercy.

It is wonderful so many families come to Mass regularly, but we need to also bring them to confession. Put it on your calendar. Then once a month, the family goes to confession together. We put school activities on our schedules, and family activities, but our spiritual activities are more important. Put God’s unfathomable mercy on your schedule. As Jesus said, “What profit would it be to win the whole world, and lose our soul in the process?”

It is difficult for some to confess their sins. Its embarrassing. And it takes humility. But, this is what Jesus asked of Christians from the beginning of the Church unto today. We have physical strength to do well in sports and mental strength to get good grades. We also need courage to have spiritual strength to come to Jesus in Confession. What good is it if we are strong in the secular life, but weak as wimps in our spiritual life.

In Confession, not only do we receive forgiveness for our sins, but God heals our soul, and we receive grace to overcome sins. The more often we go to Confession, the happier we become. The more peace we have. The closer we stay to Jesus. Confession prevents us from falling into mortal sin. Every sin, no matter how small hurts Jesus. Every sin weakens our relationship with God. Mortal sin destroys our relationship with God, and if we die unrepentant, with a mortal sin on our soul, we choose to go to hell for all eternity.

We cannot understand how merciful God is unless we know what God is saving us from, which is hell. Committing just one mortal sin (missing Mass on Sunday, pornography, adultery, etc..) and dying unrepentant, the person will go to hell forever. This is what Jesus is saving us from. This is what those two brown doors do, they save souls from going to hell and help them to go to heaven.

Jesus described hell as a place where the wicked will be cast into an eternal fire, that burns and punishes eternally. He said in hell there is wailing and grinding of teeth. When we commit just one mortal sin, we risk losing heaven forever.

But, God’s mercy is available in Confession before every Mass during the week and on weekends. Don’t let pride keep you and your children from coming to the font of mercy. Come to confession often and tell Jesus you are sorry for hurting Him by your sins.

Here in our church, we have this beautiful divine mercy image and we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy either before or after every Mass, but what good are these things, if our soul and the souls of our children do not receive God’s mercy in confession regularly? We pray for mercy, but we are refusing to receive it. Open your heart to God’s mercy. Come and experience the love and compassion of Jesus.

Today, let us ask Mary, the Mother of Mercy, who stood at the foot of the Cross, to pray for the lost sheep to come to their senses-- by running to Confession, and may all of us go to confession regularly, and, say to God our loving and merciful Father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and earth, I do not deserve to be your child, but only your servant.”

In response, the Father will give us His infinite mercy and from His cheeks will fall tears of joy. And all of heaven will rejoice, as Jesus said, “the angels in heaven rejoice over one repentant sinner.”