Our sinfulness and God's mercy

Now that we are in the season of Lent, it's good to consider some facts of life that we tend to take lightly, if not to ignore altogether. We need to confront the dark reality of our sinfulness as well as the reassuring reality of God's mercy.

These two realities should go together, and the Lenten period is the good time to strengthen our conviction about the helpful relationship these two should have with each other.

Whenever we feel the sting of our weaknesses and sinfulness, together with their antecedents and consequences, their causes and effects, let's never forget to consider also God's mercy that is always given to us, and, in fact, given to us abundantly.

What we have to avoid is to get stuck with one while ignoring the other. Our sinfulness should be viewed in the context of divine mercy. And vice-versa: God's mercy should be regarded in the context of our unavoidable sinfulness.

And from there, let us develop the unshakable conviction that no matter what sins we commit, no matter how ugly they are, there is always hope. God's mercy is never lacking.

We have to counter that common phenomenon of many people drifting and plunging into despair, before falling into the worse condition of hardened immorality and amorality, because they fail to realize the constant availability of divine mercy.

It might be good to recall those gospel episodes where Christ fraternized more with the publicans and sinners over those who were self-righteous, although he was also concerned about the latter.

More specifically, let's recall that parable of the two men, one a Pharisee and the other a publican, who went to the temple to pray. (cfr Lk 18,10ff) The former was proud of his accomplishments, while the latter could hardly lift up his eyes towards heaven, but simply struck his breast, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'

Christ said that the latter came out more justified than the former. Let's not forget that no sin, no evil can be unforgivable to Christ who was and is willing to die on the cross, bearing all our sins, so that we can find a way to our salvation through his own resurrection.

May it be that while our sinfulness would have the understandable effect of making us feel bad and sad, we should not allow it to scandalize ourselves to the point of running away from Christ rather than going to him contrite.

Let's strengthen our conviction that Christ has a special attraction to sinners, that he is ever willing to forgive us as long as we show some signs of repentance that he himself, through his grace, will stir in us.

Let's play the part of Peter who, after denying Christ three times, realized his mistake and wept bitterly in repentance. Christ looked kindly on him and forgave him and even made him the prince of the apostles.

Let's avoid playing the part of Cain and Judas who, after committing their crimes, ran away instead of going back to God repentant. Of course, in saying this, I am at all judging that they are in hell. That judgment belongs to God alone.

We can only judge based on what we know, and for sure we do not know everything in their cases. God has the last word. What we know is that God is always merciful with a mercy that is always compatible with justice.

While we should try to be most aware of our sinfulness, we should also try to strengthen our conviction about God's mercy. That we are sinful is not hard to see. We see our weaknesses and vulnerabilities quite openly. Temptations are also abundant.

We should try our best to fight and cope with them as best as we can, using all the means that Christ himself and the Church now are giving us. We have a very precious treasure in fragile vessels of clay. (cfr. 2 Cor 4,7) We may have a lot of talents and other brilliant endowments, but let's never forget that we have feet of clay.

This realization should make us most careful and ever vigilant, and should elicit in us great desires to follow Christ as closely as possible and to learn the art and skills of spiritual combat to tackle the unavoidable weaknesses, temptations and falls we will have in life.

On top of all this, and since our best efforts may still be found wanting, let's never forget the abundant and ever-ready mercy of God whenever we find ourselves in the worst scenarios in life.

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