Infinite Mercy
I don’t think we understand just how merciful God is and how unfounded our fear of coming to Him for forgiveness is. God’s mercy is so great that He forgives us for murdering His Son. Our fear of coming to Him, I think, comes from a fear of judgement. We are afraid of punishment, and rightfully so, but that isn’t what God wants to do. God wants to embrace us and hold us close, but He can’t do that unless we come to Him and ask for it. My favorite way to explain this is from St. Thérèse of Lisieux (I think), and paraphrasing quite a bit, it goes something like this. A father told his two sons to not throw the ball inside the house, but when he left, they decided to play catch inside. During their playing, they broke a vase. One son ran and hid because of what he feared his dad might do. The other, when the father got home, ran to him and said, “Dad, I’m sorry for playing catch in the house and breaking the vase. I won’t do it again. Let my punishment be a kiss.” And the father, seeing the sincerity of his son, was moved to compassion and granted his request.
When we run away from God, we don’t allow Him to show us His great mercy. When we run from Him, we don’t see how loving He is. Fear keeps us from turning to Him after we’ve sinned. It pushes love away and makes us blind to the reality of God’s love. “Perfect love casts out all fear.” There is no reason to be afraid of God’s love. Sure, He chastises us and allows bad things to happen to us, but it is because He loves us. He wants us to get to Heaven and be with Him for eternity.
A great way to start growing in awareness and devotion to God’s mercy, is by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This was a prayer given by Jesus to St. Faustina, along with the Divine Mercy Novena. In her writings, we find that Jesus promised great mercies and graces to those who recited the Chaplet. Our Blessed Lord said of the Chaplet, “Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy.” Jesus also said, “Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.” Of the novena He said, “By this Novena I will grant every possible grace to souls.” There will be a link to an Amazon listing of the pamphlet I use to pray the chaplet and novena at the end of the article.
This is barely a snippet of the unimaginable graces that God wishes to grant by His Infinite Mercy. “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” An aspect of faith that we often forget is that faith requires that you make a choice. When you are in darkness and can’t see a way out, or even the next step forward, say to Jesus, “Lord, I don’t know what to do or where to go, but I know that you have a plan.” Say this and then choose something. Even if you have no idea what to choose, pick something. Take that leap of faith, and if was in the wrong direction God, in His infinite mercy, will lift you up and set you back on the path He’s leading you on. “Ask and you shall receive.”
Amazon.com: Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet (Single Novena) : Home & Kitchen
