Yesterday began the great novena of Divine Mercy, where we pray that all people, according to their specific spiritual need, may be immersed in the merciful heart of Jesus.
Today I learned that a man of once great influence in my life has passed away. That influence was not always toward truth. He was my pastor before I became a Catholic. When we parted ways there were hard feelings on his part. I claimed I was following Jesus to become Catholic; he believed I was being led astray by demons. I remember hearing that he had developed dementia; I felt, with perhaps more than a mere glint of satisfaction, that it was God's mercy to purify him while still in this life. Oh, Jesus, preserve me....
As I prayed the Office of the Dead for him, with trepidation I saw how, even though I prayed for mercy, I desired justice. Oh, I know that we all will be purified before we stand before God, and justice is met in His mercy. But all that is God's business. All I know is, my life has one measure. The measure I want for others is the measure for myself.
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world....
2 comments:
That is such piercing, profound truth, thank you for articulating it.
Your honesty, I believe, it's a great form of 'penance' because reading your entry makes it obvious that it humbles you. That is encouraging.
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