Trust in the Mercy of Jesus

A reflection from Pope Francis’ homily on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7, 2013

3. I would like to emphasize one other thing: God’s patience has to call forth in us the courage to return to him, however many mistakes and sins there may be in our life. Jesus tells Thomas to put his hand in the wounds of his hands and his feet, and in his side. We too can enter into the wounds of Jesus, we can actually touch him. This happens every time that we receive the sacraments with faith. Saint Bernard, in a fine homily, says: "Through the wounds of Jesus I can suck honey from the rock and oil from the flinty rock (cf. Deut 32:13), I can taste and see the goodness of the Lord" (On the Song of Songs, 61:4). It is there, in the wounds of Jesus, that we are truly secure; there we encounter the boundless love of his heart. Thomas understood this. Saint Bernard goes on to ask: But what can I count on? My own merits? No, "My merit is God’s mercy. I am by no means lacking merits as long as he is rich in mercy. If the mercies of the Lord are manifold, I too will abound in merits" (ibid., 5). This is important: the courage to trust in Jesus’ mercy, to trust in his patience, to seek refuge always in the wounds of his love. Saint Bernard even states: "So what if my conscience gnaws at me for my many sins? ‘Where sin has abounded, there grace has abounded all the more’ (Rom 5:20)" (ibid.). Maybe someone among us here is thinking: my sin is so great, I am as far from God as the younger son in the parable, my unbelief is like that of Thomas; I don’t have the courage to go back, to believe that God can welcome me and that he is waiting for me, of all people. But God is indeed waiting for you; he asks of you only the courage to go to him. How many times in my pastoral ministry have I heard it said: "Father, I have many sins"; and I have always pleaded: "Don’t be afraid, go to him, he is waiting for you, he will take care of everything". We hear many offers from the world around us; but let us take up God’s offer instead: his is a caress of love. For God, we are not numbers, we are important, indeed we are the most important thing to him; even if we are sinners, we are what is closest to his heart. . . .
In my own life, I have so often seen God’s merciful countenance, his patience; I have also seen so many people find the courage to enter the wounds of Jesus by saying to him: Lord, I am here, accept my poverty, hide my sin in your wounds, wash it away with your blood. And I have always seen that God did just this – he accepted them, consoled them, cleansed them, loved them.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130407_omelia-possesso-cattedra-laterano_en.html

Reflections for Life

1. Am I willing to take up God’s offer of forgiveness? Or do I tend to take it lightly because it is so easily available? It’s only human to value things that are hard to get, and to take for granted what comes to us easily. If only the Pope could hear confessions, he would be deluged by people wanting to confess their sins. But how many priests sit for long hours in empty confessionals? Jesus made this sacrament so easy for us to receive. If you haven’t gone to confession in a while, don’t put it off any longer. Decide on a date and go!

2. In his homily Pope Francis says that we can actually touch Jesus through faith. Every time we turn to Jesus with faith, power goes out from him. Even though we have already received it, the spiritual power that comes from Jesus can always grow in us more and more. I can touch Jesus with faith by turning to him in the ordinary events of the day and asking for his help in whatever I am doing.

Sources for Further Reflection

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: no. 1422 and following.

(If you do not have a Catechism of the Catholic Church, type these references into Google Search and you can find them online.)

St. Joseph, Pope Francis, and the Year of Faith

In this critical year of faith we should pay more attention to St. Joseph, because through him God will provide a way to overcome the famine of faith. The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis can remind us of similarities to St. Joseph: their dreams, their chastity, their wise stewardship. The Joseph of Genesis wisely managed the resources of Egypt, so that when famine struck the country, it was well provided for: “All the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world” (Gen 41:57).

In re-reading this story recently, I was reminded of another type of famine, not of bread but of the word of God: “Yes, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the Lord of the Lord” (Amos 8:11).

Certainly we’re living in a time when faith seems to be losing the battle against a tide of secularism, atheism, and unbelief. While many people retain a vibrant faith, the decline in Mass attendance, marriage rates, and participation in church life is evident. We’re in a famine of faith. Pope Benedict XVI called us to a Year of Faith in order to meet that challenge and forge ahead with the New Evangelization. So what role does St. Joseph play in this?

Genesis recounts that “Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them” (Gen 41:55). That phrase evokes Cana, when Mary referred the stewards to Jesus and said, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). Joseph provided the people with grain, and Jesus turned water into wine: bread and wine, the elements of the Eucharist. Reading the story of Joseph in Genesis together with Cana can help us understand why St. Joseph is patron of the universal Church. The saint of divine providence, the one we invoke for material help in terms of jobs, resources, selling a house, etc., is even more eager to provide us with the blessings of faith.

In the book of Revelation, the third horseman represents famine: “I looked, and there was a black horse, and its rider held a scale in his hand. I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures. It said, ‘A ration of wheat costs a day’s pay, and three rations of barley cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil or the wine” (Rev 6:5-6). While this book is difficult to interpret, these verses make me think of the famine of faith. Could it be that the reference to sparing the oil and the wine is a veiled reference to the fact that even in times when faith dies down, the Church will keep on providing the sacraments? The flock may grow smaller, and the demand for sacraments may be less, but the Church will always be there to offer the sacraments and nourish our faith. St. Joseph, the Church’s patron, has a role in making sure they are provided.

So it is no accident that Pope Francis is officially beginning his mandate on the feast of St. Joseph, in the Year of Faith. This Pope is remarkable for being a humble, hidden man, much like Joseph. Because of this saint’s hiddenness, we may easily forget him. But let’s ask his intercession even more now, so that in this Year of Faith the Church will truly begin to witness to the Gospel in a more effective way. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Sr. Marianne Lorraine Trouve, FSP