The mercy of God - 1

As God is by nature infinite Goodness, He has a sovereign desire to communicate His happiness to us, and therefore His inclination is not to punish but to show mercy. And when He does punish it is in love, that we may be delivered from eternal punishment.

I. Mercy exalteth itself above judgment (James ii. 13). Goodness is by nature diffusive — that is, inclined to communicate itself to others. Now God, Who by nature is infinite Goodness, has a sovereign desire to communicate His happiness to us; and therefore His inclination is not to punish, but to show mercy to all. Punishment, says Isaias, is a work opposed to the inclination of God: He shall be angry... that he may do his work, his strange work... his work is strange to him (Is. xxviii. 21). And when the Lord chastises in this life, He chastises that He may show mercy in the next: Thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us (Ps. lix. 3). He appears angry in order that we may amend and detest sin: Thou hast shown thy people hard things; thou hast made us drink the wine of sorrow (Ps. lix. 5). And if He punishes, it is in love, that we may be delivered from eternal punishment: Thou hast given a warning to them that fear thee, that they may flee from before the bow, that thy beloved may be delivered (Ps. lix. 6). Who can ever sufficiently admire and praise the mercy of God towards sinners in waiting for them, in calling them, and in receiving them when they return! And in the first place, oh, how great is the patience of God in waiting for our repentance! My brother, when you offended God He might have struck you dead; but He waited for you, and, instead of chastising you, He conferred benefits on you, He preserved your life, He provided for you. He feigned not to see your sins, in order that you might return to His grace: Thou overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance (Wis. xi. 24). But how is it, O Lord, that Thou canst not endure a single sin, and yet beholdest so many in silence? Thou beholdest the unchaste, the vindictive, the blasphemer, each day increasing their offences against Thee, and Thou dost not punish them! And why so much patience? God waits for the sinner that he may amend: Therefore the Lord waiteth, that he may have mercy on you (Is. xxx. 18); and that He may thus pardon and save him.

Ah, my Lord, I well know that at this moment my portion ought to be in hell: Hell is my house. But at this moment, through Thy mercy, I am not in hell, but here at Thy feet; and I feel Thee within me, whispering to me the commandment that I should love Thee: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. Thou assurest me that Thou wilt pardon me if I repent of my offences against Thee. My God, since Thou desirest to be loved even by me, a wretched rebel against Thy Majesty, I love Thee with my whole heart; and I grieve for having offended Thee above any other evil that could have befallen me. Ah, enlighten me, O Infinite Goodness, and make me perceive the wrong I have done Thee. Never more will I resist Thy calls. Never more will I displease a God Who has so much loved me, and so often and so lovingly pardoned me. Ah, would that I had never offended Thee, O my Jesus!

II. St. Thomas says that all creatures — fire, earth, air, and water — would, through their natural instinct, punish the sinner to avenge the injuries done to their Creator; but God withholds them in His mercy: "All creation, in its service to Thee the Creator, is enraged against the unjust." But, O Lord, Thou waitest for these impious men that they may enter into themselves; and seest Thou not that they ungratefully make use of Thy mercy only to offend Thee more? Thou hast been favourable to the nation, O Lord, thou hast been favourable to the nation: art thou glorified? (Is. xxvi. 15). And why so much patience? Because God desires not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live: I desire not the death of the wicked, but that he turn from his way and live (Ezech. xxxiii. 11). O patience of God! St. Augustine goes so far as to say that if God were not God He would be unjust in respect of the excessive patience He shows to sinners: "O God, my God, pardon me if I say that, wert Thou not God, Thou wouldst be unjust." It appears an injustice to the Divine honour to wait for those who make use of patience only to become more insolent. "We sin," continues the Saint; "we are attached to sin." Some make peace with sin, and sleep in sin for months and years. "We rejoice in sin" (others go so far as to boast of their wickedness), "and Thou art appeased. We provoke Thee to anger, and Thou invitest us to mercy." It would seem as if we entered into a contest with God: we to provoke Him to chastise us, and He to invite us to pardon.

O my Jesus, pardon me and grant that from this day henceforth I may love Thee alone; that I may live only for Thee Who didst die for me; that I may suffer for Thy love, since Thou hast suffered so much for the love of me. Thou hast loved me from eternity; grant that in eternity I may burn with Thy love. I hope for all, my Saviour, through Thy merits. I confide also in thee, O Mary; it is for thee to save me by thy intercession.