"The mercy of God has no limits, nothing is too great for it. That is the reason why anyone who despairs of it is the author of his own death."
- John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
(God is good . . . all the time.) |
AM 7:10-17; PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11; MT 9:1-8
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the
eye.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
Reflection on the
Scriptures |
As I read Matthew’s gospel about Jesus forgiving the paralytic, I am reminded of the Old Testament prophets and the reactions they received. The
people listening, notably the scribes (the learned, holy ones), doubt the words and question the authority to say such things. How dare the people believe that they faith can change them (without intervention from the scribes)! Yet Jesus is well aware of the doubts and evil thoughts and confronts the scribes in a way they can’t ignore. His command for the man to rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home demands the attention of all as the man did, indeed, rise and go on his
way. I wonder how many times we (I) ignore the opportunities for forgiveness and doubt our (my) worthiness or God’s ability to change us (me). If I get my ego out of the way and rest in the knowledge that I am a beloved sinner, my life will reflect the power of God. The essential aspect is that I remember I am both – a beloved child of God and a sinner. Just as my child can’t do anything that would make me stop loving him, so it is with our heavenly Father. I know
my child, like me, is not perfect, we both make mistakes. Yet the love never ends . . . . He is a Good, Good Father.
- by Nancy Shirley
Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Eighth Revelation, Chapter 21
I understood that we be now, in our Lord’s meaning, in
His Cross with Him in His pains and His Passion, dying; and we, willingly abiding in the same Cross with His help and His grace unto the last point, suddenly He shall change His Cheer to us, and we shall be with Him in Heaven. Betwixt that one and that other shall be no time, and then shall all be brought to joy. And thus said He in this Shewing: Where is now any point of thy pain, or thy grief? And we shall be full blessed.
And here saw I verily that if He shewed now [to] us His Blissful Cheer, there is no pain in earth or in other place that should aggrieve us; but all things should be to us joy and bliss. But because He sheweth to us time of His Passion, as He bare it in this life, and His Cross, therefore we are in distress and travail, with Him, as our frailty asketh. And the cause why He suffereth [it to be so,] is for [that] He will of His goodness make us the higher with Him in His
bliss; and for this little pain that we suffer here, we shall have an high endless knowing in God which we could never have without that. And the harder our pains have been with Him in His Cross, the more shall our worship be with Him in His Kingdom.
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