God is rich in mercy. No matter what we have done, God never turns away his gaze of love. In the story of the Prodigal Son, it is really the Father who is prodigal, prodigal with his extravagant love, his concern, his care, his efforts to make the homecoming of his son an intimate measure of his mercy. God is like that with us. We cannot begin to fathom the Father’s love and care that He brings to us. He does not wait for our return. He calls us home; He provides the opportunities in the Sacraments to clothe us with His grace and put on the ring of belonging once more. Does he throw us a party? By all means! The angels and saints rejoice over our homecoming, and we experience the freedom that his mercy provides.
Our Foundress, Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, entitled her autobiography, The History of God’s Mercy upon a Sinner. She understood that all of us are far from attaining to God’s purity and goodness and are, therefore, much in need of God’s mercy. To the extent that we recognize and accept that we are sinners, we are open to receive the mercy God wants to give us. Pope Francis’ encyclical, Dilexit nos, reveals how deeply the heart of God desires to bring us closer to Him that we might experience His mercy. On this day dedicated to Divine Mercy, we can expect that ours will be the gifts that mercy offers: peace, joy, and the hope of salvation. As children of God, we can boldly proclaim our hope for mercy and a lasting intimacy with our merciful Lord.
Sister Gemma Pepera, CSFN
