Prayer Warriors@ St Mary Help Of Christians Church, Aiken, South Carolina at 118 York Street SE, Aiken, SC 29801-4568 US - Mercy and Repentance

Today, the eighth day of Easter, has been designated by the Church as Mercy Sunday – a very curious designation.  It seems to me that this Sunday should be about something glorious while Mercy Sunday should be tied to Palm Sunday or Good Friday.  But, on second thought, what is more glorious for mankind than the fact that we have received God’s mercy by virtue of the Cross . . . AND the resurrection. 

On this Mercy Sunday I want us to consider three interconnected words that witness to the glory of the Risen Christ in us and in our world – mercy, repentance, forgiveness.  Thomas encounters all three of them in our Gospel.  Even though Thomas blurts out, “unless I see the marks, I will not believe,” Jesus comes to him with mercy.  Jesus’ tone is not one of scolding, but of invitation.  “Put your finger here and see my hands . . . and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”  In Thomas’ response, you can imagine that his words were not only ones of astonishment, but also of deep repentance for doubting.  With Thomas’ confession comes forgiveness.  Thomas will not forget that message, but takes it to distant lands and to his martyrdom.

When we speak of mercy, it is important to understand that I am first speaking of God’s mercy.  Love and mercy go together and mercy is a sign of love.  If I say I love you, but am always bitter or harsh instead of forgiving, I’m lying, or at least I’m deceiving myself.  Love produces mercy.  Jesus is mercy come in the flesh.  And yet, for some reason, our spirits doubt.  “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  Unless I see proof that “mercy” lives, I will not believe.  The marks in the hands and side are the physical proof that mercy triumphs, especially over death. 

The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of Jesus’ blood as the blood that calls out more eloquently than Abel’s.  Why?  Because of mercy instead of vengeance.  Recall how Adam and Eve’s son Cain killed his brother Abel?  After that occurred the scriptures say that “the voice of Abel’s blood calls out to God from the earth.”  The blood of Jesus calls out more eloquently than Abel’s, because the blood of Abel asked for the death of Cain, the murderer, while the blood of Jesus  has asked for, and obtained, life for his persecutors. 

The blood of the Lord has asked for, and obtained, life for his persecutors.  But God does not force himself upon us.  Just as there were two thieves crucified with Jesus and only one repented, so the invitation is there, but we have to believe that Jesus obtained life for us.  Not just for sinners, in the general sense, but for me, in particular.  Like the tax collector in the temple, “O God, be merciful to ME, a sinner.” 

This is what repentance means.  “To be repentant means that one is prepared to make satisfaction for the offence.  You’ve done something wrong and want to set things right.  Since the only adequate satisfaction ever made for sin was the suffering of Christ, Christian repentance must call upon the glorious wounds of Christ, those wounds Thomas touched with his hands.  Only if we believe that we can receive reparation from sin by Christ’s sacrifice can we be truly repentant.”  Are you able to look at Jesus on the Cross or pray to Jesus in the tabernacle and say, “If it weren’t for you, I’d be lost”?  That’s a humbling thought.  It’s also the truth.  If Jesus hasn’t earned reparation for you, by whose blood, by whose wounds are you saved from you sins against God?

But God doesn’t show us mercy solely for our own sake.  Pope St. Gregory helps us see the bigger picture:  If the sacrament of the Lord’s passion is to work its effect in us, we must imitate what we receive and proclaim to mankind what we revere.  It is only because we believe that Christ’s passion brings reparation for our sins that we can also believe that Christ’s passion and resurrection brought reparation for my wife’s sins, for my children’s sins, for my neighbors’ sins, and for my enemy’s sins.  Some days I get so frustrated that my children have such poor memories when it comes to things I have told them, but then other days, when evening comes and I reflect on some of the things I’ve said to them, I thank God that they have such poor memories.  And I thank God even more that he chooses to not remember my sins.

For this reason Jesus says “peace be with you.”  And then he echoes what Pope St. Gregory said, “As the Father sent me, so I send you.”  To do what?  We’ve received God’s mercy, we’ve experienced true repentance, and now we are sent with a mission.  To do what?  Forgive.

How important is the ministry of forgiveness?  The ministry of forgiveness is the first one given after the resurrection.  “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.”  The ministry of mercy and forgiveness is given to the Church about 40 days BEFORE the ministry of evangelization on Pentecost.  Don’t think that you can effectively spread the gospel to others if you can’t forgive those around you.  It’s a lot of hot air.  It’s a house built on sand.  It can’t endure.  Let go of your unforgiveness.  Let go of your grudge.

You’ve already suffered once.  Why do you want to keep suffering?  “I want them to pay for what they did!”  I’ve got news for you.  There is only one who can pay for what was done, but for him to “pay” (so to speak) you will have to show the same mercy that God showed you.

Forgiveness involves letting go, something difficult for those used to demanding what they THINK they deserve.  Remember Sally in the “Charlie Brown Christmas”?  “All I want is what I have coming to me.  All I want is my fair share?”  Do you really want what is coming to you?  St. Paul says in Romans 5:12, “Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned.”  Do you really want what is coming to you, or do you want what you don’t deserve?  “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” 

Life passes so quickly.  Forty-three years have been a blur.  I can’t believe I’ve been married 20 years and already have two teenagers.  Before you know it, we will all be standing before God.  In the end of all things, there are two things we need – God’s mercy and forgiveness.  Jesus showed the apostles his proof, and now he wants our world to see proof.  We are that proof.  Imitate what you have received.  Proclaim to mankind that God is mercy by a life of repentance and forgiveness.