Extending Mercy to Sinners

   Saint Paul reminds the members of the church of Ephesus that they have reason to rejoice. Even while they were trapped in their sinful ways, God called them to fullness of life in Christ. This calling is the greatest gift anyone could hope for. It is offered to each of us even before we ask for it. If we cling to Christ we shall never be miserable, but if we separate ourselves from Him, we shall never know true peace. God chose us in Christ to be holy and fully alive in the Spirit before the foundations of the world were made. We were predestined to be adopted children of God through the blood of Christ and the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Because the world has been lulled into insensitivity and driven to the brink of self-destruction, we are obliged declare loudly and clearly the good news of salvation. 

            Because God has shown gracious mercy to us, we can extend mercy to those we meet, offering them a way out of the hell that their habitual sin has created. Through the sacrificial love of the Son, God does not encourage sin, neither does He glibly excuse it away. However, He does conquer the power of sin over us and shows us the path to conversion and holiness. Pope Francis put it this way:  “Frequently, we act as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators.  But the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.”  (The Joy of the Gospel, # 47)  

            I do not want to deny the reality of sin. Neither do I wish to ignore the moral teaching of the Church. However, some of us strive so hard to right the wrongs of sin that we forget to show compassion and mercy for sinners. As we seek to proclaim the Good News we must always remember that He who was sinless took to himself our condemnation as sinners so that we might live in the holiness of grace. Through baptism into Christ all people have been given a share of the blessings Christ won for us by His Paschal Sacrifice. These graces are the fruit of a love that allowed the beloved Son to die so that sinful sons and daughters might live. 

         Here’s the rub. In order to share in the spiritual blessings of the kingdom, we must take responsibility for and confess our sins. In his first epistle, Saint John wrote: “If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, ‘We have not sinned,’ we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us” (1 Jn. 1: 9-10). We need to examine our hearts and then humbly ask that they be recreated. God is the author and giver of all blessings, but He can only forgive those who repent of their sins and choose to live in the fullness of grace in Christ. We are invited to make Christ the source and summit of our lives.  

Through faith we come to believe that God makes forgiveness and grace available to everyone. Through faith we surrender ourselves to the love and will of God who alone can make us whole. We rejoice because Christ has conquered sin and death and freed us from our bondage. To conclude, I would like to read a prayer that Bill Wilson was inspired to include in the Big Book. 

The Third Step Prayer 

God, I offer myself to You-  To build with me  and to do with me as You wilt.  Relieve me of the bondage of self,  that I may better do Your will.  Take away my difficulties,  that victory over them may bear witness  to those I would help of Your Power,  Your Love, and Your Way of life.  May I do Your will always! 

Fr. Jerome Machar, OSCO