1st Week of Lent 2019 - Friday - Justice, Mercy, and the Need for Repentance

Our readings underscore today the justice of God, that God is a just judge: the just, the virtuous shall at the end of this life receive eternal life, and the wicked and unrepentant shall go on to eternal perdition. And they underscore the mercy of God: “If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

What separates the saved from the damned in the readings today? Repentance. Lent is a powerful call to repentance, and repentance is a matter of life and death.

Justice is when you give that which is deserved. Justice demands parents feed and nurture their children. Mercy gives beyond what is deserved. As a matter of justice, all sinners deserve death. They’ve chosen by their own free will to separate themselves from God, and so they deserve the consequences of that separation.

The Psalmist is a little overwhelmed by God’s justice today. “If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand?” The Psalmist is overwhelmed that God knows, each and every one of our iniquities throughout our whole life, and that every deed from our whole life will be brought up on the day of judgment, and we will have to give an accounting for them.

But then the Psalmist recalls God’s forgiveness: “But with you is forgiveness”. God has announced his mercy: He Himself will pay the price of our sins, and that he will forgive those who repent.

During Lent, we show our repentance, our sorrow for sins, our desire to convert from each and every one of our sins, through prayer, fasting, and charity. We make a Lenten confession and confess those sins. By doing so we “Cast away from all the crimes we have committed, and make for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (Ez 18:31).”

We make a grave mistake in saying, “it doesn’t matter how I live, because God is mercifull”. No. It does matter. Repentance does matter.

Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” The Pharisees were so self-assured that they did not recognize their sinful pride and their sinful coldness toward the poor. They failed to repent of their pride, their lust, their wrath, selfishness, and for that Jesus announced eternal consequences.

So may we take advantage of this time of mercy, truly examine our hearts and our motivations, not according to the standard of the world, but the standard of Christ, that not a sin of our life will go unrepented of, that the Lord will not find us unrepentant, but full of contrition, trusting in His word, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - -
 
For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.