Jesus and Saint Faustina
Both Blessed Pope John Paul II, as well as the first canonized saint in the
new millennium—Saint Faustina Maria Kowalska--- stated unequivocally, that the
greatest virtue or attribute in God is His infinite mercy.
All throughout the Bible, but
especially the New Testament, but most specifically in the Gospels, we see
displayed marvelously the Mercy of God!
The woman caught in adultery and forgiven
Jesus is the Incarnation of the Mercy
of God. The examples are abundant! Jesus forgives the woman with more than six
husbands, the Samaritan woman at the well. Mercy!!! (Jn. 4) Jesus comes to the
rescue of the woman caught in adultery, who was just about to be stoned to
death. “Whoever is without sin, let him cast the first stone….” Mercy
again! Jesus forgives a woman who was a prostitute and possessed by seven
demons--- Saint Mary Magdalene. Mercy has no limits in Jesus as we see Him
forgiving Zacheus, the tax collector.
This little man was ready to
climb a sycamore tree just to see Jesus. He showed his repentance by giving
half of his money to the poor and four times as much money to anybody he might
have defrauded. Jesus rejoiced by saying that today salvation has come to the
house of Zacheus!
Jesus and the good thief
The Gospel accounts and teachings of
Jesus are replete with the idea of Jesus’ infinite mercy. However, let us focus on one breath-taking
manifestation of Jesus’ mercy--- THE CONVERSION OF THE GOOD THEIF!!!
LUKE 23:33-43. THE CONVERSION OF THE
GOOD THIEF ON THE CROSS. Points for meditation:
1.
The good thief had lived a very
sinful life.
2.
Stealing, killing, and a revolutionary-responsible for starting
conflicts!
3.
CURSING JESUS. He starts out with his companion by cursing
Jesus out!!!
4.
CONVERSION! This good thief by being with Jesus was transformed.
5.
MERCY AND LOVE. He heard Jesus forgive. Mercy is the love of
God forgiving the sinner. It is always available!
6.
“Father
forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” The first word of
Jesus on the cross was mercy and
forgiveness!
7.
HEART MOVED! His hard heart was softened by the Sacred and
merciful Heart of Jesus.
8.
BEGGED FORGIVNESS. The thief humbly and with a contrite heart
begged for forgiveness. “Lord remember me when you come into your
Kingdom.”
9.
MERCY.
Jesus is so merciful that His
Heart is always moved instantaneously to forgive a repentant heart. The repentant
thief was forgiven in a heartbeat. “God is slow to anger and quick to forgive.”
We should try to be slow to anger and rich in mercy and quick to
forgive. Jesus also said: “Be
merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” Mercy is a two-way street. If we want to experience the mercy of the
Heart of Jesus then we must be merciful to others.
10. SAINT. Here we have the first canonized
saint. Jesus canonized the thief. “Amen I
say to you today you will be with me in Paradise.” As Archbishop Fulton Sheen so astutely
remarked, “And the thief died a thief
because he stole heaven.”
Today you will be with me in Paradise
