Hoping for and Needing Mercy

(From John Martin, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

I care about God's mercy because I'm a sinner, which doesn't mean what you may think.

First, a quick review of what I don't believe is true. (March 15, 2015)

I'm not "some loathsome insect," and neither are you:

"...every unconverted Man properly belongs to Hell...."

"...The God that holds you over the Pit of Hell, much as one holds a Spider, or some loathsome Insect, over the Fire, abhors you...."

"...you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God...."
("Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," pp. 6, 9, 15, 18; Jonathan Edwards (July 8, 1741) (via Digital Commons@University of Nebraska-Lincoln))

Samuel Clemens apparently had a well-defined attitude regarding "converted" folks, and I can't say that I blame him:

"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places.

"When I think of the number of disagreeable people that I know who have gone to a better world, I am sure hell won't be so bad at all."
(Mark Twain, p.377 of Evan Esar, "20,000 quips & quotes" (1968))

"[H]eaven for climate, Hell for society."
(Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Speech to the Acorn Society (1901); via Wikiquote.org)

"I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: 'All right, then I'll go to Hell."
(Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), via Bartlett's Quotations, 16th ed.)

Still "in the Divine Image"

Catholics don't, or shouldn't, think that we're 'loathsome insects' that belong in Hell. We have free will, so going native is an option: and another topic.¹

God makes us, and this universe, and God doesn't make junk. (Genesis 1:31; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 31, 299, 355)

We're rational creatures who can decide what we do, like angels. Unlike angels, we are also material creatures: spiritual beings with a body made from the stuff of this world. (Catechism, 311, 325-348, 1704, 1730-1731)

Something went wrong, obviously. Glancing through headlines tells you that.

But we're still made "in the divine image," as Genesis 1:27 puts it.

The first of us — Adam and Eve aren't German² — decided that they'd do what they wanted, even though it meant disobeying God. Then Adam tried blaming his wife, and God: and things went downhill from there. (Genesis 3:1-12)

We've been living with the disastrous consequences of that bad decision ever since. (Catechism, 396-412)

Sin

Sin³ is not a handful of activities I either don't enjoy, can't participate in, or actively dislike.

It is what happens when I decide not to do something I should; or decide to do something I know is bad for myself or others, and do it anyway. It "is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience" — and God. (Catechism, 1849-1864)

I know that I should unceasingly love my neighbors, see everybody as my neighbor, and treat others as I want to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37)

But I don't. I've got lots of company, and there's a reason for that.

God could have created an unchanging universe, but didn't: not in our case, at any rate. We're in a "state of journeying" toward perfection, but we're not there yet. (Catechism, 302, 310)

We started out in harmony with ourselves, with the world, and with God: but that harmony is broken. Human nature has been wounded: but not corrupted. (Catechism, 374, 400-406)

I can decide to do what is good: but it won't be easy. (Catechism, 407-409)

Trying to do what is right doesn't set me apart from the rest of humanity.

We're not divided into 'good' people who are like me and 'bad' people who aren't. Life isn't that simple. (March 22, 2016; September 27, 2015)

"...But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners...."⁴
("Visit to the Congress of the United States of America," Pope Francis (September 24, 2015))

A Very High Standard

(From John Martin, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

After the end of all things, I'll be with our Lord in Heaven: or not. (Catechism, 1023-1029, 1033-1037, 1042-1050)

Nobody's dragged, kicking and screaming, into Heaven: so at my particular judgment I could walk away from our Lord. That's a daft option: but it is an option. (Catechism, 1021-1022)

Justice⁵ is important. So is mercy. (Catechism, 1805, 1829, 1861, 1991-2011)

I hope for mercy, so I try to forgive others. (Matthew 6: 12)

"¹³ 'Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

"Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.' "
(Luke 6:37-38)

Our Lord set a very high standard for forgiveness:

"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
(Luke 23:34)

Forgiving others doesn't mean ignoring trouble.

Sin isn't just about me and God. I'm not loving my neighbor if I see nothing wrong with someone hurting my neighbor. (Catechism, 2196)

Judging whether an act is good or bad is a basic requirement for being human. It's part of using my conscience. We're even expected to think about the actions of others. (Catechism, 1778, 2401-2449)

This isn't self-righteousness. It's hating the sin, loving the sinner: and leaving the judging of persons to God. (Catechism, 1861)

Before a quick overview of Divine Mercy Sunday, and the Divine Mercy devotion here in Sauk Centre; the best news we've ever had: God loves us, and wants to adopt us. All of us. (John 1:12-14, 3:17; Romans 8:14-17; Peter 1:3-4; Catechism, 27-30, 52, 1825, 1996)

Divine Mercy Sunday

Sauk Centre, Minnesota, was dedicated to the Divine Mercy⁶ on Divine Mercy Sunday, 1982. That's the year my wife and I married, it's her home town, we moved here a few years later, and that's yet another topic.

The Divine Mercy devotion started in Poland, where Saint Maria Faustyna (Faustina) Kowalska lived.

I've heard that official approval of the devotion took as long as it did in part because her diary was written in Polish — and folks at the Vatican had been reading a botched translation.

We eventually got a Polish pope, Pope Saint John Paul II, who could read the diary in its original Polish. That was good news for folks here in Sauk Centre: and elsewhere.

I put a resource link list at the end of this post.⁶

Divine Mercy Sunday is the Sunday following Easter, so it moves around the calendar a bit. This year it's April 2, today.

There's an image associated with the devotion, showing Jesus with two rays coming from our Lord's wounded heart; one red, the other white — representing blood and water. (John 19:34)

Sauk Centre's Divine Mercy devotion uses a carving my father-in-law made, based on St. Faustina's picture. A photo like the one up there takes its place at St. Paul's church, when the carving is on tour.

Pope St. John Paul II talked about the Divine Mercy, and what the red and white rays mean, when Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska was canonized:

"...'Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever' (Ps 118: 1). So the Church sings on the Octave of Easter, as if receiving from Christ's lips these words of the Psalm; from the lips of the risen Christ, who bears the great message of divine mercy and entrusts its ministry to the Apostles in the Upper Room: 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.... Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained' (Jn 20: 21-23).

"Before speaking these words, Jesus shows his hands and his side. He points, that is, to the wounds of the Passion, especially the wound in his heart, the source from which flows the great wave of mercy poured out on humanity. From that heart Sr Faustina Kowalska, the blessed whom from now on we will call a saint, will see two rays of light shining from that heart and illuminating the world: 'The two rays', Jesus himself explained to her one day, 'represent blood and water' (Diary, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, p. 132)...."
("Canonization of Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska," Pope St. John Paul II (April 30, 2000) (Divine Mercy Sunday))

There's a Divine Mercy chaplet and a novena — and that's yet again another topic.

More of my take on mercy, love, and living as if God matters:

• "Mercy and the Prodigal Son"
  (March 9, 2016)
  Particularly
  • Sin, Sinners, and Me
  • Mercy and Grave Offenses
• "Mercy!"
  (December 13, 2015)
  Particularly
  • "Merciful Like the Father"
  • Mercy and Forgiveness
  • Relying on God's Mercy
  • "...The Forgiveness of God Cannot be Denied...."
• " Life, Death, and Love "
  (November 1, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Life, Death, and Beyond
• "Hate People? Not an Option"
  (September 6, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Love: NO EXCEPTIONS
  • Sin and Forgiveness
  • Death and Decisions
• "Fire, Brimstone, and Lollipop Faith"
  (March 15, 2015)
  Particularly
  • God Doesn't Hate You: But He's No Patsy
  • Hellfire and Lollipops
  • Living the Truth
  • Responsibility and an Ancient Mandate

---

¹ More about 'going native' — or not:

"go native (of a settler) to adopt the lifestyle of the local population, esp when it appears less civilized"
(the Free Online Dictionary)

"Go native is an expression meaning 'to adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants'."
(Wikipedia)

"to go native (third-person singular simple present goes native, present participle going native, simple past went native, past participle gone native)

1. (idiomatic) To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.
2. (idiomatic) Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency."

(Wiktionary)

As a Christian and Catholic, my duty is "to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom...." (Catechism, 2239)

I'm in the world, but do not 'belong to' the world. (John 17:16-18)

But being 'so heavenly-minded I'm no earthly good' isn't an option:

• "(Not) 'Going Native' "
  (August 30, 2015)
• "Fire, Brimstone, and Lollipop Faith"
  (March 15, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Hellfire and Lollipops
• "Reforming the World — We Must Try"
  (September 28, 2014)
  Particularly
  • One of 'Those Crazy Kids:' Five Decades Later
  • Social Justice
  • Faith, Works, and Perspective

² I keep saying this: I think this universe is billions, not thousands, of years old; Earth isn't flat; Adam and Eve aren't German; poetry isn't science; and thinking is not a sin:

• "Organics on a Comet, and Earth's Early Magnetism"
  (August 7, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Adam and Eve Aren't German
• "New Horizons: Past Pluto, Outward Bound"
  (July 17, 2015)
  Particularly
  • "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth" — or — Thinking is Not a Sin
• "New Maps for Earth and Moon, and India's Mars Mission"
  (October 10, 2014)
  Particularly
  • God: Infinite and Eternal, Almighty and Ineffable
• "Sagittarius B2, Water, and Asteroid Mining "
  (October 3, 2014)
  Particularly
  • Pillars Beneath Earth and NASA
• "Kapteyn b, Habitable Zones, and Using Our Brains"
  (July 18, 2014)
  Particularly
  • Copernicus and Newfangled Ideas
  • Poetry isn't Science

³ Sin, defined and discussed —

"SIN: An offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth, and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God. In judging the gravity of sin, it is customary to distinguish between mortal and venial sins (1849, 1853, 1854)."
(Catechism, Glossary, S)

My take on sin:

• "Sex, Satan, and Me: Getting a Grip"
  (July 12, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Satan, Sin, and Being Human
  • Respect, Dignity, and Drunk Driving
  • Law, Love, and Nine Judges
• "Talking About Sin"
  (February 1, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Choice and Consequences

⁴ More from that speech:

"...On religious fundamentalism: 'In any confession there will be a small group of fundamentalists whose work is to destroy in the interests of an idea, not of a reality. Reality is superior to an idea. God, whether in Judaism, in Christianity, or in Islam, in the faith of those three peoples, accompanies God's people with his presence. In the Bible we see it, Muslims in the Quran. Our God is a God of nearness, which accompanies. Fundamentalists push God away from the companionship of his people; they dis-incarnate him, they transform him into an ideology. Therefore, in the name of this ideological God, they kill, attack, destroy, and calumniate. Practically, they transform this God into a Baal, into an idol.'..."
("Pope Francis: 'Jesus was popular and look how that turned out'," David Gibson, Religion News Service (September 14, 2015))

---

"...Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners...."
("Visit to the Congress of the United States of America," Pope Francis (September 24, 2015))

I recommend reading the entire address:

• "Visit to the Congress of the United States of America"
  Pope Francis (September 24, 2015)
  (From w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/september/documents/papa-francesco_20150924_usa-us-congress.html (September 24, 2015))

⁵ Justice is one of the cardinal virtues. (Catechism, 1805)

Feeling anger, a desire for revenge, is be a natural response to evil. Directing anger at a person, desiring revenge, may feel like justice, but it's wrong. (Catechism, 1472, 1762-1766, 2262, 2302)

"By recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill,"⁹⁴ our Lord asked for peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral.

"Anger is a desire for revenge. 'To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit,' but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution 'to correct vices and maintain justice.'⁹⁵ If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, 'Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.'⁹⁶"
(Catechism, 2302)

Seeking vengeance is a bad idea, and we shouldn't do it:

"We know the one who said: 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' and again: 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
(Hebrews 10:30-31)

"Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' Rather, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.' Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good."
(Romans 12:19-21)

"¹ Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. ² For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. ... There is no partiality with God."
(Romans 2:1-11)

"^{1 2} 'Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
(Matthew 7:1-2)

"¹¹ If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
(Matthew 6:14-15)

"¹⁷ But I say to you, whoever is angry ¹⁸ with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. " (Matthew 5:22)

"The vengeful will suffer the LORD'S vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect healing from the LORD? Should a man refuse mercy to his fellows, yet seek pardon for his own sins? If he who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?"
(Sirach 28:1-5)

I've talked about justice, vengeance, and getting a grip, before:

• " 'Those Who are Just Must be Kind' "
  (July 20, 2014)
  Particularly
  • The Beginning of Wisdom
  • Fear of the Lord and Karaoke
• "Vengeance, Anger, and Looking Ahead"
  (July 13, 2014)
  Particularly
  • Anger, Sin, and Getting a Grip
  • "Avenger of Blood," "Forgive ... Injustice" — the Bible and Getting a Grip

⁶ More about mercy, the Divine Mercy devotion, and St. Mary Faustina Kowalska:

• "Misericordiae Vultus - Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy"
  Pope Francis (April 11, 2015) (the day before Divine Mercy Sunday)
• "Holy Mass and the Canonization of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II"
  Pope Francis (April 27, 2014) (Divine Mercy Sunday)
• "Mass and Dedication of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki: Homily"
  Pope St. John Paul II, Apostolic Voyage to Poland (August 17, 2002)
• "Canonization of Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska"
  Pope St. John Paul II (April 30, 2000) (Divine Mercy Sunday)
• "Mary Faustina Kowalska"
  1905-1938
  News Services, Vatican.va
• Wikipedia
  • Divine Mercy
    • Devotion
  • Faustina Kowalska
• Marians of the Immaculate Conception
  • Association of Marian Helpers
    Stockbridge, MA 01263-0004
  • 1 800 462 7426
  • www.marian.org

Stones, Sin, and Mercy

(From Rembrandt, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Jesus and the Adulteress, Rembrandt.)

I figure you know what happens in John 8:1-11.

The scribes and Pharisees haul one of two folks who were committing adultery to the temple, tell Jesus what she'd done, and remind our Lord that it's a capital crime under their law.

"They said to him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.

"Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. ² So what do you say?' "
(John 8:4-5)

They were half-right.¹

Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22:-25 say that a man and woman committing adultery should be both be killed. Deuteronomy adds that if the offense happens "in the open fields," the woman lives: since if she "cried out for help, there was no one to come to her aid." (Deuteronomy 22:25-27)

That's harsh by today's standards, but let's remember when this was written. Leviticus and Deuteronomy had settled into their current form by the time Antipater became Alexander the Great's regent and Qu Yuan wrote Li Sao, but represent a much older set of customs and laws.

I'll get back to John 8:1:11, after explaining why I think some rules don't change: and others must.

Natural Law, Human Rules

Around the time Intef the Elder was reunifying Egypt, Ur-Nammu was cleaning up a mess left by Gutian kings. Among other things, Ur-Nammu fixed Sumerian law; writing the Code of Ur-Nammu — or maybe it was Shulgi, his son.

It wasn't the first written law code. Urukagina's code predates Ur-Nammu's by a few centuries, and I'm wandering off-topic.

Or maybe not so much. Laws like Ur-Nammu's and Minnesota Statutes, Session Laws, and Rules are examples of positive law, ius positum, rules we make up.

When bits of positive law make sense, they're reflecting natural law: part of reality that we can understand through reason. Natural law lets us recognize good and evil, truth and lies. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1954)

Natural law does not change, ever. Doing evil so that good will follow is never acceptable; the Golden Rule always applies; and we must always respect our neighbor. (Matthew 7:12; Catechism, 1789)

Regimes which don't follow natural law cannot serve the common good — which does not mean that there's one 'correct' political system. (Catechism, 1901)

How we apply natural law to positive law varies a great deal, and that's okay. Folks in different cultures and eras face different circumstances. But again: the underlying principles of natural law do not change. (Catechism, 1957)

The Catechism has more to say about natural law: 1954-1960, 2259-2262, 2268-2270.

Where was I? Pharisaic double standard, Deuteronomy, Li Sao. Right.

And You Think You had a Bad Day?

I've occasionally run into this sort of comment: 'everyone except me has turned away from God, they've silenced all the other believers, and now they're after me!'

I feel that way myself, but not often: partly because I remember what Jeremiah went through.

Jeremiah's life didn't get particularly easy after the reality check he got in 1 Kings 19:14-16: but when the dust settled the score was Jeremiah 1/Jezebel 0; and that's another topic.

The Book of Jeremiah "is written in a very complex and poetic Hebrew," apart from one verse in Biblical Aramaic. (Wikipedia)

That gets me back the 'woman caught in adultery,' our Lord, and an all-too-familiar attitude.

John 8:6 ends with "...Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger." A footnote to that verse in my Bible — the New American Bible (NAB) — quotes a verse from Jeremiah, as it appears in my language in another translation:

"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; those who turn away from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water."
(Jeremiah 17:13 (RSV), via biblegateway.com)

Here's how the same verse reads in the NAB:

"O hope of Israel, O LORD! all who forsake you shall be in disgrace; The rebels in the land shall be put to shame; they have forsaken the source of living waters (the LORD)."
(Jeremiah 17:13)

I think presenting an ancient metaphor, "shall be written in the earth," as "shall be put to shame" is reasonable.

I love metaphor and poetic imagery, but realize that languages and cultures change. A couple thousand years from now folks might have trouble understanding a literal translation of "kicked the bucket" or "glued to my seat," and that's yet another topic.

I've explained why I'm not upset or offended that Sacred Scripture wasn't written from a contemporary Western viewpoint. (February 21, 2016; February 19, 2016; January 30, 2015; October 24, 2014)

Sin and Sex

Now that I have your attention —

I tend to remember 'middle-class morality' as the notion that girls should be virgins until marriage, but that it was okay for boys to sow wild oats. Never mind that the human sex ratio is roughly 1:1.

There was more to it, of course. Buying stuff you don't need with money you don't have to impress people you don't like — is yet again another topic. Small wonder so many folks my age looked for alternatives. (May 3, 2015; January 25, 2015)

I've been over this before. (March 9, 2016; July 12, 2015)

(Feel free to skip down to Neither do I Condemn You.)

Sex is not a mistake. (Catechism, 2331-2391)

"God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them....

"God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good...."
(Genesis 1:27, 31)

Humans are animals, but not just animals. We're a special sort of animal: endowed with reason, capable of understanding and discernment. (Catechism, 1951)

We are people: rational and therefore like God, made in the image and likeness of God; created with free will, masters over our actions. All humans are people, with equal dignity: no matter where we are, who we are, or how we act. (Catechism, 360, 1700-1706, 1730-1825, 1932-1933, 1935)

Being rational, having brains, doesn't mean that we must act rationally. We have free will: and can decide to do something daft, or not.

Humanity is male and female: men and women with "an equal personal dignity."² (Catechism, 2331-2336)

Sin is not loving God, loving my neighbors, seeing everybody as my neighbor, and treating others as I want to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37)

That happens more often than I like. (March 9, 2016)

Adultery is a bad idea and we shouldn't do it: mainly because it's an injustice that hurts the bond between husband and wife. (Catechism, 2380-2381)

Since I take Jesus seriously, I shouldn't even daydream about cheating on my wife:

"¹⁹ 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery."

"But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
(Matthew 5:27-28)

Now, let's see what our Lord said to the woman who had been caught committing adultery.

"Neither do I Condemn You"

Justice is important. So is mercy. (Catechism, 1805, 1829, 1861, 1991-2011)

Jesus said the one who was without sin should throw the first stone, then went back to writing on the ground.

Deuteronomy 17:7 says witnesses should throw the first stone, but after a while nobody was around except Jesus and the woman: still very much alive.

"Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'

"She replied, 'No one, sir.' Then Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more.' "
(John 8:10-11)

I'm relying on God's mercy, and that's still another topic. (November 1, 2015)

A few points about sin, mercy, and getting a grip — and something Benedict XVI said — and I'm done.

Sin isn't just about me and God. I'm not loving my neighbor if I see nothing wrong with someone hurting my neighbor. (Catechism, 2196)

Judging whether an act is good or bad is part of using my conscience: it's a basic requirement for being human. We're even expected to think about the actions of others. (Catechism, 1778, 2401-2449)

This isn't 'my way or the highway' self-righteousness. It's hating the sin, loving the sinner: and leaving the judging of persons to God. (Catechism, 1861)

"...Dear friends, let us learn from the Lord Jesus not to judge and not to condemn our neighbour. Let us learn to be intransigent with sin starting with our own! and indulgent with people...."
(Angelus,, Benedict XVI (March 21, 2010))

More of my take on law, love, and being human:

• "Mercy!"
  (December 13, 2015)
  Particularly
  • "Merciful Like the Father"
  • Mercy and Forgiveness
  • "...The Forgiveness of God Cannot be Denied...."
• "Hate People? Not an Option"
  (September 6, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Love: NO EXCEPTIONS
  • Sin and Forgiveness
• "Sex, Satan, and Me: Getting a Grip"
  (July 12, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Satan, Sin, and Being Human
  • Respect, Dignity, and Drunk Driving
  • Chastity: It's Not What You Think
• "Caesar, Civilization, Dealing With Change — and Building a Better World"
  (August 31, 2014)
  Particularly
  • It's the End of Civilization as We Know It: And About Time!
  • The Code of Hammurabi, Plus 3,700 years: Looking at the Big Picture
• "Vengeance, Anger, and Looking Ahead"
  (July 13, 2014)
  Particularly
  • Crime and Punishment: Around 550 B.C.

---

¹ Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and adultery:

"If a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death."
(Leviticus 20:10)

" 'If a man is discovered having relations with a woman who is married to another, both the man and the woman with whom he has had relations shall die. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst.

"⁵ 'If within the city a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her,

"you shall bring them both out to the gate of the city and there stone them to death: the girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst.

" 'If, however, it is in the open fields that a man comes upon such a betrothed maiden, seizes her and has relations with her, the man alone shall die."
(Deuteronomy 22:22:-25)

² "Equal dignity" doesn't mean that humanity is — or should be — a bunch of mass-produced identical clones. Some of us are smarter, or less intelligent, stronger or weaker, richer or poorer, more or less talented; than others. That's okay: it's how we're supposed to be. (Catechism, 1934-1938)

Mercy and the Prodigal Son

(This post should have been ready on March 6, 2016: and probably would have been, if I hadn't been out of state at the time.)


(From John Macallan Swan, via Wikipedia, used w/o permission.)

"¹ The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him,

"but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'

"So to them he addressed this parable."
(Luke 15:1-3)

That's how last Sunday's Gospel reading starts: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.

You know the story but I'll tell it anyway: the older son stays home, follows orders, and generally toes the line; the younger one asks for his share of the family fortune, gets it, and enjoys the high life — until his money runs out.

That's when a "severe famine struck that country" — another reason I don't miss the 'good old days,' and that's another topic. (November 27, 2015; February 20, 2015)

Anyway the younger son ends up working as a swineherd: pretty much the opposite of a high-status job. Topping it off, he was still hungry: and not allowed to eat the hogs' chow.

That's when he remembers that his father's servants had more than he did — decides to go home, admit that he'd been wrong, and ask for a job:

"...'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

"I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.' "
(Luke 15:18-19)

Instead of a job, the younger son gets a hug and a kiss, fancy clothes, and a party.

The older son, on his way back from working in the fields, hears the party, learns that his younger brother is getting treated better than he'd ever been: and reacts pretty much as you might expect.

Eventually their father came out to talk. The older son complains — you know how it goes.

The father explains that the older son has everything the father had: and "...now we must celebrate and rejoice, your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found." (Luke 15:32)

Sin, Sinners, and Me

Depending on what part of my memories I dip into, I can see myself in the younger or older son's position — or the father's. Parenting isn't easy, and that's yet another topic.

Before talking about sinners, Pharisees, and mercy, I'd better talk about sin.

Sin is deciding that I'll do something I know is bad for myself, or others: or deciding to not do something I should. It's an offense against reason, truth, and God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1849-1864)

I sin whenever I don't love God, love my neighbors, see everybody as my neighbor, and treat others as I want to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37)

That happens more often than I like. Happily, acting like the post-swineherd prodigal son is an option as long as I'm alive. (Catechism, 976-983, 1442-1470, 1021, 1988)

Maybe it'd be simpler if humanity was split into the "righteous" and "sinners:" but that's not how it is. I've talked about Holy Willie, Nietzsche, and the Pope, before. (September 27, 2015; July 27, 2014)

Mercy and Grave Offenses

God loves us, and wants to adopt us. All of us. (John 1:12-14, 3:17; Romans 8:14-17; Peter 1:3-4; Catechism, 1, 27-30, 52, 1825, 1996)

I've said that before. Often. (February 21, 2016; February 14, 2016; November 1, 2015)

As adopted children, we're expected to act like God matters. I've been over that before too. (October 4, 2015; September 6, 2015)

Our Lord set a pretty high standard on Golgotha. (April 12, 2015)

I want to wrap this up while there's still a remote chance that I'll have Friday's post ready in time, so —

Accepting God's mercy is an option. So is refusing it. Admitting my faults — and forgiving others — is vital. (Catechism, 1847, 2840)

More about forgiveness and alternatives:

"¹¹ If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.

"But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
(Matthew 6:14-15)

"^{1 2} 'Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

"For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
(Matthew 7:1-2)

"¹ Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. ² For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. ... There is no partiality with God."
(Romans 2:1-11)

Forgiving others and showing mercy does not mean being stupid. We can decide that what someone does is a "grave offense:" and we must trust God's justice and mercy for what happens to them — and to each of us — in the long run. (Catechism, 1861)

More of my take on long-term planning:

• "Training, Lent, and Me"
  (February 14, 2016)
  Particularly
  • Spiritual Training
  • The Desert and Deuteronomy
  • Still Shining
• "Mercy!"
  (December 13, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Catholic, καθολικός, Universal: Really!
  • "Merciful Like the Father"
  • Mercy and Forgiveness
  • Relying on God's Mercy
• "Evil is Not Good"
  (December 6, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Being Human
  • Jiminy Cricket and "a Law of the Mind"
• "Life, Death, and Love"
  (November 1, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Memento Mori and Carpe Diem
  • Life, Death, and Beyond
• " 'Those Who are Just Must be Kind' "
  (July 20, 2014)
  Particularly
  • The Beginning of Wisdom
  • Fear of the Lord and Karaoke

Mercy!

The Year of Mercy/Jubilee of Mercy started on Tuesday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.¹

In my home parish, it's also when we started receiving the Eucharist under both forms: our Lord's body and blood.

If you think that's sounds gory and repulsive, you're not alone. Following our Lord has involved public relations issues from day one:

"Whoever eats ¹⁹ my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

"Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:54, John 6:67-69)

Receiving under both kinds is a big deal for this parish, since our bishop had to sign off on the procedure, and we needed more servers. It'll continue for the duration of the Year of Mercy. After that, we'll see what happens.

Particularly since receiving our Lord under both forms is closer to what happened at the Last Supper, I like what we're doing now.

But I know "...that ... the true Sacrament, is received even under only one species, and ... those who receive under only one species are not deprived of any of the grace that is necessary for salvation...."²

We'll be using Latin for parts of Mass during Advent, too: which is fine with me. I like Latin. I can even understand a little of the language. Mercifully, though, most of the Mass is in my native tongue.³ — Which brings me back to the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis, and getting a grip.

Catholic, καθολικός, Universal: Really!

(From Calendar of Major Events, Jubilee of Mercy. (im.va))
(A few of the world's Catholics in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.)

I'm not sure why some loudly-Catholic folks cannot abide much of anything that's happened since Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1965. That's when Pope Blessed Paul VI closed the Second Vatican Council.

I could get snarky about the universal call to holiness being unpalatable to folks with excessive self-esteem. Whoops: too late, I just did.

More seriously, I can't know what's going on in another person's mind. Some were probably upset about what they heard on the news about the "spirit of Vatican II," which didn't have much to do with the actual documents:

• Documents of the Second Vatican Council
  Archive, The Holy See

"Documents of the Second Vatican Council" is a link list for the documents' English translation. They're available in Byelorussian, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili, too.

As I keep saying the Catholic Church really is catholic: καθολικός, universal: a united and diverse people, embracing all cultures and all times.

We are not an exclusive club of folks who yearn for a bygone era, or perfect people whose chief concern is remaining aloof from the rabble. Good grief, the Church let me join.

"Merciful Like the Father"

(From Pilgrim Registration, Jubilee of Mercy. (im.va))

Those folks were waiting to register as pilgrims at St. Peter's in Rome.

The Jubilee of Mercy Pilgrim Registration page's Registration link takes you to the Italian-language registration form. You can stick with Italiano, or use the language option menu to pick Polski, Español, Français, Deutsch, Portuguese; or my native language, English.

Wouldn't you know it, the Church has rules about registering:

"To participate in the Major Events of the Jubilee in Rome and to pass through the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica, it is necessary to register. You can register through the page 'Pilgrim Registration' on the web site www.im.va.

"You can register as an individual pilgrim or as the leader of a group (even families or small groups of friends should register as groups, regardless of how many people they include)...."
(Pilgrim Registration)

The Jubilee of Mercy's logo comes with the motto in several languages. I picked the English one for obvious reasons. The motto, "Merciful Like the Father," is a close paraphrase of Luke 6:36. There's pretty good advice right after that:

"¹³ 'Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

"Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.' "
(Luke 6:37-38)

Getting back to the Jubilee logo:

"The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of what the Jubilee Year is all about. ... The logo - the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik - represents an image quite important to the early Church: that of the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in redemption. ...

"The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of an almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine and human. The three concentric ovals, with colors progressively lighter as we move outward, suggest the movement of Christ who carries humanity out of the night of sin and death. Conversely, the depth of the darker color suggests the impenetrability of the love of the Father who forgives all."
(Description of the logo, from im.va.)

Mercy and Forgiveness

It's the best news humanity's ever had: God loves us, and wants to adopt us. All of us. (John 1:12-14, 3:17; Romans 8:14-17; Peter 1:3-4; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 27-30, 52, 1825, 1996)

Because I believe that, trying to act like a member of the family seems reasonable.

I should love God, love my neighbors, see everybody as my neighbor, and treat others as I want to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37)

I don't, putting it mildly, always live up to those standards. That's why we have the sacrament of penance and reconciliation: what my culture calls "confession." (Catechism, 1422-1470)

I've got the rest of my life for "working out my salvation," and that's another topic. Topics (April 12, 2015; November 23, 2014)

Where was I? Jubilee of Mercy, being Catholic, a motto, acting like God matters. Right.

Pope Francis said what the Jubilee of Mercy/Year of Mercy is about. Who it's about, more precisely:

"Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith...."
("Misericordiae Vultus,"⁴ Pope Francis)

It's been a few months since a few tightly-wound Catholics were going ballistic over the Pope's "changing stand" on abortion. What's changed are a few administrative details.

The Pope said sin can be forgiven. THIS IS NOT A NEW IDEA. (September 6, 2015)

John 8:3-11 ends with Jesus saying to the woman who would have been killed: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." (John 8:11)

The example I used involved woman caught in adultery. Oddly enough, she was the one about to be stoned: not the man. Elsewhere our Lord points out that men are responsible, too, or should be:

"¹⁹ 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery."

"But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
(Matthew 5:27-28)

Relying on God's Mercy

Back in the 1960s, quite a few folks around my age decided that a life devoted to buying stuff we don't need, with money we didn't have, to impress folks we didn't like, didn't make sense.

I was one of 'those crazy kids' who thought there was more to life than slithering up the career ladder. I still do, and that's yet another topic.

Somewhere between "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Harper Valley PTA," I realized that what's legal and what's right can be two very different things.

I've discussed natural and positive law, ethics, and Chickenman, before. (August 30, 2015; September 7, 2014; August 31, 2014)

Some reforms my generation worked for were long overdue, and some didn't turn out as I had hoped, but I do not miss the 'good old days.' My memory's too good. (August 30, 2015; May 3, 2015)

Being a man who at least looks English is no longer required for folks looking for the better-paying jobs, happily. The underlying biases may linger for decades or centuries, and that's yet again another topic. (July 5, 2015; October 26, 2014)

Not-so-happily, killing innocent people is legal, or at least tolerated, in America: provided that the victim is below an arbitrary age, or very sick. I think human life is sacred, so I can't approve. (Catechism, 2258)

I think all human life is sacred, which puts me in the awkward position of seeing capital punishment, euthanasia, and abortion, as bad ideas. That puts me at odds with an assortment of folks, but it can't be helped. (September 6, 2015; August 30, 2015)

I can't reasonably heap abuse on 'those sinners over there,' however. I remember our Lord's story about a Pharisee who 'prayed to himself:'

" 'Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

"The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector.

"I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'

"But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'

"I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.' "
(Luke 18:10-14)

I'm like the Pharisee, sort of. I pray regularly, and have not committed any socially-unacceptable sins. But I have other items on my rap sheet, so relying on God's mercy makes sense. Besides, there's that pesky "stop judging" thing in Matthew 7:1-5. (March 15, 2015)

"...The Forgiveness of God Cannot be Denied...."

Having a conscience, learning to notice whether something I'm about to do will help or hurt another, is vital. (Catechism, 1776-1794)

We're social creatures, so I must think about the common good: which also involves using my conscience. (Catechism, 1905-1912, 1928-1942)

That can include situations like the old "friends don't let friends drive drunk" public service ads. It's a matter of showing love and respect for another person. (Catechism, 1929-1933, 2284-2301)

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 sets a high standard for that sort of love: and I'm drifting off-topic.

In the end, I must trust God's justice and mercy. (Catechism, 1861)

Bottom line? Forgiving others is vital.

"¹¹ If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.

"But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
(Matthew 6:14-15)

"^{1 2} 'Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

"For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
(Matthew 7:1-2)

"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
(Luke 23:34)

"¹ Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. ² For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. ... There is no partiality with God."
(Romans 2:1-11)

Here's part of what Pope Francis wrote about forgiveness:

"...I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision.What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope. The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father. For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it. May priests fulfil this great task by expressing words of genuine welcome combined with a reflection that explains the gravity of the sin committed, besides indicating a path of authentic conversion by which to obtain the true and generous forgiveness of the Father who renews all with his presence...."
("Letter of the Holy Father according to which an Indulgence is granted to the faithful on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy," Pope Francis (September 1, 2015) [emphasis mine])

That seems reasonable to me. So does this:

"Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

"If you, LORD, mark our sins, Lord, who can stand?

"³ But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered."
(Psalms 130:2-4)

More of my take on following our Lord:

• " 'Have No Anxiety At All' "
  (October 18, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Why Take Jesus Seriously?
  • Rejoice!
• "Hate People? Not an Option"
  (September 6, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Love: NO EXCEPTIONS
  • Sin and Forgiveness
  • Human Life
  • Recap
• "(Not) 'Going Native' "
  (August 30, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Love and the Status Quo
  • Crime and/or Evil
  • Faith that's "Two Coats of Paint" Deep
  • Moving Forward
• "Fire, Brimstone, and Lollipop Faith"
  (March 15, 2015)
  Particularly
  • God Doesn't Hate You: But He's No Patsy
  • Hellfire and Lollipops
  • Living the Truth
• "Morality isn't Just About 'Morality' "
  (September 7, 2014)
  Particularly
  • New Rules, Unchanging Principles, and Twitter
  • Diversity, Dance, and a Distant Dream

---

¹ It's Mary's immaculate conception, not our Lord's. (December 9, 2011)

The Immaculate Conception is when Mary was conceived. She's as human as I am, with an extremely important distinction:

"Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God,¹³⁴ was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.¹³⁵"

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 491)

² More about Mass:

• "General Instruction of the Roman Missal"
  Including Adaptations for the Dioceses of the United States of America, IV - Some General Norms for All Forms of Mass (273 - 287))
  (2003)

³ I can, with effort, translate Latin into my native language, so "Misericordiae Vultus..." wouldn't be completely inaccessible:

• "Misericordiae Vultus - Bulla de Iubilaeo Extraordinario indicendo (die undecimo mensis Aprilis, anno Domini bis millesimo quinto decimo)"
  Franciscus Pontifex (Aprilis XI, MMXV)

⁴ Mercifully the Church provides English translations for many of documents we've accumulated over the last two millennia; including these:

• "Prayer of Pope Francis for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy" [8 December 2015 - 20 November 2016]
  Pope Francis
  (From w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/prayers/documents/papa-francesco_preghiere_20151208_giubileo-straordinario-misericordia.html (December 11, 2015))
• "Letter of the Holy Father according to which an Indulgence is granted to the faithful on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy"
  Pope Francis (September 1, 2015)
  (From w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150901_lettera-indulgenza-giubileo-misericordia.html December 11, 2015))
• "Misericordiae Vultus - Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy"
  Pope Francis (April 11, 2015)
  (From w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_20150411_misericordiae-vultus.html (December 11, 2015))