Category Archives: For Contemplation

Many essays here are Food for Thought for your enjoyment.

Why Mercy?

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Why Mercy?

Jesus and His church have always emphasized that God’s mercy is unlimited, unfathomable, and always available for mankind. It is a free gift to each human; the only requirements to receive God’s mercy are for a human to admit his sins, commit to avoiding them in the future, and trust in God’s love and mercy. The concept of mercy has been prevalent throughout the history of the Catholic Church. God’s mercy and love for man has been an integral part of the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments. More recently, Pope Francis declared 2015 to be a year of mercy during which God’s mercy would be especially abundant and available to mankind. During the 20th century, Saint Faustina of Poland received numerous visions from Jesus Christ urging her to establish and promote His Divine Mercy; Jesus even advised her on the exact image that he wanted to portray His Divine Mercy. There can be no doubt that God’s mercy has been and remains an essential part of His love for man.

The question arises, “Why is God’s loving mercy necessary for mankind?” The answer is Sin!!! Sin separates humans from God and only His mercy will bring humans back to God’s good favor. The noted Swiss theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar succinctly noted that “Sin obscures the sight.” Through sin man loses sight of God, becoming a stranger to his creator and savior.  Man can only regain his “sight” through the mercy and help from God, primarily through His Church, the Catholic Faith.

It is disconcerting to note that many who rightly espouse the truth of God’s loving mercy frequently fail to mention the role that sin has in the need for mercy. All men sin and must frequently be reminded of this fact, unless they lose sight of the real need of mercy and the requirement to avoid sin. God’s mercy is often contingent on man’s willingness to accept that man sins and then to act vigorously to remove sin from his life. Oh, that our clergy would instruct mankind about sin and its everlasting effect on humankind. Only God’s forgiveness and mercy can cure humans of the fatal consequences of sin.

Seek God’s help to avoid all sin! Continuously and vigorously seek God’s mercy; it is there for the asking.

 

Why Did He Come?

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Why Did He Come?

“Is it true? Is he really coming to visit our facility?” asked one employee. Another person inquired, “Why would the top dog, the CEO, come to this facility?” In anguish, another suggested, “There will be an announcement of layoffs.” Others quickly replied, “No way, our division is consistently profitable! No CEO would commit to layoffs in a profit center.”  Others chimed in with a hopeful, “Maybe he will announce a bonus for all of us.”  That remark brought a series of “that will be the day’ comments. The basic question remained, “Why is he coming to visit us?” There were many guesses and suggestions, but all one could do is wait for the day of his arrival.

He did arrive! History confirms His appearance and life on earth. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Transcendent One, lived as a human being on earth. Considering that Jesus, God, visited and lived on earth….for what purpose. Is it conceivable that God did not have a definitive purpose for His entrance into human existence? Of course not! The CEO in the story above certainly had a specific reason for visiting the business center. If a fallible human possessed the intelligence to form specific reasons for a business meeting, certainly God, the Transcendent One, would possess concrete purposes for His very presence on earth and His mingling with mankind.

Jesus Christ appeared on earth to proclaim the “Good News” of the Kingdom of God and mankind’s salvation. There is hope for mankind after life on earth. But He did more than simply deliver a message; Jesus lived the message for all to witness! He poured out His message of love to the extreme, even to offering Himself on a cross for the forgiveness of mankind’s sins.

With the instructions of Jesus to love God and love our neighbors, Jesus challenged mankind to believe in and achieve eternal salvation. Jesus reinforced His commands by living a life that supported love for God and man. But will mankind accept the invitation to follow Jesus and obey His commandments? Will mankind accept salvation or cast it aside for temporal objects? Jesus came purposely to save all from their sins and provide an avenue to eternal life of happiness.

Will mankind reject its opportunity for forgiveness and love! Or will mankind follow Jesus and His Church’s teachings on faith and morals to eternal salvation? The choice is for each man and woman to make. Choose wisely my fellow humans.