Justice and Mercy

Aside

Justice and Mercy

A few years ago, there appeared on the Internet the following story about two friends who had not met for several years. It is a story about justice and mercy.

The two man had been the best of friends during their early years; nothing seemed to separate them. Then over a period of time, they gradually began to shape their lives differently. One attended college and law school, eventually becoming a lawyer and subsequently a judge. The other migrated into a life of crime; he became an accomplished thief and conman.

Eventually the thief was caught during one of his acts of thievery and brought into court for trial and possible punishment; his old friend happened to be the judge. The thief was immediately recognized his old friend. Although the judge wished him well, he knew that justice demanded that he had the obligation to render a fair and just verdict on his friend. Thus when the time came to render a verdict, the judge pronounced “guilty” as the judgement; he also placed a substantial fine as the penalty on his friend. Justice was served. Unfortunately, the thief did not have the means to pay the fine so he would have to serve a lengthy jail sentence. Aware of his friend’s limited finances, the judge stepped down from the judge’s bench and, as a private citizen, he proceeded to pay his friend’s fine, enabling him to avoid jail time. Both justice and mercy were served.

In his gospel St. John describes the incident of the adulteress who was threatened with stoning to death for her sin of adultery. The accusers of the woman prompted Jesus Christ to partake in the stoning of the woman; Jesus asks the assembled crowd if anyone among them was without sin and thus prepared to be the first one to stone the woman.  When no one came forth to cast the first stone, Jesus announced to the woman. “Since there is no one to condemn you, then neither do I.” This story is quoted frequently as a reminder of God’s great mercy; His mercy seems to be unlimited. However, there is one thing that many people forget to mention in discussing the account of Jesus’ mercy; it is his parting advice to the woman. “Go and sin no more.” Jesus is magnanimous in his mercy, but he balances this mercy with justice. He seems to be saying, “I forgive you completely, but change your life to avoid sin.”

As a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, God’s justice demanded that they and all their descendants be denied access to God….a hellish separation. But God so loved humanity that he satisfied the demands of justice for the sin of Adam and Eve through the suffering of his son Jesus Christ. Both God’s justice and mercy were realized in the life and death of Jesus.

Justice and mercy are two sides of the same coin; they belong together. In addition, all mankind must vigorously avoid sin after receiving forgiveness.

Suggested Reading:

Cardinal Angelo Bascagno comments on the relationship of justice and mercy in this 2008 speech to the Italian Bishops Conferencewww.ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/justmercy.HTM 

Pope John Paul II reviews mercy in his 1980 encyclical  “Dives in Mesericordia”  at w2.vatican.va/content/john-paulii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp…

Encouragement

Aside

Encouragement

                                                                                                    As the year old child struggled to rise to his feet, his parents shouted words of encouragement to him, “You are doing ok, just keep trying to lift yourself.” With a grunt and groan, he did it; he had risen to a standing position through his own efforts. Now the real challenge presented itself, could he take some steps? “Go ahead,” his mother prodded him with a warm smile and a loving look. Then it happened, he took two steps….but soon dropped down on his butt with a bewildered look, as if to say “What happens now?” Both of his parents encouraged him to try again and again. As it is with most youngsters, he would not let an initial failure or disappointment stop him on his journey to walking. His smile and bright eyes seemed to exclaim, “Do not worry, this failure / setback will not deter me.”

The encouragement of his parents and his own determination kept him from accepting a temporary setback to the realization of his goal. Failures are indeed the stepping stones to success. Great inventors experienced many setbacks and failures on their road to achievement. There are few failures in life, only some hard won lessons that can lead to fulfillment.

All humans experience setbacks. On the moral level failure is referred to as sin. It damages the person’s relationship with God. Yet God is also forgiving and encourages everyone to seek His forgiveness, not allowing one’s failures to stop a person’s quest for a meaningful relationship with God. If necessary, God will forgive a person’s sins seventy times ….again and again. Additionally He will provide the grace for an individual to rise from his fall, encouraging him to never quit.

Jesus Christ encourages all Catholics to seek forgiveness of sins, providing the visible instrument of Confession as assurance of forgiveness. But Jesus does not stop at just offering forgiveness for sins, He adds the necessary grace to help avoid sin in the future. Jesus is our encouraging friend, supporting us through all failures and setbacks. He will always be there for us.

When the youngster was learning to walk, he did not allow temporary failures prevent him from reaching his objective. Adults can learn from the youngster to never forsake their goal of being friends with God due to sin / temporary failures. With God’s encouragement and grace in the sacrament of Confession, adults can overcome their setbacks and walk with their God. All they must do it to never give up….never quit seeking God.