Mercy and chastisement
These two things seem opposed, do they not?
Today’s responsorial psalm has a verse that stopped me in my prayer:
“A forgiving God you were to them, though requiting their misdeeds.”Ps 99
Here the psalmist refers to the Israelites sojourn in the desert, wherein they sinned and revolted against God. I was impressed how merciful and forgiving God is, to myself and all who repent. Nevertheless, there remains that aspect of justice - our misdeeds require reparation and penance. In the desert, God punished the Israelites for their sin, and yet his mercy is everlasting - he forgave them, though requiting their misdeeds.
Mercy and truth.
John of the Cross suggests this in his writings, “We should believe, therefore, as often as we rejoice vainly (and even more so, sin), God is watching and planning some chastisement and bitter drink according to our merits; for at times the sadness redounding from our joy is a hundred times greater than the joy.” - Ascent, 20:4
At one time, when I was struggling with certain grave sins, I often was plunged into the greatest sadness and discouragement after my falls, which was in effect an indescribable torment, until I went to confession. In confession the guilt of our sins is lifted, the soul is made clean and restored to the state of grace - participation in the life of the Holy Trinity, through the merits of the blood of Christ. We are given a penance to perform to make satisfaction for sin - nnevertheless, the sufferings beforehand, seem to me to be part of the chastisement, which can be purifying in and through our repentance - if not aiding in bringing us to repentance in the first place.
Your sins are forgiven.
After grave sin, even though we are forgiven, temporal punishment can be expiated and atoned for, first through the penance imposed by the priest, and continued through our voluntary penances, works of charity, and the faithful fulfillment of the duties of our state in life - along with the sufferings these things bring. In this we do not deny the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance, nor that our sins have been forgiven, rather we are acknowledging the debt we owe to God’s justice in the acceptance of our penance and the mortification required for our purgation.
Purgatory is a place of temporary punishment for those who have died in the state of grace, yet who have not fully satisfied God’s justice for the temporal punishment due to their sins. In other words, every sin carries with it a certain chastisement, which is a result of God’s justice, that must be satisfied, either in this life or in the next.
Justice and peace have kissed.
In this we see that God’s mercy is not something contrary to his justice. His justice and chastisements are joined with his mercy and love. We see this manifest in Christ on the cross, at the intersection of the cross we comprehend the mystery expressed by the psalmist, “Mercy and faithfulness have met, Justice and peace have kissed.” - Ps 84:11 Therefore, our sufferings and penance, united to Jesus Crucified, make atonement for our sins and the sins of others. Even though we have the joy of knowing our sins are forgiven, we need to recall the purgation we must go through to see God, and this purgation is accomplished through the chastisements and corrections that are visited upon us, voluntarily undertaken in mortification, or endured from outside ourselves in the circumstances of our daily lives.
Peace
It seems to me, we as individuals can never have peace until we become faithful to God, embracing righteousness - that is, living in obedience to God and his commandments, accepting our purifying trials as the discipline of the Father who loves us and forgives us our offences.
Likewise, it seems that this nation, indeed the world, cannot have peace until we repent and turn to God. It is frightening to think of what chastisements await our nation and the world for the crimes we have committed, all those sins that cry to heaven for vengeance. Do you remember what those sins are?
1) Wilful murder, 2) The sin of Sodom, 3) Oppression of the poor, 4) Defrauding the laborer of his wages.
Do you think our society is guilty of these sins? Or that God is unjust in his punishments?
Art: Abraham looking upon the destruction of Sodom.
June 13th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Today while walking to the Basilica of Saint Anthony on the Via Merulana with two friends (both religious) we were shocked to see 3 or 4 brightly coloured posters, right in front of Our Lady of Calvary Elementary School, depicting cuddly “gay” teddy bears dressed in gay togs, and anouncing Rome’s summer-long “Gay Village.” The caption was “Don’t resist it, it’s so much fun!” The posters were aimed at the 5-12 year old crowd, I should think. And this . . . in Rome! Mamma mia!
June 13th, 2007 at 11:46 am
I received an email from someone struggling with sin, and it seemed to me that this post caused a sense of uneasiness about his being able to get to confesion among other things. Here is my response to that:
“God forgives you immediately when you make a sincere act of contrition - even if it is 700 times a day. Confession, though necessary, can be likened to Jesus healing the lepers - they were made clean immediately - but he then sent them to show themselves to the priests, making the offering Moses prescribed. It is much the same with confession - remember the prodigal son - the father saw him at a distance and forgave him, when he got home (back to confession) it was then that the son was bathed and clothed. He had already been forgiven when he resolved to return to the house of his father - while he was still sitting in the pig pen. God’s mercy is so great he anticipates our reconciliation in the sacrament of penance with one sincere act of contrition.”
No matter what - never despair of the mercy of God.
I may have misunderstood his comment to me, nevertheless, it is important for people struggling with sin to trust in the never failing mercy of God. Any chastisement is sweet compared to living in sin.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
The Father sees us coming from the far away place of our sins,looking at us through the wound in Jesus’ side. He runs toward us, falls all over us, weeps, and covers us with kisses.
It is not easy to get to confession in some places and circumstances. So what does one do? One makes a heartfelt Act of Contrition. One glorifies God by trusting in His infinite mercy. One adores His Holiness with a humble and contrite heart. One goes to Mary, Refuge of Sinners and Mother of Mercy. And one does not compound one’s sin by falling into despair.
Father Silouane used to say, “Keep thy soul in hell . . . and despair not.”
June 13th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
“Keep thy soul in hell … and despair not.” I don’t get it.
June 13th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
An edifying and very helpful post. And great commentary, too.
June 13th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Thanks Elena - it’s always nice when Don Marco stops by.
June 14th, 2007 at 11:22 am
TN:
When you said “…I often was plunged into the greatest sadness and discouragement after my falls, which was in effect an indescribable torment, until I went to confession,” I could really relate. I pray the Penitential Psalms before confession, and I always seem to dwell on Ps 38:5-8:
My wounds grow foul and fester
because of my foolishness,
I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
For my loins are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am utterly spent and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
June 14th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Dear Jeron,
After 15 years of ascetic struggles and spiritual efforts, St. Silouan received animportant insight from God:
It was fifteen years after the Lord had appeared to him, and Silouan was engaged in one of these nocturnal struggles with devils which so tormented him. No matter how he tried, he could not pray with a pure mind. At last he rose from his stool, intending to bow down and worship, when he saw a gigantic devil standing in front of the ikon, waiting to be worshipped. Meanwhile, the cell filled with other evil spirits, Father Silouan sat down again, and with bowed head and aching heart he prayed,
‘Lord, Thou seest that I desire to pray to Thee with a pure mind but the devils will not let me. Instruct me, what must I do to stop them hindering me?’
And in his soul he heard,
‘The proud always suffer from devils.’
‘Lord,’ said Silouan, ‘teach me what I must do that my soul may become humble.’
Once more, his heart heard God’s answer,
‘Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not.’