GOD'S MERCY IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY FATHER SAINT JOHN PAUL II – part II
THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S MERCY IN REVELATION
In his Encyclical Dives in Misericordia, Pope John Paul II reminds us of the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council that Jesus Christ is the fullness of "the revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love" (GS 22). The God of revelation is a mystery of love (1 Jn 4: 16:18) which unites Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the Love that He shares with every creature because His nature is to give. He reveals himself to man in the history of salvation as Creator and Lord of all Creation, who is a good Father and Giver of Life (cf. Gen 1–2; cf. Col 1: 15–20). In him, man finds his fulfillment.
The basic experience of mercy in the history of Israel, which John Paul II refers to (DM 4), is the event during the exodus of the chosen people from Egyptian slavery. God, seeing the suffering of his people, took pity on their plight and set them free from the hands of their persecutors. The Israelites' trust in God's mercy, which transcends all sin and human misery, is rooted in the exit experience. In this event, God revealed the fundamental truth that every human being guilty by sin and departed from his Creator can find a motive for return and ask for forgiveness (Numbers 14:18; Chr 30: 9; Ne 9:17; Ps 86:15; Wis 15: 1; Sir 2:11; Job 2:13). The Pope reminds that God has revealed his mercy from the beginning of history in words and deeds, revealing various dimensions of his love for man.
God's mercy revealed in the Old Covenant, the Pope notes in his Encyclical Dives in Misericordia, is a paradigm of God's love for man, embracing various "shades of love". It is a paternal love, resulting from the fact of giving life, because God is the Father of Israel (Is 63:16), and the chosen people are His beloved son (Ex 4:22). He is also the Bridegroom and Israel is his beloved bride (Hos 2: 3). His love is revealed as compassion and generous forgiveness when the chosen people are not faithful (Hos 11: 7-9; Jer 31:20; Is 54: 7). The Psalmists call him a God of love, meekness, faithfulness and mercy (Ps 103; 145). The experience of God's mercy is born in the inner dialogue of man with his Creator and Father. In his encyclical Dives in misericordia, John Paul II, referring to the history of salvation, reminds us of God's constant presence among people.
The Father's mercy revealed by Jesus Christ is present in the Old Covenant, in the history of the chosen family, who preserved faith in one God. God Yahweh, the Creator of the world and man, makes himself known to Moses as mercy. God himself introduces himself in a charming way: “So, the LORD passed before him and proclaimed: The LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin!” (cf. Ex 34:6-7)
In mercy, as emphasized by John Paul II (DM 4), various shades of God's love for man appear: goodness, kindness, grace and faithfulness (Hebrew hesed), tenderness and compassion which characterize mothers (Hebrew rahamim), generosity and kindness (Hebrew hanan); and pity, sparing the adversary and forgiveness (Hebrew hamal). Mercy, understood as the revelation of God's love outside, is inextricably linked with the work of creation, linking God the Creator with man who is His creation (DM 4).
As the Holy Father says, it is part of the nature of love that it cannot hate and desire evil for the sake of whom it has bestowed all good things.
The secret of merciful love was kept by the chosen people, admonished in their history by prophets and encouraged to open their hearts to the God of mercy (Is 54:10; Jer 31: 3). The mercy experienced by the Israelites was “the essence of communing with their God” (DM 4), especially at those times when they lacked fidelity to the Covenant. Solomon asks for mercy in prayer on the occasion of the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8: 22–53). The prophet Micah asks for forgiveness of infidelity, referring to God's mercy (Mi 7: 18–20), and the prophet Isaiah consoles the exiles, pointing to mercy as a guarantee of God's closeness and care (Is 51: 4–16). In the prophets’ time, mercy means the special power of love, which "is greater than the sin and unfaithfulness of the chosen people" (DM 4). Mercy extends not only to the community of the chosen people, but also to individuals who feel guilty because of physical or moral evil. David turns to the God of mercy after his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). God, seeing his true sorrow and suffering for the wrong he committed, shows love and compassion and forgives his sin. From this experience of love and compassion, both in the dimension of the nation and of individuals, trust in God is born, which allows man to turn to God and discover His presence.
Everyone, as John Paul II notes in Dives in Misericordia, is able to discover God in nature and in the cosmos through his "invisible qualities" (Rom 1:20). However, indirect knowledge does not give a full view of God. The revelation of love in Jesus Christ leads to God "in the unfathomable mystery of his being" (DM 2; 1 Tim 6:16). The Lord Jesus shows the God of mercy in the parables of the lost sheep and the drachma (Lk 15: 1-10), and especially in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15: 11-32). This parable first shows the greatness of the Father's love, ready to forgive and give again. John Paul II brings out in it the dignity of the prodigal son, which shines again thanks to the Father's mercy. God appears to be faithful to his fatherhood: "Such love is capable of bending down over every prodigal son, over every human misery, and above all moral wretchedness, over sin” (DM 6). The greatness of God's love for sinful man reveals the greatness of the dignity of the son who is always a child of God and has the right to his love. In mercy, John Paul II perceives the "relationship of inequality" between God who gives and man who accepts His goodness. Mercy, however, prevents the prodigal son from experiencing humiliation when he receives a new filial dignity. He responds to God's great love with an attitude of conversion which is the fruit of mercy (DM 6).
The full revelation of God's mercy is the death and resurrection of Christ. The paschal mystery shows the greatness of God's love for man who "did not spare his own Son" (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). Through the mystery of the cross, God reveals the depth of his love which is at the beginning of man's creation and the work of redemption: “God, as Christ has revealed Him, does not merely remain closely linked with the world as the Creator and the ultimate source of existence. He is also Father: He is linked to man, whom He called to existence in the visible world, by a bond still more intimate than that of creation. It is love which not only creates the good but also grants participation in the very life of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For he who loves desires to give himself”. (DM 7).
God, as Christ has revealed Him, does not merely remain closely linked with the world as the Creator and the ultimate source of existence. He is also Father: He is linked to man, whom He called to existence in the visible world, by a bond still more intimate than that of creation. It is love which not only creates the good but also grants participation in the very life of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For he who loves desires to give himself.
In Christ's death, God is close to man, giving himself so that man may participate in his life. Merciful love is stronger than sin and death. Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, man opens himself to the action of mercy and discerns his dignity, which gives him the possibility of union with Christ. The place of encounter with God's mercy are the sacraments, especially penance and the Eucharist, in which a Christian touches God's merciful love. The Church, faithful to Jesus Christ, emphasizes John Paul II, that the first task of her mission in the world is to bear witness to God's mercy (DM 12).
Until Tomorrow
fr. george
Novena to St. Joseph
Day Two - St. Joseph, Loving Spouse of Mary
Dear St. Joseph,
I am thinking about the angel's words to you, "Do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife" (Mt 1:20). Saint Joseph, you were not afraid. You trusted God. And now you truly are the husband of Mary. After Jesus, you are the dearest person to her heart! Well, St. Joseph, as my spiritual father, I now ask you to speak to Mary about me, about my life. If you kindly adopt me as your spiritual child, then I know all the more that Mary will take me to her heart as well. Both of you truly are my spiritual parents. And just as any good father wants to see his children love their mother, I know that you will help me to know and love my spiritual mother more. By your powerful prayers, I ask you to help me realize what a gift I have in Mary. Pray for me that I will better appreciate her motherly role in my life. Saint Joseph, I know that you love her. I know it makes you happy to see her children love her with all their hearts. Therefore, as I prepare to consecrate myself totally to your fatherly care, I give you permission - in fact, I am pleading with you: Help me to appreciate my Mother Mary even more.
Saint Joseph, Loving Spouse of Mary, please help me to love my spiritual mother even more.