By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“Therefore, let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need” (Hebrews 4:16).
The inspired Word of God reveals a plan for the salvation of humanity. Despite being written by different authors, God divinely influenced a constant theme of fulfilled prophecies regarding the life of Jesus and the promise of eternal life. There are 73 books in the Bible, consisting of: 46 in the Old Testament, including the seven deuterocanonical books, and 27 New Testament Books. This source of divine truth confirms God’s love for us.
The traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church include a rich blend of scriptural, sacramental and devotional practices to enhance our faith and provide grace for life’s journey. We are also guided by the Ten Commandments and the five precepts of the Church: attend Mass on Sunday and holy days, confess sins annually, receive Communion during Easter, observe the designated days of fasting and abstaining, and support the material needs of the Church. We have everything we need to avoid offending God, but do we embrace his mercy when we fail?
Scott Hahn’s book, “A Father Who Keeps his Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture,” is a scriptural account of covenants made and promises broken. The disobedience is difficult to understand because the requirements were simple: to be faithful and love one another as God loves! God’s mercy is not earned through our worthiness but freely offered, particularly to the weak and undeserving.
We experience God’s mercy in the Paschal Mystery. The accounts of those who observed the dying and rising of Jesus with sadness and remorse are powerful. Dismas, the repentant sinner on the cross next to Jesus, was promised a place in Paradise, and a known sinner, Mary Magdalene, was the first to see the Resurrected Jesus at the tomb. What does this tell us about unconditional love and repentance?
I attended a Divine Mercy service at “The Mother of the Redeemer Farm” in Bloomington, Indiana. A chapel on the property is dedicated to Divine Mercy with a first class relic of St. Faustina Kowalska. Many young families with children participated in the benediction, adoration, the offering of confession, Holy Mass and a Divine Mercy chaplet recited during a procession to the Chapel of Divine Mercy.
In 1931, St. Faustina wrote in a diary about her conversations with Jesus on mercy. She revealed that God always has a plan, that nothing unholy can enter the holiness of God, that the image of Divine Mercy is more than a picture of Jesus, that God’s love is for both saint and sinner, and through our prayers we are divinized and united with the Trinity. Our goal is to be holy, transformed by the power of God. When asking God for his mercy, we should first seek forgiveness from the people in our lives: family and friends, those we have offended. Do not let pride keep you from God’s mercy … be confident in his grace so that you may know peace and have eternal! Amen!