God’s Mercy

By Liz Wiskowski

      What was the difference between Judas and Peter? Both of them lived for three years with Jesus. Both listened to His teachings and both witnessed His miracles. Yet when Judas realized he had helped to condemn Jesus, he couldn’t live with the guilt and didn’t feel he could ever be forgiven for such a terrible crime, and he took his own life. Peter betrayed Jesus too – remember he denied Jesus three times. When he realized this he wept bitter tears of sorrow, and relied on God’s mercy to forgive him. He went on to become our first pope.

      God’s mercy! It is there for us, we only have to ask. God knows that because of the stain of original sin, we are all tempted everyday, and sometimes we fall. When this happens, repent, go to confession, promise to try harder, and He will shower His mercy on us. Remember, He created us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. The mercy that He so willingly shows us will make this possible.

      We all know people that have fallen into such a deep pit of sin that they feel they can’t find their way out. God’s mercy is greater than any sin we can commit, be it alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, etc. We should all pray for these people, be they friends, relatives, or strangers. Let’s pray that they can find true repentance and ask God for forgiveness. His mercy is waiting for all of us. An hour in adoration is a perfect time to pray for them.

      Christ is present in today’s world. Just as Jesus had compassion for the crowds, He has compassion for those of us who suffer spiritually. He waits for the return of His prodigal children. He says to all, “Follow Me.”