Forgiving Ourselves

When we fall we must get right back up!

May I be always honest and forthcoming with all who share the desire to be the extended hands of Our Blessed Mother and Jesus in this world. When we call upon our Blessed Mother she comes and brings her Son with her however someone unwelcome is not far away.  He waits and allows one to think they are doing well in serving the Lord and then in very small ways creeps closer. Without uttering his name we know who this is lurking about waiting for a moment of weakness. He does not first attack at our strengths but goes right for our weaknesses.  It is often when our spirituality seems to be going the best that we are most vulnerable to complacency.  There can be no complacency.  We must all be on guard and vigilant.  

May I share with you that over these past weeks the Lord has poured blessings and love beyond my expectations as many novenas were being said and completed.  Pushing ahead joy filled my heart.  I was amazed that I felt little temptations at first.  This was to put me off balance as I was ready immediately for the temptations but when they did not come I became more lax with myself.  My weakness may I share with you is how I treat the people who are closest to me.  I find myself quick to lose my temper with my children and instead of lovingly correcting them I get upset at them.  The temptations as I have found over these past few days seem to come in clusters for the whole family so that there is a tendency if one is not careful for things to get worse.  The readings today seemed perfectly timed for my present struggles. The responsorial psalm from today: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment” (Psalm 51:3-4).

The first reading from today shows us God’s boundless Mercy.  God commands Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh that in forty days they will be destroyed.  The people trust in the Lord’s compassion and mercy and begin a great fast and wear a sackcloth.  Even the King fasts.  “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them.”(Jonah 3:10)

Jesus tells Saint Faustina that His mercy is His greatest attribute. Saint Faustina recounts in her diary “Jesus made known to me how very pleasing to Him were prayers of atonement. He said to me, The prayer of a humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws down an ocean of blessings”.(diary 320)

Lord may we all see that although we struggle and fall Your mercy and forgiveness are burning to be spent we need only ask for them.  Lord help us to forgive ourselves and see that despite our sins You still love us. Amen

Evil is waiting for us to look away from the Lord and give up.  We may have the temptation to feel we are unworthy to be the extended hands of our Lord or there is no way he could use us due to our sinfulness but that would be to deny the power of Divine Mercy.  May we all hold on tight to our faith in God's love, compassion, forgiveness and Mercy.