As I reflect on Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Merciful Love and my recent consecration to Divine Mercy, I am awed and overwhelmed by the incredible mercy of God. Jesus greatly desires to pour out His love and His mercy on us and give us the grace we need to become great saints. Jesus thirsts for us! That’s what the consecration to Jesus’ merciful love is all about. It’s allowing Jesus to pour all the love and mercy and grace rejected by the free will of others into our hearts – so that we can then let that mercy and love spill out of us to those around us and to the whole mystical Body of Christ. We can console Jesus by accepting His love and mercy in gratitude and love.
Fr. Gaitley’s preparation focused on the spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her “Little Way.” St. Thérèse knew that we can’t do anything on our own. We need to recognize our brokenness and sinfulness, trust that God can work in us and make us great saints, even though we are so sinful and weak. Finally, we have to keep trying. As another Teresa, St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “God doesn’t ask for success. He asks for fidelity.”
I find many connections to this idea in the writings and life of St. Francis. There was a time in his life when he struggled with his past and his sinfulness until he experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness in prayer. He always fully recognized his own sinfulness, once saying, “I believe myself to be the greatest among sinners. If God had shown such mercy to the greatest criminal, he would be ten times more spiritual than I.” Yet, he does not sink into despair over this fact, but expresses gratitude to God for his grace and his mercy. Francis had great trust in God’s Providence and trusted the Lord to take care of all His needs, physical and spiritual. Among his friars he fostered an attitude of constant conversion and repentance. As he was dying, Francis told his friars, “Let us begin, for up to now we have done nothing.” He knew that we must always keep trying and persevere in our spiritual life.
Such holiness is not just the special gift of those like St. Thérèse and St. Francis. Each one of us is called to holiness too! The challenge for me in my day-to-day life is to remember that no matter how much I struggle with a particular sin or behavior, no matter how glaring my imperfections may seem, I am loved infinitely by the God who is Love and Mercy Himself. I can persevere and keep trying through God’s grace. Instead of getting caught in the devil’s discouragement, I need to let Jesus love me and keep striving and keep trusting. His falls on the way of the cross give me my example for how to go through our life. He got up every time He fell, trusting in the Father’s love and in His plan. Now He invites me and everyone to do the same.
~ Written by Sister Mary Peter