Retreat meditation on the mercy of Jesus

“This man receives sinners!” This was the accusation leveled against Jesus by the hypocritically scandalized Pharisees (Lk 15,2). “This man receives sinners!” And this is the truth! These words represent the exclusive, distinctive feature of Jesus Christ. They can be written above that cross and on the doors of this tabernacle!

Exclusive distinction because outside of Jesus, who receives sinners mercifully? The world perhaps? For God’s sake! If all the moral leprosy of injustice that we hide in the dark corners of conscience were to appear on our brows, the world, scandalized would without doubt run from us screaming, “Leper, get out!” It would brutally reject us saying just as did the Pharisees, “Get away from us, contact with you is a disgrace for us!”

The world makes sinners of men, and then having made them sinners, it condemns and insults them adding to the morass of their sin the muck of its scorn. Mire upon mire this is the world: the world does not receive sinners. Only Jesus Christ receives sinners.

St. John Chrysostom writes: “My God have mercy on me! You ask for mercy? Then fear nothing. Where there is mercy there are no judicial investigations regarding guilt, nor courts, nor the need to offer reasonable excuses. Great is the torment of my sins, O my God but far greater is the treasure of your mercy!”

Upon his coming into the world, whom did Jesus call to him? The Magi and after the Magi? The publican. And after the publican? The prostitute. After the prostitute? The thief. And after the thief? The inflexible persecutor.

Do you live like a pagan? The Magi would be considered pagans. Do you make a profit on the needs of others? The publican was such. Are you impure? The prostitute was also. Are you a murderer? The thief was one also. Are you an inflexible persecutor? So was Paul because he was first a blasphemer and later an apostle and an evangelist… Don’t tell me: “I am a blasphemer; I am sacrilegious; I am impure.” Haven’t you seen the example of so many sinners pardoned by God?

Have you sinned? Do penance. Have you sinned a thousand times? Do penance a thousand times. Satan will stand at your side at times to make you despair. Don’t listen to him; remember these few words: Jesus receives sinners, words that are a heartfelt cry of love, a pouring out of inexhaustible mercy and an unbreakable promise of pardon.

How beautiful it is to return following your footsteps
Walking again in them
Running with security
After a long dark night
Is it not sweet to see the day star rise.