Homily: February 26, 2024, Monday of the second week in Lent (God is mercy).

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 In the first reading, it was during the time of exile in Babylon, when Daniel pleaded with God, saying, “But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!”

In the responsorial psalm, we prayed, “May your compassion quickly come to us.”

And the gospel passage for today began with this verse: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Our God is merciful, compassionate and always forgiving!

How do you feel about this? I feel totally blessed and thankful. Because if our God is not, I would be condemned forever for my sins!

Pope Francis published a book in 2016 titled, “The Name of God is Mercy”, reminding us to trust and always turn to God even in our unworthiness.

The world exists today because of our God is loving, compassionate and merciful.

If we look around and examine within ourselves, sin is everywhere. In this country alone, legal abortions would have hit 30 million since the turn of the millennium, not counting the illegal ones. Humanity continues to commit similarly grave sins against God, the giver of life.

If He were to punish humanity based on our disobedience, sins and offences, we would have ceased to exist long ago.

At the end of our lives, we will stand before the judgment seat of God, accounting for how we have lived the life given to us. We should pray that He will not be fair, but will be merciful at that point, if we want to escape eternal death. On our own merit, we would not survive.

The season of Lent reminds us to be humble, be sorry for our sins, reconcile with God, and straighten our lives for the Lord. It might not be easy but let us try and never give up on ourselves. God has not given up on us.

Let us keep the prayer of the psalmist in our hearts: “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins,” and trust that God will have pity on us! Amen.


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