St. Francis Xavier Petoskey

18 hours ago

“No one can have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother” - Saint Cyprian of Carthage. ... See MoreSee Less

St. Francis Xavier Petoskey

4 days ago

Today’s Gospel calls us to be instruments of God’s love and mercy. The parable reminds us of the ongoing mercy of God in my own life and of His never-ending forgiveness.

How many times have I gone to confession and confessed the same sins over and over again? And yet, every time I come before God with a repentant heart, I receive His mercy and forgiveness. God never seems to grow tired of forgiving me. His mercy is always greater than my weakness.

St. Teresa of Avila once said, “I will sing of your mercies, O God.” These words remind us that our lives should become a song of gratitude for the mercy we have received.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are not meant to keep this mercy for ourselves. We are called to share with others the same mercy and forgiveness that we have received from God. It is through sharing God’s mercy that we become instruments of His love in the world.

We are able to love with mercy because God has first loved us with mercy. We are able to forgive because we ourselves have been forgiven. When we remember how patient God has been with us, it becomes easier to be patient with others. When we remember how often God has forgiven us, we are invited to forgive those who have hurt us.

The challenge of today’s Gospel is therefore very simple but very profound: If God has been merciful to me, how can I refuse to be merciful to another?

May we never forget the mercy we have received from God. And may that mercy transform our hearts so that, wherever we go, we may become instruments of God’s love, forgiveness, and compassion.

Have a wonderful week ... See MoreSee Less