“Now the publicans’ and sinners drew near unto him, to hear him.” —Luke xv. I.

SYNOPSIS.—The mercy of Christ toward sinners a distinct characteristic of his earthly life. The parable of the good shepherd. The parable of the woman who lost a penny. Our Lord applying both parables to Himself.

I. The greatness of God’s mercy toward sinners.
II. What we must do on our part to merit it.

I. The mercy of God demonstrated by His patience. Example: The deluge. His compassion proved throughout the history of the Old Law. His giving His only Son to redeem us. The mercy of the Son. Examples: The woman at Jacob’s well; Mary Magdalen; Matthew; Zachaeus; the adulteress; His weeping over Jerusalem; the prodigal son.

II. Conditions by which we obtain mercy. (a) Prayer and confidence; (b) Listen to His voice; do not misuse His patience. (c) Gratitude shown by earnest conversion. Conclusion.

By His demeanor during His earthly life Jesus Christ indicated the abundance of His mercy toward sinners. We see how every one sought His society, and He not only not repulsed them, or at least kept them at a distance, but on the contrary, He took every possible opportunity of being among them, so as to win them for the Father. He seeks them by giving them remorse of conscience, leads them by means of His grace, and conquers them by His kindness. His kindness toward them is so great that He even becomes their advocate before the doctors and pharisees, who condemned them, and who would not suffer them to approach Jesus Christ. Furthermore, He justifies His behavior toward sinners by a parable which gives evidence of His great and beautiful love for sinners, when He says: “A good shepherd, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, leaves all the others behind and seeks the stray one, and when he has found it he takes it upon his shoulders to spare it the difficulties of the way, and when he has brought it back to his sheepfold he invites all his friends, that they may rejoice with him over the finding of the sheep which was thought to be lost.” Again, the parable of the woman who had ten pennies, and having lost one, lighted a lamp so as to look for it in all the corners of the house, and after she had found it invited all her friends, that they might take part in her joy. “Even so,” He adds, “does the whole court of heaven rejoice at the return of a sinner who is converted and does penance. I am not come to save the just, but sinners, those who are well need not the physician, but those who are sick.” As you see, Jesus Christ applies both of these parables to Himself as illustrations of His compassion for the sinner. O what a happiness it is for us to know that God’s mercy is infinite! Our heart should compel us to throw ourselves at the feet of God, who will be so glad to receive us. If we go to perdition, dear brethren, we shall have no excuse, for Jesus Christ Himself told us that His mercy was ever ready to forgive us, no matter how deeply we had fallen. To impress these facts upon our hearts and minds I will show you to-day:

I. The greatness of God’s mercy toward sinners.
II. What we must do on our part to merit it.

I.Yes, dear brethren, the way in which God concerns Himself with us is consoling, but it imposes obligations upon us. Although we are guilty His patience waits for us, His love invites us to rise from our sins and to return to Him. His mercy protects us. “With patience,” says the prophet Isaias, “the Lord waits for us, to show us His mercy. As soon as we commit sin, we deserve to be punished at once. Nothing is more deserving of punishment than sin.” As soon as a man revolts against God all creation demands vengeance, saying: “Lord, wilt Thou that we destroy this sinner who has offended Thee? Wilt Thou, cries the sea to Him, that I should bury him in my depths? The earth says: Lord, wilt Thou that I open and bury him alive in hell? The air says: Lord, shall I suffocate him? The fire asks: O Lord, I pray Thee, let me consume him, and all creation cries for vengeance. But no, replies this good Jesus; leave him upon earth until the moment which my Father has ordained for him; perhaps I shall have the happiness of seeing his conversion.

Contemplate, for instance, the mercy of God toward the world before the deluge, when the vices of men covered the earth and it was steeped in the filthy waters of the most abominable vices. The Lord felt Himself obliged to punish it, but what warnings, what admonitions, what delays did He not give them before the chastisement! Long before He threatened them, so as to arouse them and bring them to their senses. When he saw that their crimes increased from day to day He sent Noe to them, whom He commanded to build an ark, which should take him a hundred years to build, and to all those who should ask him the reason of this construction he was to say that the Lord was about to destroy the whole world by a flood, but that, if they would be converted and do penance, He would alter His determination. Only when He saw that His admonitions were of no avail, that men mocked at His menaces, He found Himself obliged to step in with His chastisement. And even then we see how the Lord declared that He regretted having created them, thereby expressing the greatness of His mercy. He wished to say: “I would rather not have created you, now that I find myself obliged to punish you.” Tell me, dear brethren, could God Almighty, as He is, have shown greater mercy?

From the beginning of the world, dear brethren, until the advent of the Messiah, we behold but mercy, grace, and kindness. And yet we may say that under the law of grace of the New Testament the benefits which lie is lavishing upon the world are still more abundant and more precious. What commiseration on the part of the eternal Father, who had an only Son, and who consented that the only Son should give His life to redeem us all! Ah, dear brethren, if we remembered the Passion of Jesus Christ with proper feelings of gratitude, how many tears would we shed? As you see, the mercy of God could go no farther, for He had one only Son, and He sacrificed Him to save us—this Son who was the dearest that He had. But what shall we say when we consider the love of the Son? He goes willingly, to stiffer torments and even death to procure for us the blessedness of heaven. What did He not do for us during His life upon earth” He is not satisfied to call us by His grace, and to place all means of salvation at our disposal. Behold how He seeks after the strayed sheep! See how He traverses cities and villages in quest of them, to lead them to the abode of His mercy! Behold how He leaves His Apostles and waits for the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, where He knew that He would meet her! lie appeared before her and begins to speak to her, so that the gentleness of His speech, combined with His grace, should touch and console her. He asks her for a drink of water, that she herself may venture to implore Him for something far more precious, namely, for His grace. So pleased was He at the conversion of this soul that lie declined, when His Apostles asked Him to partake of some food, as if to say: “I am not thinking of material food; I am so rejoiced at having gained a soul for my Father!”

Look in at the house of Simon the leper. He does not go there to cat, but because He knows that He will find there Mary Magdalen, a sinner. For this reason, dear brethren, He appears at this feast. Observe the joy revealed by His countenance as Mary Magdalen throws herself at His feet and washes them with her tears and dries them with her hair. But the Redeemer repays her abundantly by pouring out the fullness of His grace into her heart. Behold how He takes her part in opposition to those who are scandalized at her! His compassion is so great that lie not only forgives her her sins, and drives out the devils who had taken possession of her heart, but He chooses her to be one of His companions. He desires that she should accompany Him during His entire life’s journey, and that in the whole world, wherever the Gospel should be preached, it should be related what she did for love of him. He will speak no more of her sins, which He has already washed away by the merits of His most adorable blood, which He is to shed.

Why do we find Him on the road to Capharnaum? Is it not to meet Matthew the tax collector and make him a zealous Apostle? Why on His way to Jericho? It is to convert the publican Zachaeus. Ask Him why He walks in the public square and He will tell you it is to defend the adulteress and to convert her. Reflect how He weeps when approaching the city of Jerusalem, which is an image of the sinner, for of it He said: “Ungrateful Jerusalem who hast murdered the prophets and put to death the servants of God. O that thou mayest accept to-day the graces which I bring thee!” See, my brethren, how God weeps over the loss of our souls when He sees that we will not be converted. How can we, after seeing all that Christ has done to save us, doubt of His mercy, when we are sure of His forgiveness if we give up sins and repent of them, no matter how numerous they may be? Yea, and even deeply though you may have fallen, so that in the eyes of God you are in a worse condition than was the prodigal son, who from a noble, rich youth was reduced to a servant to feed the swine and had not anything wherewith to satiate himself, not even the husks the swine left over. Yet how did the father anticipate his coming—even prepared a feast for again finding the lost son. Thus will your heavenly Father act toward you from the very moment that you form the resolution of being converted; at the first step which you take toward that happy end the divine heart is moved to compassion, to mercy. He receives you with endearment.

Jesus Christ, in speaking of these sinners through the mouth of His servant, says: “Let this Christian, who is converted, be clothed with the robe of baptismal grace which he had lost; let him be clothed with Jesus Christ, with His justice, His virtues, and His merits.” See, dear brethren, how Jesus Christ treats us when we are so happy as to forsake our sins and to abandon ourselves to Him, O how great is God’s mercy!

II.What must we then do to obtain His mercy? We must earnestly pray for it. We read in history of a great prince who, when he was dying, was frightfully tempted to doubt the goodness and mercy of God. When the priest who was at his bedside saw that he was losing confidence he strove to restore the same by pointing out that God never refuses forgiveness to any one who asks him for it. “No, no,” replied the sick man, “there is no forgiveness for me. I have been too wicked.” As nothing was of any avail, the priest took refuge in prayer. Thereupon God put into his memory these words, which King David prayed before His death: “Prince,” he said, “listen to the words of a penitent king; you are a sinner as he was. Pray with him: `God, Lord, have mercy upon me, for my iniquities are very great, and may the enormity of my sins be a motive to induce Thee to pardon me.”‘ At these words the prince seemed to awaken as if from a stuper. He meditated for a moment, and then was overcome with joy, and prayed, “Ah, Lord, these words were indeed meant for me! Yes, my God, have pity upon me for that very reason, that I have sinned so grievously.” He made his confession and received the last sacraments, while tears flowed down his cheeks; joyfully he died, as a sacrifice for his sins, and passed away peacefully with the crucifix in his hands. In very truth, dear brethren, what are our sins in comparison with God’s mercy? A mustard seed as compared to a big mountain. Oh, how can we allow ourselves to go to perdition when it is so easy to be saved, and while Jesus Christ longs so ardently for our salvation? At the same time, if God is so good as to wait for us and to receive us, we must not misuse His patience; when He calls us, invites us to come to Him, we should go to meet Him; when He hits received us, we should remain faithful to Him. Ah, dear brethren, for years, perhaps, God has been calling us; why, then, do we remain in our sins? He is always ready to offer us His grace; why do we not forsake our sins? We should not only renounce sin because God in His goodness forgives us, but gratitude should prompt us to lament the sins which we committed.

The leprous Samaritan serves us as an example. When he saw that he was cured he returned and threw himself at the feet of Jesus Christ to thank Him for the grace he had obtained.

According to the teaching of St. Augustine gratitude toward God consists chiefly in this, that a soul resigns itself and all its inclinations completely to Him. Listen to the Saviour, who, having cured ten lepers, and saw only one returning to thank Him, asked: “And where are the other nine; did I not heal them likewise?” As if He wished to say: Why do not the others come to thank me? St. Bernard says we ought to be grateful to God, for thereby we shall prevail upon Him to grant us many more graces. Have we not good reason to thank God for having created us, for having redeemed us by His Passion and death, for having given us the true faith when so many live and die outside the true fold. Now, dear brethren, as God’s mercy and kindness are boundless, let us endeavor to profit by them. Then we shall have the happiness of pleasing Him and of preserving our souls in His grace, and this will procure for us the pleasure of enjoying everlasting bliss in His sacred presence and that of all His saints in heaven. This is what I wish you all. Amen.

Taken from The Sermons of the Cure of Ars