“Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1146
Meditate upon the love of God. The depths and breadth of His Love and Mercy are beyond even the wildest dreams and imaginations of man. Spend the next ten thousand years reflecting upon this mercy and you’ll barely have scratched the surface.
Luke shares one of Jesus’ most well-known stories in which Jesus opens the mind of man to this love and mercy of God. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, told in Luke 15:11-32, tells of young man who turns his back on his father, taking all his inheritance and running away. You know the tragic story. He squanders everything, then, comes to his senses. He run home to beg in imperfect contrition. “Father, treat me as a hired servant…just let me back in your house and care for me.” We know the father’s response is beyond thought. Seeing his son in the distance, he runs to him, grabs him in a mighty bear hug, tears running down his face, he kisses him. He doesn’t just bring him back under his roof and feed him. The father rejoices beyond bounds. “My son was dead and now lives.” (v. 24). He calls together everyone, makes a feast and celebrates the rising of his son from the dead.
This is one of the best meditation reflections of God, the Father’s Love for each of us. Jesus confirms the truth of this story to St. Faustina in paragraph 1146.
Turning your back on God, running from Him, squandering all His gifts, even death in sin doesn’t change the fact. God love you. And, when you realize your dire situation and hunger, turning back to the Father’s home even imperfectly, like I did. God’s love will cut through the imperfect repentance. He won’t just welcome back a servant. The Father will rejoice over His returned son/daughter. He will throw a feast the likes of which Heaven has never seen. For you.
And in Heaven there will be a celebration over the return to full life of the son who was dead.
Go…now. Turn around and run back to the Father. He is waiting (tears already brimming at your return).
Oh! And if this isn’t your first trip back up that road, no worries. The Father is still running to welcome you home. Same feast, same joy, same tears.
