Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lady Liberty stands with her eyes covered, holding the set of scales in her hand. She is trying to tell us that justice is blind. She is not swayed by rich or poor, by gender, nor by the color of a person’s skin. She is not convinced by what the person is wearing. All that concerns her is justice, whether the person is innocent or guilty based upon the facts.
Today’s Gospel is similar, but Jesus is not looking at justice as much as he is at mercy. Again, Jesus is not looking at rich vs. poor, country of origin, or language spoken. Jesus looks into the heart and whether the person truly loves. St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, reminds his readers that what is first in his list of concerns is that “Christ died for our sins.” This is the mercy Jesus chooses to manifest even to Paul because Paul initially persecuted the followers of Jesus. It is the revelation of Jesus to Paul on the road to Damascus that convinces him of the love the Savior had for all who believed in him. The Lord further remarks in this passage that although the person has been a great sinner, that one is forgiven so that he or she might be able to appreciate what great mercy the Lord has shown, and this enables them to love more. It is not a matter of being a great lover that causes us to sin. It is because of the great mercy that is shown to us that we become great lovers of Jesus.
The more we are aware of our sinfulness, the greater our thankfulness will be for the tender mercy of the Lord. The more we are aware of the mercy of God, the more eagerly we will avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Lady Liberty may show us the way to see our prejudices and our faults. She can also show us the way to experience the blessed goodness of Christ Jesus.
Reflection by Fr. Martin Demeulenaere, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections