Mercy of God -- Evangelical Catholic Apologetics, Philosophy, Spirituality

Think of watching a movie of someone's life showing everything he does in a day; meaning showing every step or word he takes. What a boring movie! The person would probably just do one spectacular thing, if not, nothing at all in a day. But we would not have 86,400 boring seconds a day unless there is someone who enjoys watching us. There has to be a purpose for having 86,400 seconds in a day. It is because in each of those seconds, God is waiting for our minds to think of Him. Just as the father waited for many seconds for his son to come back, He too waits for that second when we think of Him. Just as He had to endure 10,800 seconds of suffering at the cross, He has to endure the pain of watching our ungodly wills. He asks for only one hour with Him a week, but doesn't He deserve every second?

However, He only needs one hour with us, just as He asked for only one hour with Him in the garden. He asked the question, "Could you not keep watch with me for one hour?" Yet, we fall asleep. Every second of the hour is crucial. It is where we get to learn God's will and how to live it, just as Our Blessed Lord did. But when we fall asleep, we think of the end instead of the means. That is why he who accompanied Our Blessed Lord struck the servant. I'm sure the person means well. He thought of defending his Lord, but we see that it is not the way to defend Him.

I myself have been guilty of having a sword in my hand while trying to defend the Body of Christ. Everyone falls asleep, but this happens so that we would experience God's mercy and know how to respond to thieves. God's mercy awakens us so that when the thief comes, we would know how to respond. We are thieves too, but we should be a thief on the right cross. As Fulton Sheen has said,

"Let your prayers go out to those on the left cross that they may be mindful of the expiatory value of their suffering; let your love also go out to the Good Shepherd on the central Cross who suffers so innocently for all the people, and because you never once thought of yourself but of others, or in other words, because you were merciful, you will hear the reward of mercy from the central Cross: 'This day you shall be with me in paradise.' In that way you become another Good Thief, for a good thief is one who steals Paradise!"

With many hours in our life, He asks for one hour. We give Him one hour, and He gives us three.

JMJ

A.L.