Tag Archives: Mercy

Divine Mercy

The Feast Of Mercy

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The Lord Jesus asked, through Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, that the first Sunday after Easter Sunday be celebrated as the feast of Divine Mercy. Many years later, Pope St John Paul II fulfilled our Lord’s request so that this Feast day is universally celebrated throughout the entire Church.

Jesus made a very special promise: whoever goes to Confession and Holy Communion on the Feast of Mercy will receive, not only the forgiveness of sins, but the forgiveness of all temporal punishment and all time in purgatory.

Here is our Lord’s promise:

“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.

“On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.

“On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.

“Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. “

Diary of St Faustina, 699

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The Spiritual Life

Can The Church Bless Sinners?

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LG Sleiman

20th January 2024

Fiducia Supplicans, published by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on 18th December 2023, and personally signed by Pope Francis, gives permission to priests to give a “spontaneous” blessing to couples who are in an “irregular situation”.

The most contentious point of this declaration comes down to this: priests can now bless same-sex couples and other couples who are living in sin.

Some have welcomed this as an act of mercy and compassion; some decry it as blasphemous; and others are representing this as a sort of “coming of age” of the Catholic Church.

What are we to make of Fiducia Supplicans? Should the Church make herself ready to bless sinners? What is God’s will in regard to sinners?

Does God Bless Sinners?

Jesus said that the Father “makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) It is clear, therefore, that God pours His blessings upon everyone, saints and sinners alike.

If we think about it carefully, God is always pouring His blessings upon us: from one rising of the sun to the next, and so on and so on.

Every time I wake up to a new day, that is a blessing. Every time I pick a beautiful flower, that is a blessing. Every time I see a beautiful sunset, that is a blessing. Every time someone offers me a smile or a helping hand, that is a blessing.

Every time I attend holy Mass or read the Sacred Scriptures or enter a Church or my private room with a prayerful heart, there is a blessing for me.

Every time I avail myself of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, that is a great and wonderful blessing—a blessing that is open to each and every sinner, no matter the number or gravity of his/her sins.

The number of God’s mercies is too great to fathom: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Let us not forget, however, the greatest blessing that the Father could ever have bestowed upon us: “God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) God did not wait for sinners to turn to Him with a humble and contrite heart before He chose to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins.

Even God’s justice is a blessing, springing from God’s love—because His justice (in time) rescues souls from damnation (in eternity). Compare with this passage in Saint Faustina’s Diary:

“Praise the Lord, my soul, for everything, and glorify His mercy, for His goodness is without end. Everything will pass, but His mercy is without limit or end. And although evil will attain its measure, in mercy there is no measure. O my God, even in the punishments You send down upon the earth I see the abyss of Your mercy, for by punishing us here on earth You free us from eternal punishment. Rejoice, all you creatures, for you are closer to God in His infinite mercy than a baby to its mother’s heart. O God, You are compassion itself for the greatest sinners who sincerely repent. The greater the sinner, the greater his right to God’s mercy.” (Diary, 423)

From the most interior inspirations with which God moves my heart, to the descent of the only begotten Son of God from eternity into the realm of human affairs, to the sending of the Holy Spirit, to the gift of Christ’s own Mother to the Church, to the gift of prayer and intimate communion with the God who dwells within, to the gift of innumerable saints, mystics and holy prelates, God never ceases to watch over His people and to pour innumerable blessings upon them.

We ought not to forget in this consideration the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after His Sacred Passion. What a blessing! To know and understand that God’s redemptive love extends beyond the grave, beyond the power of death, and offers me an eternity of beatitude, glory, and everlasting happiness, if only I will accept the Lord’s invitation!

For Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37)

After Christ’s ascension into Heaven, He sent the gift of His Holy Spirit to inhabit every believer’s heart, to guide and direct the soul, to inspire and nurture the soul, to love and sanctify each believer, who is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God.

God never ceases to search out my heart and, in a thousand million ways, to remind me of His love and to draw me into a loving relationship with Himself.

At some point in my journey, my heart must turn to the Lord, respond to his love, turn away from sin, take his outstretched hand, and allow God to bless me—not just with an ordinary blessing, but with the fulness of eternal life and glory.

When Jesus began to preach, His first words were: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) To “repent” means to turn away from sin, to return to the Lord with a humble and contrite heart, and to enter again into the friendship of God.

Compare with Chronicles: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Though I may be surrounded with thousands of blessings, I will not enter into the Lord’s friendship if I do not choose the Lord’s will above my own: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14)

In order to make the transition from the enjoyment of God’s blessings to the supreme blessing of God’s friendship I must, by the grace of God, turn away from sin, embrace the will of God, and persevere in the fulfilment of God’s will: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

The problem with Fiducia Supplicans is that it effectively denies any requirement on the part of the soul to turn away from sin in order to enter into the friendship of God. This involves the idea of a false mercy.

The Problem With Fiducia Supplicans

Fiducia Supplicans inspires/engenders a duplicitous attitude in the approach to God’s blessings. By repeatedly emphasising the mercy and compassion of God while, at the same time, avoiding any requirement on the part of the soul to turn away from sin in order to know God’s mercy, Fiducia Supplicans gives the impression that God’s blessings are completely free, that the soul may continue to enjoy God’s favour while living in an irregular, sinful relationship, and that the way to Heaven does not involve any form of submission to the will of God.

This is extremely dangerous for the life of the soul and will, unless it is prevented by the proclamation of the truth, lead many souls astray, and one step closer to eternal perdition.

Let us now look at specific statements in this DDF declaration.

Fiducia Supplicans: Couples living in sin do not require “moral perfection” in order to receive a blessing from the Church. This is correct. Jesus never demanded moral perfection in order to grant his mercy; He only required a repentant heart. So, for example, when the Lord had healed the paralytic man, He said to him: “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)

Fiducia Supplicans: “Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples as an expression of pastoral closeness without condoning their sexual relations.” But this only camouflages the truth. One of the greatest deceptions (rehearsed over and over again) is that the Church can adopt certain pastoral practices to the exclusion of writing new doctrines. The truth is that doctrinal statements and pastoral practices are inseparable: every pastoral approach carries doctrinal presuppositions and, conversely, every doctrinal pronouncement gives shape and form to pastoral activity.

Fiducia Supplicans: “It is precisely in this context that one can understand the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.” But actions speak louder than words. People will inevitably read this as the Church’s endorsement of sinful lifestyles. Why single out couples who are in an irregular, sinful relationship for a blessing? Most will interpret this as the Church’s approval of sinful lifestyles, regardless of how many caveats are embedded into the declaration.

Fiducia Supplicans: “Indeed, there is the danger that a pastoral gesture that is so beloved and widespread will be subjected to too many moral prerequisites, which, under the claim of control, could overshadow the unconditional power of God’s love that forms the basis for the gesture of blessing.” But the reality is that God’s “moral prerequisite” is to turn away from sin.

Fiducia Supplicans: “Thus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it. For, those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection.” This is just more camouflage. No one can become morally perfect without the help of Christ (compare with John 15:5—“Without me you can do nothing”). But to enter into friendship with Christ the soul must turn away from sin and accept the saving grace of God.

Fiducia Supplicans: This new practice is heralded as “a positive message of comfort, care, and encouragement. The blessing expresses God’s merciful embrace and the Church’s motherhood, which invites the faithful to have the same feelings as God toward their brothers and sisters.” This represents a false mercy because it gives the impression that God will forgive those who have not yet turned away from sin, which is impossible.

True mercy is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine (who are not lost) and goes after the one sheep (who is lost), who tirelessly calls the sinner to turn back to God, who lays down His life for the sinner rather than see him go to perdition. False mercy, on the other hand, teaches that you can be forgiven without repenting, sanctified without renouncing your sins, and reach Heaven without doing the will of God.

Let us acknowledge that the Lord loves His sheep, has given His life for them, and calls them to repentance, to love Him in return, and to cooperate with His Divine will in order to enter, in the fulness of time, into eternal life.

As Saint Augustine said, “The God who created you without your consent will not save you without your consent.”

It is not an act of charity to deceive a soul by making it comfortable with sin, for “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) True charity reveals the truth about God’s mercy so that the soul can find its way back to spiritual health, to a life of grace, and to eternal friendship with God.

LG Sleiman

Open Letter To Australia

Open Letter To Australia

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The discussion on how to define marriage in Australia has stirred our hearts, forced many of us to take sides, refined our debating skills, raised awareness about the stakes, and spurred us on to unprecedented levels of activism and advocacy.

Most importantly, the marriage debate has brought to light the fact that, underlying the discussion and the debates, there is a serious degree of misinformation—misinformation about the notion of “equality”, about how to ask the right questions, about human rights and where they come from, about how to define marriage, about how to understand human nature. And, finally, who is to decide?

Is it a matter of faith? Or is it a matter of reason? Can we afford to throw out both one and the other?

Some Christians are quick to point out that homosexual acts are offensive to God, that God made man for woman, and woman for man, and that this is the essence of marriage. Other Christians are equally quick to point out that God is merciful and desires the salvation of every soul. Perhaps these two approaches are not mutually exclusive. After all, a true parent is both loving and firm, merciful and just.

But again, what if society decides to do away with the “faith” dimension? And, moreover, to ignore the obvious truth that traditional marriage is founded on the natural complementarity of male and female which, in turn, is ordered to procreation, the preservation of the human race? Then we shall have to bear the consequences, all of us without exception, knowing that past civilisations have risen and fallen with the ebb and flow of their moral integrity.

It’s not merely that we’re debating who can marry whom. It’s that we are questioning the very foundations of thought and liberty. In such an atmosphere, where the debate ranges from civil discussion to open hostility, the realisation that we are no longer certain about the basics of human nature has slowly, eerily dawned upon us.

Whether or not you agree with the traditional definition of marriage, whether or not you think we can ignore this question, whether or not we arrive at a resolution, one thing is certain: there is a sense that something has gone wrong, that the foundations of human existence have been shaken and disturbed.

Like the Hobbits in “Lord of the Rings” who were persuasively removed from their beloved Shire, we feel as though we have been robbed of our true culture. Nothing will be right for the Hobbits until they can return safely home, even if in the meantime they must confront the darkest forces in the world. Nothing will be right for us until we can return to the truth about human nature, even if in the meantime we must confront competing ideologies and various humanisms and half-truths.

If a nation throws out both “faith” and “reason” then it is already in grave danger.

Nevertheless, the Lord revealed to Saint Faustina that “Mercy is God’s greatest attribute.” (Diary 301). This means, of course, that sometimes mercy triumphs over justice, which is what happened on the Cross when Christ freely poured out His Blood for us. God’s real desire is to save our souls, no matter how much we deceive ourselves, no matter how much we resist His calls and inspirations, no matter how much we despise His words and commandments.

While some accept some religious authority on the question of marriage, others do not.

Be that as it may, the homosexual question has been so politicised that it has created problems and misconceptions on many levels. The only way forward is a dispassionate presentation of the truths which to a great extent have remained unknown, truths such as: (1) preserving traditional marriage and maintaining respect for homosexual persons are not mutually exclusive; (2) affirming the dignity and worth of a human being does not entail agreeing with their opinions; (3) homosexual persons in Australia are no longer discriminated against (see the Same Sex Relationships Act of 2008); (4) changing the Marriage Act could potentially rob all Australians of the freedoms of speech, association, conscience, and education; (5) human rights do not come out of nowhere—they have a foundation in reality, in human nature, in our capacities, in our real purpose.

But while you might proclaim such truths and meet with varying degrees of success, there is another, more subtle, more dangerous consequence to the idea of a “vote” on marriage. Think about this for a moment. If the majority voted in favour of telling lies or stealing goods or killing an innocent human being, would that suddenly make it “lawful” to commit such acts? Which, of course, begs the question: What is the “good”? Surely, the good has to be good for everyone.

But let’s put such philosophical considerations aside, shall we? The realists in our society, those who courageously confront this grave moment in Australia’s march through history, are quick to remind us that our fundamental freedoms are now up for grabs. Right now in the hallowed halls of the Australian parliament. The freedoms and rights which we have long enjoyed in Australia are no longer guaranteed for us. The Australian people are on the threshold of a profound cultural and political turning point. This will make or break our long standing traditions and rights and freedoms.

So what good is it to bring to people’s attention the religious or philosophical foundations of the marriage debate? The point is that, win or lose, ideas have consequences in real life. The point is that our senators are currently positioning themselves in a vote for or against the rights and freedoms of Australians.

What are the possible outcomes? At best, changes to the Marriage Act could be reconciled with the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Australians. At worst, we could lose the foundations of a liberal democracy as we know it.

But who cares, you might ask? That’s the real the question.

And even if the Australian government were to pass an unjust or inappropriate or inconvenient law tomorrow—that would not stop us from being genuine activists, would it? It would not stop us from fighting for human dignity, on one level or another. You can’t legislate against the creative power of the human spirit; you can’t legislate against love; you can’t stop the human spirit from rising above the limitations of the prevailing culture. There will always be room for the creative freedom of men and women of good will to recreate culture, and to recreate the world.

Is this marriage debate really about equality or about pointing the finger at homosexual persons? And if not, then what really is the nature of this present moment that we face as Australians?

Janet Albrechtsen gave a succinct answer in The Australian (15 November 2017, ‘Forget Hurt Feelings, Free Speech is a Birthright’): “The outcome of this contest is not just a matter for gay people and religious people. It’s a matter for all of us in a liberal democracy. It will settle, one way or another, whether the country can finally confront and reconcile a 30-year project aimed at the sustained corruption of classical liberal ideas of universal human rights.”

Such universal human rights are what we are now having to fight for in Australia when these rights ought to be unconditionally protected and preserved by our politicians.

What good is it to remind the world that God punishes a nation for its sins when Christians themselves fail in their Christian duty? What good is it for a minority group to cry for equality when obvious features of our human nature are wilfully denied? Can we really solve this problem by fuelling a minor social conflict into a nationwide debate without careful consideration of all the relevant questions?

I don’t think so.

There are philosophical presuppositions in the debate which need to be corrected. There are false dichotomies which need to be resolved. There are social ills and misconceptions which need to be healed with love and truth, not merely legislated. The greater responsibility lies with us who believe in Jesus Christ, not with those who do not yet know the Lord.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

As Pope Saint Pius V said: “All the evils in the world are due to lukewarm Catholics.” And in the words of Khalil Gibran: “The true wealth of a nation lies not in its gold or silver but in its learning, wisdom and in the uprightness of its sons.”

Perhaps it’s time that Christians took the Lord’s words seriously: “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). Those who are friends of the Lord are in a position to call down blessings on an entire nation, to intercede to God for the outpouring of His mercy, and to raise up a new generation of sanctified souls in the service of the well-being of the whole nation.

Mercy and Justice

Justice or Mercy?

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If God is infinitely merciful then why do we often fear His justice? The fact is that we are always confronted, consciously or unconsciously, with the choice between trust and fear, between faith and doubt. We are never exempt from responding to God’s invitations, we are never deprived of God’s help and grace, and we are never so liberated as when we believe in the Truth.

Yesterday, as I was conversing with a friend regarding this or that course of action in a particular situation, she told me quite sincerely that she would be very careful not to offend God in her choice. That was great, I thought, but something in her voice hinted that she had more fear than trust, that God’s justice loomed larger in her mind than God’s mercy. I wasn’t really sure. In any case, I felt, this is not so much an isolated incident and (perhaps) quite common. In any case, isn’t God’s mercy greater than His justice?

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Divine Mercy, The Saints

Who Is Saint Faustina?

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In February 1938 Jesus spoke these words to Sister Faustina, “Today I am sending you with My Mercy to the people of the whole world” (Diary, 1588). 73 years later we came, inspired by the message of Divine Mercy, to the place where Faustina heard these words of Jesus in order to take part in the 2nd World Congress on Divine Mercy, 1st—5th October 2011. Continue reading Who Is Saint Faustina? →