Divine Mercy, hope of salvation

What is the place of evil in the economy of salvation? Maybe the question would not even occur to us; or, we are inclined to think evil can hardly have any place at all within anything encompassed by love. So we condemn those who perpetuate evil while we consider ourselves as among the good people, faithful to our religious practices, living ordinarily good, decent lives. That is, it would be unthinkable for us to be murderers, kidnapers, rapist or to commit anything gruesome. So we might even be in favor of government top-brass who order a retaliation like "Crush these criminals", "Grind those bandits to powder" or "Death penalty be theirs", "Hasten the execution of those in the prison’s deathrow". That way, we put an end to the problem of crime in the country. Oh…?

The local church of the Philippines through the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines reacted negatively to this, saying that while the church does not condone evil, the death penalty is never in consonance with our faith in the miracle of grace which can effect a change of heart even in the most hardened sinner through Divine Mercy.

God calls all of us to witness to Divine Mercy, particularly in today’s world. There is a pressing need to proclaim God’s merciful love. We cannot neglect this mission, since God has chosen our own times for this purpose. The twentieth century, despite indisputable achievements in many areas, was marked in a particular way by what Pope John Paul II calls "the mystery of iniquity." With both good and evil in the world, we have entered the new millennium. New prospects of development are opening up before mankind, together with their unheard of dangers. Frequently, man lives as if God does not exist, and even puts himself in God’s place. He claims for himself the Creator’s right to interfere in the mystery of human life. He wants to determine human life through genital manipulation and to establish its limit by death. Rejecting morality, he openly attacks the family. In a variety of ways, he attempts to silence the voice of God in human hears. He wishes to make God the "great absence" in the conscience of people, while the "mystery of iniquity" continues to be a reality in the world.

In experiencing this reality, man lives in fear of the future, of emptiness, of suffering, of annihilation. It is for this reason that Christ enters our time to indicate clearly the source of relief and hope found in the eternal mercy of God. The Gospel of today resounds with his message. Even a criminal from the death row can instantaneously have a change of heart, humbly own his sin and on his knees beg God’s forgiveness. "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you." (Mt 21:31) Who are we, the proud and righteous, to deny this chance of salvation to the sinner? But we know that God’s grace can bring about a miracle in the heart of the sinner, for there is no limit to Infinite Love, no end to Divine Mercy.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Times, Matthew 21:28-32.