Happily ignoring God’s law and pursuing my own, I was a lapsed Catholic for several decades. Then I became a mother.

As often happens to those of us who stray from the Church, I recognized my son as a gift from God. He needed to be raised in the faith and God was calling me home.

But my progress was painfully slow. Had He truly forgiven me for my past transgressions?

There’s Gotta Be a Catch! 

We assume that God’s love has limitations, like ours.

It’s hard for us to grasp the concept that He is Perfect Love. St. Faustina tells us that His “mercy is endless and the treasury of (His) compassion inexhaustible” (Diary, 950).

But in order to receive God’s mercy we must ask for it. This means humbly accepting that we aren’t perfect and acknowledging our sins.

Yes, sin does exist! It’s as real now as in the past even though Satan has done a great job of persuading the world that sin is an old-fashioned religious hang-up that modern man can safely ignore. Not so.

Refusing to acknowledge our sinfulness means we're too proud to ask for God’s mercy, and are therefore unable to receive it. As Our Lord told St. Faustina:

“The greatest misery does not stop Me from uniting myself to a soul, but where there is pride, I am not there” (Diary, 1563).

The Practical Path to Forgiveness, Healing & Help

The surest way of obtaining forgiveness is by going with a truly contrite to hear Confession, where the priest is in persona Christi. It is Jesus Himself who is listening to you.

This Sacrament is also a powerful tool against Satan:

“First, do not fight against a temptation by yourself, but disclose it to the confessor at once, and then the temptation will lose all force” (Diary, 1560).

We aren’t alone in our battle against the devil. God wants us to rely on His help, and the aid of His Mother and all the Saints.

“Second, during these ordeals do not lose your peace; live in My presence; ask My Mother and the Saints for help. Third, have the certitude that I am looking at you and supporting you” (Diary, 1560).

Temptations are not a test sent by God to see if we are strong enough to overcome them alone. They are a chance to prove our fidelity to, and trust in Him.

“Fourth, do not fear either struggles of the soul or any temptations, because I am supporting you; if only you are willing to fight, know that the victory is always on your side. Fifth, know that by fighting bravely you give Me great glory and amass merits for yourself. Temptation gives you a chance to show Me your fidelity” (Diary, 1560).

Christ gives us the strength we need and makes up for our deficiencies, as long as we appeal to Him for help. 

Trust Is Hard! 

No sin is unforgivable, save despair of God's forgiveness if we ask Him for it.

“My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world” (Diary, 1485).

God’s Perfect Love forgives us, if we repent and are sincere about mending our ways. 

And if God has forgiven us, how arrogant of us to say we aren’t forgiven! How much that hurts Christ, who told St. Faustina:

 “..My heart is even more wounded by their distrust after a fall” (Diary, 1532).

In her beautiful Conversation of the Merciful God with a Despairing Soul St. Faustina records the following words of Jesus:

“My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does – that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness” (Diary, 1486).

It is deeply troubling to Christ when we are embarrassed by our failure to be perfect and refuse to believe that He can forgive us yet again. Our pride becomes our stumbling block.

We are not each allotted a ‘lifetime limit of forgiveness.’ If we humble ourselves and come with trust to Jesus asking for forgiveness over and over again, He will give it over and over again without reserve. 


His mercy really is endless!

“He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of my footstool” (Diary, 723)

“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is – trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts” (1578)

So we should be willing to “ask for much” mercy.


No matter what we have done, God will forgive us if we confess our sins and ask for mercy. Under those conditions, He will give us a clean slate, and peace in our hearts – every time.

Remembering our blemished past helps us remain humble, but we shouldn’t let it prevent us from accepting God’s forgiveness. He came into the world not to condemn us, but to save us (John 3:17).

If You Don’t Believe in the Sacrament of Confession

Many people think that Confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation) is a convenient way for Catholics to obtain forgiveness for sins which we fully intend to commit again after confessing them. They perceive Confession as our carte blanche to sin without fear of consequence, because God will forgive us anyway.

This is not at all what the Sacrament means!

For someone to receive forgiveness, he or she must be contrite (regret having committed the sin) and have every intention of not committing that sin again. Otherwise they are not forgiven.

In fact, they are in a worse position than if they hadn’t gone to Confession, because it was done under false pretenses. God is unimpressed by white-washed sepulchers.

Being a good Christian is difficult, especially these days.

It’s unfashionable to follow the precepts of a man who lived over 2000 years ago and doesn’t embrace the spirit of our times, which tells us to ‘eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.'

Instead He exhorts us to "turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” New Living Translation (©2007) Matt. 16:24

Where’s the appeal in that?

And does such a lifestyle guarantee admittance to heaven? Supposing we ‘take up our cross’ only to end up in the nothingness of the Universe after we die, instead of living in eternal happiness with God? We'll have missed out on so much!

Would it not be smart to have a Plan B – a back-up creed, as it were ─ just in case we’re wrong to believe in Christ and His teachings?

Napoleon’s Life Strategy

In his famous book ‘Think and Grow Rich,’ Napoleon Hill outlines principles for attaining earthly success and writes about the many men who’ve applied them.

A certain Edwin C. Barnes wanted to work with (not for) Thomas Edison. Mr. Hill writes:  “Barnes' desire was not a hope! It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating DESIRE, which transcended everything else. It was DEFINITE.”

Mr. Barnes was so determined to achieve his aim, that he was willing to “burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want."

Barnes ‘did not say, "I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization."……“He stood by his DESIRE until it became the dominating obsession of his life ─ and ─ finally, a fact.”

In short, Barnes’ goal became an obsession, and everything he did was in order to achieve this one end. He succeeded. ‘Out of that business association (with Edison) grew the slogan, "Made by Edison and installed by Barnes."’

Christ’s Strategy

God demands the same ‘obsession’ from us, and warns against trying to be of this world and of God. We can choose only one.

The first commandment is unambiguous about this.  “I am the Lord your God…. You shall have no other gods before Me.” (My italics)
Exodus 20:2-17   

Jesus elaborates further on the level of commitment God requires of us.

'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' Matthew: 22:37

We must guard against deep attachment to the things of this world for  only love of God makes us willingly obey His laws. And when we don’t obey His laws, it proves we don’t love or believe in Him.  

St. James admonishes those who can’t choose one or the other 'god,' and calls them ‘double-minded.’

“Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:8.  The New Living Translation (©2007)

Clarke’s Commentary on the same webpage explains it this way:

“A man of this (double-minded) character is continually distracted; he will neither let earth nor heaven go, and yet he can have but one.”  

St. James also makes it clear that such “people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” unless their “faith is in God alone.” James 1:6-7

We can’t pray to God only when we want something and expect Him to give it to us, when we worship the pursuit of worldly wealth instead of Him the rest of the time.

If You Aren't For Me...

It isn't possible to love God and Mammon: love of one excludes love of the other. Either we are for God or we are against Him: there is no middle ground.

Christ is very clear about this: "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.” Matthew 12:30 New Living Translation (©2007)

He also outlines the consequences of not being wholeheartedly Christian:

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in His glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” Luke 9:26 New Living Translation (©2007)

We can’t be successful in any undertaking if our commitment is lukewarm. The desire of true Christians is to get to heaven: their lives are lived solely in the hope of being with God when they die.

Hope Versus Hope

Christian ‘hope’ is completely different from worldly hope.

Jack Weaver defines this in his ‘Notes From a Retired Preacher.’

‘The Hope of Heaven is not a maybe — but an absolute and definite guarantee by the Word of the Truth of the Gospel.
 
‘“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” Titus 1:2
 
‘Eternal life — guaranteed and promised by the God of the Universe. He cannot lie... Every true believer in Jesus Christ may look with confidence to the glorious appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. (There is) No doubt!’
 
Christian hope is not wishful thinking: it is the absolute certainty of eternal life if we commit to Christ.
 
Do We Still Have Time?  

If we’ve been a doubting, ‘double-minded’ person, will Christ still accept our belated commitment to Him?

Absolutely!

 ‘“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.’ Joel 2:12-13 ESV

‘The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.’ Acts 17:30 ESV 

So now would be a good time. :)

Is There a Deadline?
 
Christ is the Merciful One during our lifetime. If we repent of our sins and ask for His forgiveness now, He will extend His infinite mercy to us.

This changes when we die.

Consider these words of Our Lord to Saint Faustina:

“Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. (1588)”

The moment we die, He becomes our Judge and His clemency is permanently over. 

“….after (the end times) will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them. (848) (My italics)

“Before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the doors of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the doors of My mercy must pass through the doors of My justice... (1146)”

Now, Was That So Difficult?

Christ wants to save us, but we must humble ourselves and ask for His forgiveness. He cannot save us if we don't ask Him to. 

Catholics have to ask pardon for their sins out loud to a priest, which requires even more humility than a quiet acknowledgement of guilt to God alone.

But, however we do so, once we’ve admitted our faults and asked for forgiveness, a great burden lifts from us. Invited back into our hearts, Christ in His mercy walks with us again.

And as my former parish priest used to say, ‘Don’t look down or that’s where you’re going. Look up ─ at where you want to go!”

God must be the Alpha and Omega of our lives if we are to attain that for which He made us: eternal life with Him in heaven.

There is no Plan B for Christians. We don't need one.


Napoleon Hill quotes taken from:

Hill, Napoleon (2010-05-07). The Classic Napoleon Hill Masterpiece THINK AND GROW RICH [Illustrated & Annotated] (Kindle Locations 4470-4471). Northpointe Classics. Kindle Edition.(Available for 99c)

Or click here for free download.

St Faustina quotes taken from:

THE LIFE AND MISSION OF Saint Faustina APOSTLE OF THE DIVINE MERCY

 “I Believe in Love” is a wonderful book, which I’m now reading for the second time.

Written by Father Jean C.J. d’Elbée, who was deeply influenced by the teachings of St. Thérèse of Liseux, this wonderful volume brings her ‘teachings on God’s love and the confidence in Him that it should inspire in your soul.’

Removing Obstacles

Here are some truly comforting words from Father d’Elbée:

‘I should like to ask you urgently, from now on, that you never let your past sins be an obstacle between you and Jesus. It is a ruse of the Devil to keep putting our sins before our eyes in order to make them like a screen between the Savior and us.’

Maybe you’re like me. You feel you’re getting close to God, then remember stuff from your past and believe He will always hold it against you. Things you've done which you can’t imagine He’s never going to forgive.

I’ve read the above passage over and over again, to remind me that the Devil, not the Lord, is the one giving me doubts in God’s love for me.  I have to believe in His love and tell Satan ‘to get thee behind me.’

Having Confidence

The whole purpose of "I Believe in Love" is to give us confidence in God’s infinite mercy - mercy which is real if we believe in it.

Father d’Elbée includes this quote from St. Thérèse:

“The good God would not inspire unattainable desires: I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to sanctity.”

God doesn’t give us the desire to be holy, only to make it impossible for us to achieve it. However, He recognizes that the path to sanctity isn't easy and applauds every effort we make to stay on that route.

As Father d’Elbée writes, when we stray from that path, we should “find happiness in expiation” for our weaknesses - not be discouraged by them.

P.S. In case you're interested, I did achieve my 'heroic moment' this morning. (Baby steps...!)