Waiting In A Ditch
In Jubilee Years gone by, along with other years dedicated to certain themes by the Holy Father, it seems that enthusiasm waned part way through, leaving the year to limp the rest of the way to its conclusion. But I have to say that this has not been my experience of this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. We are now seven months in and there are no signs of slowing down.
This year has been a great gift to me, particularly as a priest called to welcome the sinner in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The seal that guards the Sacrament prevents me from sharing some of those moments, but there is one thing that stands out to me: we need God’s unrelenting mercy.
This sentiment was captured well by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who gave a rare interview a few months ago on this topic. He noted that it is no surprise that the parable of the Good Samaritan is a particular favorite for modern men and women, because they “expect the Samaritan will come to their aid; that he will bend down over them, pour oil on their wounds, care for them and take them to safety. In the final analysis, they know that they need God's mercy and his tenderness.”
It's a strange thing: we want to be independent. We want to do our own thing. We want to build our own kingdom. And yet, at the very same time, we have this deep awareness that we are fragile and weak and we are in need of being saved by an Other. So there we find ourselves, in a ditch that we dug with our own hands, waiting and expecting someone to come and pull us out.
Some of the most beautiful encounters happen in that ditch because in that ditch we leave behind sins that have plagued us for years. In that ditch lies the filth of indifference, the litter of lies and gossip, and the stench of gifts whose lack of use has caused them to go sour. And into all that nastiness comes the hand of God who pulls us up and offers us the free gift of mercy. “This is not you,” He says to us. “You are made for something more.”
Please hear the Lord speaking these words to you. Do not let this year pass without reaching out for that hand that is being extended to you. You are better than your sin. You are made for something more.
