Always ask Jesus for his Mercy. He never misses an opportunity to oblige !

After a tough game of basketball, the losing  team doesn’t take-off their uniforms and throw them away. They simply wash them and wear them at the next game. This is the same when sin enters our lives.  We should not give up on ourselves and walk away.

 Instead,  turn to Jesus and tell him we’re sorry for what we did, and ask for his mercy and forgiveness. As we know, if we are sorry, Jesus responds by pouring his compassion over us through the priest’s absolution. Pope Francis likes to say, “When it comes to forgiveness, God is abundant and always forgives.”

 The priest’s absolution restores every regretful sinner to his or her original dignity, rinsing them to look like that glorious day of their baptism. We can compare what happens in the confessional to shining a diamond in the rough. The sheen of the diamond returns. This is why we never throw away diamonds, nor a remorseful  sinner. They are both too precious.

 Thus, we get up and walk away whole and forgiven. Like his father, Jesus would rather forgive than punish. And like his father, Jesus never measures our life’s  journey by our last mistake.  Jesus simply wants every lost sheep saved. Jesus teaches us, “I came to save sinners not condemn them.”

 Someone once wrote that  Jesus’ love also has Mary’s touch. The Mother of God gave Jesus  a little of her motherly love in time to match the love the father had for him in eternity.

 This is why we look to God, our father so warmly, as the priest’s absolution is saying: “I love you and have a special place waiting for you. Get up now and follow me, and sin no more.” And “if you do slip-up again come back, I’ll be waiting.” When Jesus loves, he never gives up even if we do.

 Jesus founded his church to gather lost sheep, and not scatter them. Jesus wants his Church to invite his people and never to push sinners away. The God whom Jesus calls father is outstanding in love and relationships. Our God sees perfection as there is always more! Often, we look in  the mirror and only see the impossible. Jesus looks at us and always sees what’s possible. After all, didn’t Jesus create us?

 For us, God’s creation’s perfection is seen as always on the way, but never reaching completion here on earth.  In this way, our ever-changing circumstances constantly stretches us to become more than we are.

 To live always seeking perfection, we need to trust in Jesus’ love for us and hope in God’s protection. This why Jesus never gives up on  us.  If God never gives up, and he is the God who made us, then neither should we!

 Ernest Hemingway wrote this about hope: The rain will stop, the night will end, and the hurt will fade. Hope is never lost that it can’t be found.