Mar
07
2020
By Anonymous (not verified)
"For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?" - Mt 5:46
"God loves backwards." This concept comes up in the book 7 Secrets of Divine Mercy (Ignatius Press, 2015) by Vinny Flynn. We human beings tend to love those who love us, those who treat us well. God, however, loves all people. He doesn't love us because we're deserving. He loved us while we were still sinners (see Rom 5:8).
In her Diary, St. Faustina records our Lord's revelation: "The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy" (Diary, 723). So, Vinny Flynn asks, "Why do the greatest sinners have the greatest right to God's mercy? Because they need it most" (127).
When God called His Chosen People, He set them apart to be a people "specially his own" (Dt 26:18). How would He set them apart from other people? His commandments. God wanted His people to walk in His ways.
Today, Jesus tells us to imitate the Father in order to be recognized as His children. That means loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. Jesus would later teach us this by His example. At the Crucifixion, He prayed for those who persecuted Him, saying, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34).
Imitate the backwards love of the Father. He wants us to be different.
Prayer: Merciful Lord, help me to bless those who curse me and pray for those who persecute me.
See all meditations to date
"God loves backwards." This concept comes up in the book 7 Secrets of Divine Mercy (Ignatius Press, 2015) by Vinny Flynn. We human beings tend to love those who love us, those who treat us well. God, however, loves all people. He doesn't love us because we're deserving. He loved us while we were still sinners (see Rom 5:8).
In her Diary, St. Faustina records our Lord's revelation: "The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy" (Diary, 723). So, Vinny Flynn asks, "Why do the greatest sinners have the greatest right to God's mercy? Because they need it most" (127).
When God called His Chosen People, He set them apart to be a people "specially his own" (Dt 26:18). How would He set them apart from other people? His commandments. God wanted His people to walk in His ways.
Today, Jesus tells us to imitate the Father in order to be recognized as His children. That means loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. Jesus would later teach us this by His example. At the Crucifixion, He prayed for those who persecuted Him, saying, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34).
Imitate the backwards love of the Father. He wants us to be different.
Prayer: Merciful Lord, help me to bless those who curse me and pray for those who persecute me.
See all meditations to date
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