The ‘Collect’ today, addresses God as ‘God of everlasting mercy…’. The Psalmist enjoins us to, ‘Give praise to the Lord, for he is good, his mercy endures for ever. Let the house of Israel say…Let the house of Aaron say… Let those who fear the Lord say, His mercy endures for ever’ (cf Ps 118(117)ff). St Peter who experienced the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness, first hand, tells us that ‘…according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (cf 1 Pt 1:3-9). Our Blessed Lord shows the importance of mercy and forgiveness as he sends his disciples out to bring the news to the nations. He says, ‘Receive the Holy spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness, from any, it is withheld’ (Jn 20:19-31).
Beloved People of God, that God’s mercy is everlasting, undefiled, imperishable and unfading is something that we need to remember. Our doubts, weaknesses, imperfections, sins, notwithstanding, the Lord’s mercy is forever. Indeed, his grace abounds even more. The Scripture is replete with God’s demonstration of this truth. This assurance is only an invitation to a generous response to repentance from sin. It is not a liberty or a license to sin. May we harken to the Lord’s injunction: ‘Do not disbelieve but believe’ (Jn 20:31)
We answer a fervent ‘amen’ to the Collect of this Sunday: God of everlasting mercy, who, in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own. Increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and richly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed…Through our Lord Jesus Christ…Amen.
Fr Ted
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