I am no better

Mass Readings: February 23

First: Micah 7:14-15,18-20
Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,9-12
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3,11-32


Luke 15:30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'

The hard thing to do as a Christian is, well, be Christian. Christ came to save the lost, not the ones who are doing good. The problem for those who "do good" is that they fail to do good when they think that the ones who do not do good are less deserving of God's grace. They fail to understand what mercy means. There is the temptation to demand that before we can receive the love of God we have to prove we deserve it. The fact is we never deserve it. It is always a gift.

Father, help me to see that I am not better than those who I see as the sinners and the underserving. Help me to love the unlovable, to pray for my enemies, and to always trust in your mercy and grace.

Amen