47. Is God merciful to all who call on Him? . ........ ....... 61 (continued)
47. Is God merciful to all who call on Him?
"If you wish to be satisfied with the good things of God, let mercy be satisfied within you."137
"See how you are already beginning to unite yourself with him, because you hate what he hates. Sin has to be punished, because the scepter of justice is the scepter of the kingdom. But could sin go unpunished? It cannot. Sin has to be punished, because if it did not have to be punished, it would no longer be sin. Prevent this from happening; if you do not want to be punished by him, punish yourself.""'
"It is necessary that for every injustice, great or small, punishment follow - either by the man himself who repents, or by God who distributes justice. Further, he who repents is already punishing himself. Therefore, brethren, let us punish our own sins if we want to obtain God's mercy. There is no escaping it: either you punish yourself or he will punish you."139
Placing oneself in God's presence prepares the soul better to assess and recognize its state. Simon Peter, upon recognizing Jesus' divinity, immediately realized his own sinful state: Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man (Luke 5:8). The prayer for mercy is a recognition not only of God's utter holiness but also of one's culpability and willed dissimilarity to God. This prayer asks for forgiveness while one's desire for God expiates the effects of sin on the human heart.
The need for punishment for sin explains the mystery of the sacrifice of the Cross. Man has offended the infinitely good God, thus committing a quasi-infinite offense. No man, nor all men together, could make reparation for such an offense. Only a divine Victim could adequately repair the rift between God and man - but, out of justice, it must be a man who pays the price; hence, the Incarnation and Cross of our Lord. Thanks to the merits of Christ's Cross, we can unite our prayers and sacrifices to the one efficacious sacrifice offered by Christ. The sacrifice of the Mass renews the effects of Christ's sacrifice for sin.
In the Eucharist, says St. Augustine, the most perfect sacrifice and the most perfect prayer of reparation are offered by Christ, who "prays for us, prays in us, and is prayed to by us."140 "In the sacrament of the altar (the Church) teaches us that ... she offers us
"Consider well, brethren, what good things God gives to sinners - and then learn what he gives to his servants. To those sinners who blaspheme him every day, he gives the sky and the earth, he gives springs, fruit, health, children, wealth, bounty. All these good things God alone can give. If he gives such as this to sinners, what must he have reserved for his faithful ones? No, not the earth, but heaven. But perhaps with `heaven' I understate it; for he gives himself who made heaven. Heaven is beautiful, but even more beautiful is its
48. Who should pray for mercy?
"Everyone has need of remission of sins."143 "The righteous also should pay to obtain the remission of sins.""' "The saint can pray only because God has forgiven him his sins."145 Therefore, if we would only recognize our sins, we would find their remedy in prayer.146