FROM THE BOUNDARY - Jesus, I trust in you

In his book, ‘The Nature of the Judicial Process’, Justice Cardozo wrote that the first precept of the wise judge should be “Let it be my will that my justice be ruled by my mercy”. I wonder whether some of our magistrates know that one. In any event, it’s a very ‘Christian’ precept, isn’t it? It made me realise, when I first read it over 45 years ago, that whatever else I did in life I could never be a prosecutor. John Mortimer and Rumpole confirmed me in that belief. But then I discovered, more recently and through my beloved friend and mentor, Canon Lionel Burke, the wonderful passage in Micah (6:8) which begins “What does the Lord require of you?” The answer is very similar to Cardozo’s precept for judging: “To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” What could be finer? ‘Walking with God’ – yes walking not as slave, servant or penitent but as friend, side by side, like the two disciples with Jesus on the way to Emmaus, and as if we were one. ‘Acting justly’ – yes acting rightly, conscionably not just being a slave to rules like Pharisees to justify the unjustifiable. To do ‘right’ is much more difficult, and takes a lot of courage. ‘Loving mercy’ – yes mercy, not as an activity like responding with a gesture begging forgiveness of someone, but mercy as a condition of the heart indicating the sort of people we are, people who live the Gospel in loving kindness which can never be
silenced, stifled nor stemmed. It’s the Calon Lan of the Welsh hymn writer.

Well today is Divine Mercy Sunday in the Roman Calendar and we have to thank a young, obscure Polish nun for it. See how the divine chooses the little ones, the weakest, the simplest, to serve us? It happened like this.

Helena Kowalska, born in 1905, entered a convent in Warsaw in 1925. She took as her name in religion ‘Maria Faustina’. Six years later, on 22 February, she recorded that she’d begun to receive visions of Jesus and hold conversations with him, and these continued till her death in 1938. Her diary was published posthumously as ‘Divine Mercy in my Soul’ and it can be obtained through Amazon. In her visions, Jesus had appeared in a white robe, his hand raised in blessing. Two rays of light, one blue, one red, shone from his body. These, Jesus told her, were the water and blood which gushed from him when his heart was pierced at the crucifixion. The blue ray was water which cleanses all our souls. The red was the blood which gives us new life.

Jesus told Faustina that she should tell the whole world about his infinite mercy, the loving kindness and comfort of his sacred heart. Indeed, he said, “Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would my mercy not embrace a trusting soul.” The greater the sinner, the greater the mercy – and no one was excluded. “Let no soul fear to come to me,” Jesus said. So it doesn’t matter, you see, how wanton we’ve been. The divine arms will never forsake us. Isn’t that wonderful? Love ever drives out fear.

Let me mention three of Jesus’ instructions to Faustina. First, there was to be established a ‘Feast of Mercy’ to be celebrated on the second Sunday of Easter. It was officially designated by Pope John Paul 11 when Faustina was canonised on 30 April, 2000. Her Feast Day is 5 October – actually my daughter’s birthday. (Incidentally, have you ever wondered which saint is associated with your birthday? Mine is St Giles: 1 September. You can find out by keying in ‘Saint for..’ and then your birthday.) Jesus instructed that priests were to preach the divine mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday – so you’ll understand where I’m coming from today.

Secondly, Jesus instructed Faustina to have an image painted which reflected her vision of him – and so it was. The image was to be painted with the signature ‘Jesus I trust in you’. It’s readily obtainable and can be viewed on the Net. Imagine the joy in Jesus’ heart if it hung in every home.

Thirdly, Jesus asked Faustina to instruct us that at 3 pm each day, the putative moment of his death on the cross, the gates of mercy will open for the whole world. It’s a moment when the face of love ever overrides everything. It’s a nice idea, isn’t it? It helps us organise our thoughts about Jesus’ ever loving kindness in simple terms when otherwise it might all seem vague, even insubstantial.

I feel compelled to make two comments, though. First, I must confess that there are passages in Faustina’s Diary which worry me. At the root of something of what Jesus is alleged to have told her is the idea of a punitive god who will dispatch us to eternal damnation if we fail to adore his mercy. The rays from Jesus’ body are said to be a shield from the Father’s justice. Now I’m sorry, beloved Sister, I think you were hard of hearing. Sometimes we hear what we want or expect to hear. The love of Jesus is eternal and unqualified. That’s the heart of the Gospel, isn’t it? Faustina, surely you know it is. Secondly, the image of Jesus is of a healthy European type with auburn hair. Some may find the idea offensive. I don’t think they should. Jesus – the Cosmic Christ – is beyond colour and his face is to be found in every man. Artists in different parts of the world have depicted him as black, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Melanesian. So think of him as you will. The result is the same.

But, imagine – having Jesus appear and speak to us. “Trusting in your mercy,” Faustina wrote, “I will walk through life as a little child offering you each day this heart burning with love….If souls could only realise how much God loves them.” All of us Christians, even in our own weakness, are apostles, messengers, of his loving kindness, and surely, then, our duty is to bring the message of that love, in deed, word and prayer, to all in need. As Pope Francis has said, all of us stand at the crossroads to welcome the outcasts, the lost souls, the little children, orphaned or abandoned, with our love and as a sign that the kingdom of God is ever in our midst. Yes, how can we ever remain silent in face of tears, injustice, hatred and fear? And so yes, thank you Faustina for proclaiming the love of Jesus to the world, for assuring us that though the years ahead may at times be dark and painful, the Divine Mercy, his loving kindness, will ever light our way and identify us as we truly are and were meant to be.

Go safely, then – until the next time.

‘Being’ from the boundary: “God’s being is my being and is the being of all beings. My me is God” (Meister Eckhart).