In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 12, Jesus is told that his mother and his brothers are outside the house wanting to speak to Him. Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Jesus often spoke in family terms. Isn’t it comforting to know that we are God’s family?
In our first reading today from Micah 7, the prophet asks a question of the Lord. “Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt?” Then comes the kicker. “You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.”
Have you ever heard this expression: When we go to confession, our sins become a drop of water in God’s ocean of mercy? This is what the prophet Micah is communicating. Think of that imagery for a moment. Picture the Pacific Ocean. A body of water so vast that no one can number the gallons of water in it. Now picture holding an eyedropper of water over that ocean. You release just one drop. Where did it go? Can that drop of water ever be seen again? Of course not. That drop of water is your sins. And the ocean is God’s mercy. So…what are you waiting for?
Father, we thank you for your great mercy; for never remembering our sins after we confess them and they are forgiven. Give us the grace to dive into your ocean of mercy often. Amen.
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Amen Gus! Though not the Pacific, Fr. Mark Goring provides a great visual for this. He paddled from Canada out into the middle of Lake Ontario. He produced his eyedropper and did just as you described. Powerful imagery!
He has it on YouTube – A Drop in the Sea.