As I was driving in this morning I was spending time with Our Lord in contemplation and I was struck with the huge and seemingly minute difference between despair and contrition.
What an inspiring thing, knowing that we can find redemption through contrition for our sins; and how troubling it is to know that satan wants so much for us to fall into despair. The same despair that led Judas to run to death. The same despair that puts limits on the mercy of Our Lord.
I think that is the line between despair and contrition, or repentance. Is that in despair we look to ourselves and limit the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of Our Lord. We put constraints on the sacrifice of Jesus with our human understanding.
In perfect contrition, we fully acknowledge the damage our sin has and submit ourselves to God’s judgement, but we hope for the mercy applied by Jesus Christ in that we are saved from the full wage of our sin.
I had a thought about that as well. As we become more like Christ, or at least more like God intended us to be. As we become more sanctified and set apart, we should be more similar to Christ. In that through purification here and in purgatory, the attachments and inclinations to sin and our worldly passions is burned away by God’s passionate love for us. We embody Christ in our suffering by obedient love, for us to return home to God.
He knows what is best for us and only wants that, but we have to work with Him, and detach from those things as much as possible. To know that loving, serving, and seeking Him is the most highest good and literally bleeds goodness into everything that we touch.
Praise Jesus Christ for our redemption, the Holy Spirit for setting us apart, and for God the Father’s great mercy and love!
