Early on in my ministry, I lived in a rectory with a saintly, respected old priest. One night, I asked him this question: If you had your life to live over again, would you do anything differently? From a man so full of integrity, I fully expected that there would be no regrets, so his answer surprised me.
Yes, he did have a major regret. He said, If I had my priesthood to do over again, I would be easier on people the next time. I wouldn’t be so stingy with God’s mercy, with the sacraments, with forgiveness. I fear I’ve been too hard on people. They have pain enough without me and the Church laying further burdens on them. I should have risked God’s mercy more!
As I age, I am ever more inclined to the old priest’s advice: We need more to risk God’s mercy. The place of justice and truth should never be ignored, but we must risk letting the infinite, unbounded, unconditional, undeserved mercy of God flow free.
--Fr. Ron Rolheiser OMI
Facebook, February 15, 2021
Image source: Rembrandt?, An Old Man in an Armchair (17th c.), https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/probably-by-rembrandt-an-old-man-in-an-armchair
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