The Greater the Sinner, the Greater the Right to Mercy

On the Feast of Divine Mercy less than two weeks ago, I had was at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania to be the principal celebrant and homilist at Mass.  This wonderful shrine that is maintained by the Pauline Fathers (who are the same order of priests and brothers found at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland) has been a spiritual oasis for me in my life.  The Pauline Fathers and Brothers have been my dear friends for many years.

This year, my celebration of Divine Mercy blew me away in many ways.  The beauty of the sacred liturgy was so uplifting.  The faith of the people that came was moving.  The spirit of reverence and love for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament astounded me.  The numbers of Polish Americans, Filipino Americans, Vietnamese Americans, and members of other ethnic groups served as a wonderful reminder of the universality of the Church.  The one aspect of the day that gave me much hope was the lines of people waiting to enter the confessionals in the shrine and meet the merciful Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance.  It seemed as if they would not end.  The Pauline Fathers heard confessions all day and they just kept on coming.

It caused me to reflect on the words of Jesus to St. Faustina that are recorded in her diary, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to my mercy.” (Divine Mercy in My Soul,  723).  Wait a minute.  Can that be true?  Isn’t it only right that saints would have more a claim on Jesus, not terrible sinners?  Well, it is true that as we grow in holiness we become more and more like the Lord Jesus and He loves us so very much.  Think about it. We know that God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and His greatest attribute is mercy. It, then, just makes sense that those who are far from Him because of their sins, do have the bigger claim on His mercy because He loves them and, in His mercy, wants to draw them closer to Himself just as holy people are close to Him. 

Here is another way of thinking about it. You cut your finger while chopping vegetables in your kitchen.  The wound is somewhat deep and needs a stitch or two. You go to the Emergency Room at the local hospital to get treatment and help.  Walking into the waiting room of the ER, you groan when you see how many are seeking to see a doctor.

Oh well! You resign yourself to a long wait, but you think you need the doctor’s attention pronto!   Suddenly the doors of the ER burst open and a stretcher is wheeled in with a man suffering with serious leg injury from a car accident.  There is blood all over this individual and he is writhing in pain.  This new arrival is in the danger of death from the loss of blood from his wound.  As you can imagine, there is no waiting for him because of the seriousness of his injury.  He is taken back to see the doctor immediately ahead of everyone else.  We could say that he has a greater claim on the doctor’s healing skills because of his grave wounds than you have with your minor wound. 

So it is with Jesus the Divine Physician.  In His great gaze of mercy, He looks upon us and holds out a hand of forgiveness and healing to those who are farthest from Him and seeks to draw them to His heart.  We might say that this is the “divine triage” of the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and goes in search of the one lost sheep.

If we truly understand God’s love for us, we come to realize that He does not neglect the ninety-nine for an instant.  In His eternal wisdom, Our Lord knows who needs His mercy most and offers it to them.  At the same time, upon all who come to Him, the Lord always pours out His healing love.  Wow!  He does have it right.  Knowing this keeps us from becoming self-centered and proud.  Lest we think that we are the holiest, we are the most intelligent, we are the most deserving, we should be first, Jesus who went to the cross for us tells us that the worst among us has the greatest claim on His mercy.  It is not as we think but, rather, as He thinks.
Yes, I can still see the lines of penitents waiting in the Confession line. I am convinced that those good people knew that they were waiting for an audience with the Merciful Jesus who would heal them.  They stood patiently in line for an encounter with Christ Himself.  This meeting happens through the ministry of the priest, who although a sinner, too, acts in the person of Christ to bring forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God and His Church to all who come. 

That sight of lines of people for confession will always give me hope as I seek Jesus present and active in the Sacrament of Penance.  It also makes my heart fill with gratitude for all of the priests of the Diocese of Pittsburgh who so selflessly bring the mercy of Jesus to me and all of God’s faithful people in confession.  Our priests have certainly been heroic during this time of pandemic in bringing the mercy of Jesus to so many. 
As I struggle each day for holiness and far short of the mark, I can become discouraged.  Then I remember the words of Jesus to Saint Faustina, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to my mercy.”  It gives me such comfort to know that He is waiting for me in the confessional. He knows my heart better than I do and He begs me to come to Him and ask for His mercy.

Yes, I will stand in line for that encounter with Jesus.  I have for almost 60 years.  Why?  Because I trust in Him and in His mercy!  I hope that I will see you, too, in line to meet Jesus who loves us so much!

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh