Novena to God the Father, Day 4
Beloved Father, in the wonderful Message you conveyed to Mother Eugenia Ravasio, You tell us how You accompanied a certain man throughout his life and showered him with blessings. However, that man did not respond to Your courtship; he became entangled in sin, thus constantly offending You. But You did not cease to call him, nor did You cease to fight for him. Shortly before his death, he finally repented of his evil life and called upon You by the name of “Father”; and You rejoiced that You could forgive him and that he would be with You in eternity.
This story of Yours, O Father, touched me deeply, and it continues to move me to this day…
Amazed and adoring, I contemplate Your love and mercy, and I discover them more and more.
Father, these qualities of Yours surpass me by far! So much so that I am reminded of Your Son’s disciples, when, because of their joy, they could not quite believe that He had truly risen (cf. Lk 24:41).
Your mercy gives me hope: hope for myself, who am in such need of it, and hope for those who spend their lives in sin, like that man in the story.
How is it possible that You are so merciful?
This is the great mystery of Your divine love! It must be discovered, it must be believed in, it must be experienced, it must be imitated.
How desolate and dark this world would be, if it were not for this hope in Your love, which is never exhausted! It would be a bitter foretaste of hell!
It was this love that moved You to send us Your own Son (cf. Jn 3:16), even though You knew that this love would be betrayed, scourged and mocked. And what did You do in the face of this evil? You opened Your Heart wide and let it be wounded, so that men might taste Your love and be saved!
You are always ready to forgive, if only we take the smallest step towards You. And this step You await, just as You awaited the return of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:20). You want salvation, not disgrace. You want all men to be saved (cf. 1 Tim 2:3-4), and You Yourself paid the ransom price (cf. Mk 10:45). This reality we have to assimilate and allow it to penetrate deeply into our hearts, so that all false images we still have of You may vanish.
Then we can be certain that You are always waiting for the lost and that Your Heart is always open for us. It is up to us to draw near to You!
But You are not only waiting. You Yourself came to us in the Person of Your Son (cf. Jn 14:11), and then sent His messengers to call people to conversion and salvation (cf. Mk 16:15-16).
Your fatherly love must melt the ice that surrounds the hearts of men.
This love of Yours surpasses our human comprehension; we cannot grasp it with our understanding. But with the heart we can receive it and let it in, then this love itself teaches us what it is like – as far as we can already understand it here on earth.
Thank You Father, for Your mercy!
Thank You for being as You are!
Thank You, because Your love never tires of seeking us men!