“ The cross takes our sins away because it is the act of God ’ s gracious judgment on Christ for our benefit .”
“ Approaching the Lord of mercy with confidence , adds Francis , requires a ‘ shattered heart .’”
MERCIFUL LIKE THE FATHER
“ The cross takes our sins away because it is the act of God ’ s gracious judgment on Christ for our benefit .”
sins , redeeming us from them , healing us from the deep wound of original sin and its effects ( NG , no . 42-43 ; MV , no . 22 ), and reconciling us to the Father in the power of the Spirit ( 2 Cor 5:19 ). Christ ’ s atoning work “ constitutes even a ‘ superabundance ’ of justice , for the sins of man are ‘ compensated for ’ by the sacrifice of the man-God ” ( DM , no . 7 ).
The reference to the “ superabundance ” of justice is an allusion to its perfection , its excess : past , present , and future sins are fully satisfied by Christ ’ s death on the cross . Furthermore , superabundance refers to the “ excessive ” character of God ’ s reconciling act in that God gives himself in the self-sacrificial love of Jesus ’ s death for his enemies . As St . Paul tells us , “ When we were God ’ s enemies we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son ” ( Rom 5:10 ).
The interrelationship between justice and mercy ( NG , no . 77 ), of the wrathful and forgiving God , in the light of the cross , which is the manifestation of the fullness of God ’ s love , is then the key , Francis says , to understanding “ God ’ s way of reaching out to the sinner , offering him a new chance to look at himself , convert , and believe ” ( MV , no . 21 ). Francis adds , “ Salvation comes . . . through faith in Jesus Christ , who in his death and resurrection brings salvation together with a mercy that justifies ” ( no . 21 ).
Justice and Mercy as Aspects of God ’ s Love
So both justice and mercy have their origin in God ’ s holy love , but how so ? These two , says John Paul , “ spring completely from love : from the love of the Father and of the Son , and completely bears fruit in love ” ( DM , no . 7 ). Pope Francis explains that “ these [ justice and mercy ] are not two contradictory realities , but two dimensions of a single reality that unfolds progressively until it culminates in the fullness of love ” ( MV , no . 20 ). God ’ s love is the single reality that unfolds dynamically throughout salvation history in the dimensions of justice and mercy , with these two harmoniously coming together supremely in the cross .
In sum , the cross takes our sins away because it is the act of God ’ s gracious judgment on Christ for our benefit : “ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin , so that in him we might become the righteousness of God ” ( 2 Cor 5:21 ). The basis of this act is divine love : “ In this is love , not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins ” ( 1 Jn 4:10 ; Jn 3:16 ). “ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this : While we were still sinners , Christ died for us ” ( Rom 5:8 ; Eph 2:4-5 ).
This saving act arises at once from the will of the Son and of the Father : “ By his obedience unto death , Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering Servant , who ‘ makes himself an offering for sin ,’ when ‘ he bore the sin of many ’, and who ‘ shall make many to be accounted righteous ,’ for ‘ he shall bear their iniquities .’ Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father ” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church [ CCC ], no . 615 ). St . Paul writes , “ Since we have now been justified by his blood , how much more shall we be saved from God ’ s wrath through him . For if , when we were God ’ s enemies , we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son , how much more , having been reconciled , shall we be saved through his life ” ( Rom 5:9-10 ).
The Response Factor
The way the believer receives the grace of Christ ’ s atoning work , his gift of infinite mercy , is by faith ( Rom 3:21-25 ; Eph 2:8-9 ). Thus , Pope Francis identifies the need “ to recognize our emptiness , our wretchedness ” ( NG , no . 43 ); reminds us of “ our need for forgiveness and mercy ”; in short , our need “ to confess our miseries , our sins ” in order to obtain mercy ( no . 32 ) by faith in Jesus Christ . Sin is not only a stain upon our soul , but it is also “ a wound ,” Francis teaches , that “ needs to be treated , healed ” ( no . 26 ). Approaching the Lord of mercy with confidence , adds Francis , requires a “ shattered heart ,” meaning thereby , having “ consciousness of our sins , of the evil we have done , of our wretchedness , and of our need for forgiveness and mercy ” ( no . 32 ).
Of course , even this recognition of oneself as a sinner and the corresponding act of repentance stems from an act of grace that is the Lord ’ s gift to us . Furthermore , we have the promise , Pope Francis tirelessly emphasizes , that “ if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ” ( 1 Jn 1:9 ). Of course , without
“ Approaching the Lord of mercy with confidence , adds Francis , requires a ‘ shattered heart .’”
repentance and God ’ s forgiveness , the state of the impenitent sinner is such that it “ causes exclusion from Christ ’ s kingdom and the eternal death of hell ” ( CCC , no . 1861 ).
The Gospel of Love
Christians pray for the perfection of divine love in their lives so that they may stand by God ’ s grace in the Day of Judgment without fear . “ There is no fear in love . But perfect love drives out fear , because fear has to do with punishment . The one who fears is not made perfect in love ” ( 1 Jn 4:17-18 ).
So , mercy triumphs over judgment . Mercy is the expression of God ’ s love toward sinners , and that divine love is fully realized in the cross of Calvary .
Dr . Eduardo Echeverria is professor of philosophy and theology at Sacred Heart . shms . edu 15