Put no limitations on God’s mercy

[markdohle]

Put no limitations on God’s mercy

Psalm 139
(Oh God you have probed me and you know me)

This morning at Vigils we chanted Psalm 139.  It is a beautiful prayer and one of my favorites.  If it were possible for God to have any kind of frustration, I am sure it would flow from mankind’s struggle with “trust’.  This psalm I believe is not only a prayer to God, but also a plea from the Holy Spirit for us to seek to grasp ever deeper the unconditional love that God has for each of us.  I believe this psalm should be said by Christians for all of mankind to come to knowledge of God’s eternal, infinite, love for them. 

I have been writing prisoners for a couple of years now.  I am not a man who likes letter writing, but prisoners do write us and quite a few of the monks write back to some of them.  Many are just looking for someone to manipulate for money, while others just want someone to know that they exist, matter and are worth a letter from time to time. 

Often when I am reading a letter from one of my inmates friends, I am amazed at the mercy and love God bestows on them.  Some are in prison for truly terrible crimes and they admit it and are seeking to turn their lives around. They are doing that by allowing the Holy Sport to guide them and I am humbled by their progress.

Some are Catholic’s, but most are from different denominations, yet we are all brothers in Christ.  I do not push my Catholic faith, but we talk about Jesus, his grace, and I continually tell them to trust no matter what happens.  We talk about prayer and the reading of the scriptures.  They struggle and grow and I am honored to be able to write them.

There is one that I have a heavy heart for.  His name is the same as mine, “Mark”, and he is on death row for murder.  I read up on his crime and it was truly chilling.  By the second letter I figured out he was just looking for someone to manipulate.  He wanted me to send him money via another inmate, which is illegal in prison.  So I wrote him back and told him that I could not do that.  He stopped writing me.  Because of the horrendous crime he committed, I pray for him daily.  I decided to write him one more time to see if he wanted to continue to write.  But he never responded, but I figured that would happen. 

If he is guiltily of his crime and from what I have read, there is very little doubt that he  committed the crime. Even though I am against the death penalty, I can see why he received it.  I certainly would not want him back out on the streets.  Yet Christ Jesus died for him, so I will continue to pray that he will come to understand the love that God has for him and the price that Jesus lovingly took upon himself to bring him to the Father.

Sin is something we do that goes against God’s will.  Sin can also be committed against us and imprison us in hate and fear.  Perhaps this prisoner Mark is suffering from both.  I am not his judge, but I can always pray for him and for all prisoners.  I do believe that as Christians we are called to pray for everyone and to lift them up to the Lord.   If Christians cannot show the heart of Christ Jesus to the world, or to see with his eyes or to think with his mind, then we are failing to take up our cross.  For to love all, even the so called least, is to invite pain into our hearts.  Harsh judgments are from the ‘flesh’ and are used only to shield ourselves (I believe) from the suffering and pain of others. 

Only God is the judge, I cannot judge anyone, there is simply too much in me that I will project onto others and in judging them, I judge myself.  I put no limitations on God’s mercy, for did he not say that he will leave the 99 to seek out the one who wanders.  God sees all, understand all, so his judgments are always right, true and just.  Human judgment?  Well we can’t come close.  We can judge actions, but anything deeper better leave it to the mercy, compassion and justice of God.

Please pray for all prisoners, especially one on death row “Mark” for whom I have a heavy heart for. 
 

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Put on the mind of Christ Jesus

O Lord that I may see with your eyes,
love with your heart
and understand with your mind,
the dignity of your children
and pray your prayer when you were on the cross:

 ++++++++++

“Father, forgive them,
for they know what they do”.
(Luke: 23:34)