Awareness of Sins Leads to Gratitude

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 In the Gospel of John (Chapter 20) we read about Mary Magdalene weeping at the tomb of Jesus when she discovered he is gone.

I was reading a description in Laudate that described what Jesus had healed in her.  In the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 8), you can find the list which includes evil spirits, infirmities and seven demons.

You  may also remember her from Chapter 7 of Luke's Gospel as the woman who bathed the feet of Jesus with her tears, wiping them with her hair.  She anointed his feet with oil.

We can even read about Jesus forgiving her sins, acknowledging that she had many sins in need of forgiveness, which prompted her great love for him. 

Put all of this together and it sends a message loud and clear--the depth of your love of Jesus is directly related to your awareness of your sins and your gratitude for his forgiveness, in addition to your desire for eternal life.

Think of all he did for Mary of Magdala.  Can you imagine how grateful she was that she was free of the demons?  That everything she had done in her life was washed away?

Do you feel that way?  

Perhaps you have rationalized that your sins were not as great as hers, but remember God's justice is not to compare us to each other, but to judge each of us according to what we deserve.

I'm actually thankful for that.  Can you imagine being judged against Saint Teresa of Calcutta?

Anyway, sometimes I think we may be a little too confident in where the bar is set for us.  Like you I suspect, I'm hoping the bar isn't too high.

Naturally, I'm counting on the unlimited mercy of God when it comes to judgment day, but there are some things I should probably get after right now, just to smooth the road out a little bit.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com

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