The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

St. Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were despised by the Israelites because they were a constant reminder to them that they were no longer free and independent — they were forced to pay tribute.

And Christ is accused of evil in welcoming such sinners and eating with them.

Christ reminds them that God desires mercy rather than sacrifice.

Most sacrifices are unacceptable to God because those for whom it is offered do not posses or strive for the virtue of mercy.

Mercy is an outward manifestation of love. And love as we already know is the greatest of the commandments. The conclusion seems apparent when we acknowledge the relationship between love and mercy.

Can anyone say that he truly loves if he is lacking in mercy? How can anyone say that he loves his fellow man if he fails to show him mercy in his need? And how can one say that he loves God Whom he cannot see, if he will not love his neighbor whom he can see?

Sacrifice is necessary. Animal sacrifices were mandatory in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament Christ has set aside the sacrifices of the Old Testament and replaced them with a new Sacrifice _ His sacrifice on the Cross and its continual renewal of this Sacrifice in the Sacrifice of the Mass.

When we offer this sacrifice we offer to God our love in adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition. For this Sacrifice to be meritorious for us we must offer it with love. The benefits of the Mass are far too numerous and great for us to wish to constrain them for one purpose. The Mass is offered for the living and the dead. This is an act of mercy _ an act of love.

In the Old Testament the sacrifices were often made devoid of any thought of mercy or love. They degenerated in to a slavish ritual following the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law. With the passage of time the Sacrifice of the Mass appears to have become more of a rote ceremony devoid of the very meaning of mercy and love that are so inherit in the Mass.

As man becomes more selfish and self-centered he looses all concept of mercy and therefore all concept of love. This has become apparent with the Novus Ordo in spite of the fact that they constantly present themselves as concerned for the social welfare of their fellow men. At the bottom of it all we see that they are very shallow and are extremely self-centered. They help their fellow men out of a desire to be praised by them.

The "traditionalists" on the other hand are not much better. Clinging to the letter of the law and ceremonies of the Mass they are indifferent to the spirit of love and mercy that are essential to the Mass. There appear to be no "Christians" that are so hardened and calloused to their fellow men as those who call themselves "traditionalists". The height of hypocrisy — claiming to hold to the true Mass they act in direct opposition to the spirit of the Mass. At least the Novus Ordo had the decency to develop a new ceremony that replaces the Mass and is more in keeping with their shallow self-indulgent "spirituality".

Mercy is the supreme act of sacrifice because when we practice mercy we sacrifice our own self will. We give up of our time, energy, money, etc. but also we give of our very being to help someone in need. We do this not from a motive of being repaid whether monetarily or in honors, but solely for the love of God and therefore for the love of our neighbor. It is comparatively easy offer someone that which we do not want or need, but to truly show mercy we give of that which is most necessary _ ourselves.

Mercy demands that we inconvenience ourselves _ that we make a sacrifice of ourselves. And at the same time mercy demands that we do not count the cost. We make this sacrifice willingly and cheerfully because it is essentially an act of love. This is why Christ has come to us _ to show us mercy. And this is what Christ demands of us who seek to follow Him and be with Him for all of eternity.

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