“Tell him that this money comes from the most merciful Lady, that is, the Virgin of Perpetual Help.” (Pope Saint Pius X).
I have been reflecting on what it means to be merciful over the last few days.
Christ told Saint Peter and the apostles – which means that he told you and me also – that they were to forgive seventy-seven times…
“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay...the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” (Matthew 18:21-19:1).
I heard a beautiful story about Pope Saint Pius X. When he was serving as the Bishop of Mantua, Saint Pius X seemed to make an enemy. There was a merchant in the city who simply hated the Saint. This merchant decided to write and publish a pamphlet about the Saint and in the pamphlet he made terrible accusations about the Saint.
At the time, his advisers told Saint Pius to prosecute the merchant for his libel as a way to ensure that the terrible stories would stop and to punish him for his terrible and illegal actions. At the time, Pope Saint Pius X responded, “That unhappy man needs more prayer than punishment.”
And I have been reflecting on those words of forgiveness of the Saint, because he did not stop just at mere mercy. Some years later, the merchant – who had made and published such terrible accusations against the Saint – encountered some troubles in business and went bankrupt. His creditors were unmerciful in their pursuit of him and he was in very real and grave danger of becoming incarcerated for his unpaid debt.
Finally, after he had lost everything and the imminent threat of incarceration seemed all too likely, the Bishop of Mantua himself decided to intervene. He called an elderly woman to hm, knowing that she was dedicated to works of charity among her community, and he asked her to deliver some money to the now-disgraced merchant. He told the woman, “Tell him that this money comes from the most merciful Lady, that is, the Virgin of Perpetual Help.”
And through his merciful action to the merchant, Pope Saint Pius X, continued on the path to sanctity. And I have been keeping his example in my mind today as I go about my work. For forgiveness is a process and it involves much work. And so I pray for the Grace to continue… For there is much work for me to do, there is very much work… For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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