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Finding fulfillment.
One of the most profound questions I’ve ever been asked was, “Are you fulfilled?”
‘Am I fulfilled?’ I thought to myself. I stammered in trying to answer it. What does that even mean?
Fulfillment is the achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted. To be fulfilled is to be happy or satisfied because of fully developing one’s abilities or character. But those are dictionary definitions for the concept. We need to personalize fulfillment. So let’s do that: Our work, our families, our relationships with others… all of these help us to feel fulfilled. And at the root of all of these things is one thing: Love.
You’ve probably heard the complaint that ‘we’ throw around the word love too freely in modern society. We love people, we love God, we love French fries … we ‘love’ everything. So how do we identify the type of love we should have for God and our neighbor from the love we have for everything else?
C.S. Lewis describes four different types of love from a Christian and philosophical perspective using Greek words for affection, friendship, being in love, and charity in his book The Four Loves. Friendship and charity are the two I wish to reflect on here.
Friendship is a strong bond between people who usually share common values, interests, or activities. It isn’t necessarily necessary, and it is the least natural of the loves, according to Lewis, because we freely choose it. We find people and choose whether to keep them in our lives or not. True friendship is hard to find, especially in a society dominated by technology and individuality. In a section of the sixth chapter of Sirach, we get a description of what true friendship looks like. This selection reminds us of our humanity and that sometimes people we choose as friends are only there when it suits them and can turn against us in times of trouble or if they can gain from the situation. Friendships sometimes even get turbulent and cause us a lot of pain. However, “faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure. Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can balance their worth. Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; those who fear God will find them. Those who fear the Lord enjoy stable friendship, for as they are, so will their neighbors be” (Sirach 6: 14-17).
As Catholics, we have the responsibility to live morally upright lives. We should strive to be prudent, patient, and humble while we live justly. Moreover, the ‘fear of the Lord’ mentioned in Sirach is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit imparted to us at our baptism and given fully at our confirmation, which enables us to try to avoid sin and attachment to created things out of respect for and love of God. Much of our lives are lived through modeling behaviors and social comparisons. So, it follows that if we are prudent, patient, humble, and filled with fear of the Lord (sometimes called wonder and awe), then those we surround ourselves will also be those things, ‘for as [we] are, so will [our] neighbors be.’
Charity is set apart because it is described as unconditional, ‘God’ love, or agape. Charity is a self-sacrificing type of love. Lewis calls it the greatest of the loves, and it is one that we must constantly work at to achieve because of our humanity. It doesn’t just come to us easily or very naturally. Charity is also one of the theological virtues, along with faith and hope. Charity should exist regardless of what is happening – it should be a constant in our changing world. But we so often see that it is not. And sometimes neither are faith and hope. These are the virtues that are not fully accessible to us without assistance from God. Thomas Aquinas suggests that these virtues “have God for their object…they are infused into our souls by God alone [and]… we come to know them only by Divine revelation in the Sacred Scriptures.”
In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul urges us to “owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another” (Romans 13: 8). In looking at the Greek translation of this reading, we find that St. Paul isn’t referring to the French fry-love when he urges us to love one another. Indeed, it is the agape love that we are called to have for our neighbor. So how do achieve it?
First, we must constantly call upon the Lord to have him strengthen us in faith, hope, and charity. Daily. Next, we should surround ourselves with faithful friends, because through their example we should be able to form stable relationships that will lead us to the kind of love God wants us to have – something that is real, pure, genuine, and better than French fries. The great reward that St. Paul reveals to us is that when we achieve that love, we also find a sense of fulfillment, “…for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13: 8)
So am I fulfilled? Yes, and I’m working on it every day.
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God calls us to be counter-cultural.
In the Old Testament, we hear the prophet Jeremiah lamenting as he struggles with the Lord’s call (Jeremiah 20: 7). We know all too well of the mockery Jeremiah must have faced as he preached to a people who were worshiping other idols before God. Today, some of the things people tend to put before God are money, drugs and alcohol, and relationships, among other things. But if our souls thirst for God (Psalm 63), we can take this mockery.
We know that it is certainly not an easy life God calls us to – to follow Him. In fact, St. Paul tells us we are to make ourselves a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12: 1). He goes on to urge us not to conform to this age but to be transformed so that we may truly discern the will of God in our lives (Romans 12: 2).
But, the discernment is not just going to happen in the hour we devote to attending Mass on the weekend. It’s not even a day-long or weekend long retreat. This type of discernment requires a daily commitment – to see God in all we do, in our work, and in every person we encounter, those we like and especially those who annoy us. That’s what sacrifice is all about though – being uncomfortable but praying for grace, growth, and wisdom through the discomfort.
By doing this, we might also live up to Christ’s suggestion that everyone who wishes to follow Him must deny themselves and take up their cross in order to do so (Matthew 16: 24). He made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for our salvation, so we must now strive to follow His lead. Every day.
How can we do this? Each person’s call is different, so there is no set formula. We can start by beginning and ending each day in prayer – offering thanks for the day, asking for help in our difficulties and struggles, and praising God for His beautiful creation. Even though the world seems to be a scary and depressing place some days – it’s still part of God’s creation as are each and every one of us who live in it. We can also try to carve out time for God by receiving the sacraments frequently. Attending Daily Mass and frequenting the sacrament of reconciliation are just some ways we can do this. We can also devote some time to visit Him in Adoration or even meet up with friends just to share in fellowship.
Here the Athens Catholic Community, in addition to our weekend Mass schedule, we have:- Daily Mass: Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30PM at Christ the King, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:15AM at St. Paul, Wednesdays at Noon and Thursdays at 6:30PM at Sacred Heart in Pomeroy, and Fridays at 12:15PM at Christ the King
- Confession: Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-5:25PM at Christ the King; Saturdays at 4PM at Christ the King and 4:45PM at Sacred Heart in Pomeroy; Sundays at 8:45AM at Sacred Heart in Pomeroy and 5PM at Christ the King
- Adoration: Every Thursday from 9AM-9PM in the Holy Family Center Chapel at Christ the King and on the third Sunday from 12-4PM at Sacred Heart in Pomeroy
- Fellowship Groups: OU Catholics for college students, Athens Catholic Young Adults for those age 22-30, Athens Catholic Teens for high school students, the St. Francis Society for men and women over 50, Catholic Women’s Club for all women in the parish, Catholic Ladies of Columbia, study groups and more…
On the weekend of September 9-10, parishioners will have the opportunity to sign-up for various ministry groups and activities in our community. All should help us to grow in faith! Whatever we do – we must always remember that God is always with us – it’s not just the time we consciously give Him, but an always kind of thing.
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Saint Stalkers
by Mary Catherine Kennedy
Athens Catholic Social Media Coordinator/Webmaster
Have you ever had a saint stalker? A member of the recognized communion of saints who just keeps popping up in your life? You probably have -- you just might not have noticed it. I think I’ve had a few saint stalkers in my day, but the one who is currently trying to get my attention and help save my soul is none other than St. Therese of Lisieux. She’s been hard at work with me for nearly 4 years now. Yes, you read that correctly: Four. Long. Years.
When did I first realize that St. Therese was saint stalking me? It’s been a more recent revelation to me, honestly. I’ve had the notion of saints stalking around in the past – in fact, I think one of my first true saint stalkers was St. Francis de Sales. I’d read some things by him… when I would look up inspirational quotes, he would appear… Fr. Mark gave out a de Sales quote at an ACT meeting he held with the kids when I was youth minister… the list goes on. So, noticing these types of repetitive instances is important to realizing one of the saints is trying to get your attention.
The realization that St. Therese was lurking in the shadows set in for me, however, a few weeks ago. Having moved to Maryland for a new job, I’ve been trying to get into a routine of life that makes me comfortable – and it certainly hasn’t been easy. At the end of the academic year, I was able to do some traveling and went to Schenectady, NY with my family to visit my aunts in my dad’s hometown.
On our visit, we took my niece and nephew to Central Park – a giant park in the middle of Schenectady where my brother and I spent our childhood summers playing on the outer space themed play structures. Nearby, there’s a community rose garden. So, my sister-in-law, Lisa, and I walked over to the rose garden with my niece, and in a passing comment, Lisa explained, “It’s so interesting how you pray for something and things happen.” This intrigued me, as before my brother married Lisa in 2011, he told me she was a part of what he called the “God-squad,” but she and I had never really had discussions about faith. I’m not sure why. “I just finished a novena to St. Therese, and look at what she’s given me,” she continued, motioning towards the beautiful, newly bloomed roses in the garden. Our conversation abruptly ended as my brother and nephew joined us and we took some family photos. But a seed had been planted.
Our trip ended, and I found myself back in Maryland for a few days. Struggling spiritually, I went to my bookshelf where I have several books – secular and spiritual reading – and mindlessly grabbed one: Everything is Grace - The Life and Way of Therese of Lisieux. I didn’t even remember buying this book, nor had I ever read it – but it spoke to me that day, beckoned me to grab it instead of the other titles sitting close by, so I figured I needed to give it a shot.
Having made that decision, I was instantly reminded of St. Therese popping into my life 3 and a half years prior, when my mother was dying from cancer. At her bedside just before she was moved to Hospice, we prayed the Chaplet to St. Therese with some people from our church. I'd never heard of the chaplet before, but it includes the short prayer: “St. Therese of the Infant Jesus, Patroness of Missions, Pray for us!” followed by 24 Glory Be’s – one for each year that Therese lived. My mother only lived another week after praying the Chaplet together, and I struggled to get through her sudden death. While grappling with my mother’s death, I tried reading Story of a Soul – St. Therese’s autobiography – but just couldn’t get in to the book. I gave up, defeated. But Therese didn’t give up on me.
She waited, perhaps until that moment in the rose garden with my sister-in-law, to re-enter my life. Having read Everything is Grace over the past few weeks, I’ve learned that St. Therese, too, lost her mother to cancer in 1877. Her mother’s death crushed Therese’s spirit, to the point that she spent yea
rs trying to redefine herself by overcoming the feeling of abandonment, the fear of being alone, and the confusing doubts and crippling self-consciousness that losing a parent often causes. Reading about Therese and praying for her intercession these past few weeks has brought a sense of peace to me that I’ve needed since my mother passed away.
Therese continued to make her stalking known to me as I visited friends in Athens last week. The friend I stayed with was, unbeknownst to me, making a retreat with Therese and as I entered her apartment, I immediately saw a photo of the saint staring back at me from the side table. Another friend asked me to proof a document he was working on – and of course, the first footnote credited one of St. Therese’s writings. I get it, Therese. Thanks.
I am still struggling. But everyone struggles. I’ve learned that even Therese struggled to her final days. But the struggles we encounter are part of what makes us human. I’m excited to continue to learn more about Therese’s Little Way and her prayer life. I’m excited to learn why she was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II and why she is referred to as the Doctor of Merciful Love. And I’m thrilled to pray for her intercession as I continue this journey. I encourage you, too, to pay closer attention to your surroundings – maybe you have a saint stalking you!
Funny enough, as I was trying to think of something to write about for this blog (something I’ve been meaning to do for a few months now but just didn’t feel inspired), I went back to a blog I created in 2011 for school but abandoned after my mom died and life became too much. I was greeted by a post I had written October 26, 2011 that ended with:“I can’t begin to explain how much prayer aids the soul in getting through the day to day. I think St. Therese of Lisieux says it best though:‘For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.’”
Perhaps St. Therese started stalking me before I even realized it.Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Title Photo and Single Yellow Rose by Mary Catherine Kennedy | Image of St. Therese from St. Theresa Catholic Church Austin
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Like the Father
by Katie Freddino
Mount St. Mary's student/Athens Catholic Team
We are in the midst of the Year of Mercy, a special jubilee year announced by Pope Francis on March 13, 2015. The year began on December 8, 2015. On the logo for the Year of Mercy is a phrase: “Merciful Like the Father”.We know that we are called to forgive others, but what does it mean to be merciful like the Father? How is the Father merciful? To answer this question, I turned to Scripture and found verses which show the nature of God’s mercy.
Matthew 9:13 – “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous by sinners.”
Psalm 103:8 – “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, who is rich and mercy, out of the great love with which he loves us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved”
1 Peter 5:10 – “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.”
Micah 7:18 – “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency.”
2 Timothy 1:9 – “…who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”
Isaiah 30:18 – “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Matthew 6:14 – “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”
Psalm 25: 6-7 – “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!”
Romans 6:14 – “For sin will have dominion over you, since you are not under law, but under grace.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
These verses show us that God wants to forgive us, that His mercy is limitless and has no boundaries. His mercy is given freely; it always has been and always will be.
This is the mercy we are called to show. May we ask God to give us the grace to show mercy, as He has shown us mercy.
Posted: Monday, May 23, 2016
Title Photo by Katie Freddino
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00%
by Hallie Ruth
OU Catholics Social Media Chair, Rising Junior at Ohio University
After about the third time checking Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, I knew it was time to check my grades. As I sat there hoping the Wi-Fi would go out, more anxiety came over me but I knew I had to finally face them. I opened my laptop, and in that moment, it seemed as though the webpage took an eternity to load. I sat there thinking how frustrating it is to put a percentage or a letter grade on your worth and to have that 93% or 67% tell you who you are. I then started thinking about my day and my week and suddenly I was thinking about the past year. I glanced up and saw my bible and thought, what percentage of God’s love do I deserve?I really thought about it and then I realized that I deserve 0% of his love. I am a sinner. I lie. I gossip. I forget to pray. I get angry with people. I get jealous. I don’t always love people the way I should. I don’t feed the hungry or clothe the naked. I often ignore people in need and I hold grudges. I choose sin over Christ and I fail Him daily.
I failed Him after He died on the cross for me. My sins stuck nails in His feet and His hands and nailed Him to that cross. He conquered sin and death for me, but I still choose sin every day. So yes, I deserve a 0% on the “gradebook” of Christ’s love.
But is that what God gives me? If everyday life were my assignments, tests, and quizzes, sin would cause me to fail. But that is not how our heavenly Father works – I don’t get what I deserve, I am gifted with more than I can even fathom.
We cannot put a grade, or a label, or a definition on God’s love, because it is something our earthly minds cannot comprehend. We cannot fully understand His individual love for each of us, or how if He were to stop thinking about one of us for even for a second, we would cease to exist. Think about it: our life itself relies on God’s love for us. So, next time we sin and cannot imagine how God could love someone who rebels against Him, we need to remember that our existence resides in His immense love.
God doesn’t just love. He is love. His very essence and being is love. We were made to know and love God.
He would create the universe again just to hear you say, "I love You."
When Jesus walked to Calvary with open wounds all over His body, carrying a heavy cross, and wearing thorns on His head, He knew I was going to sin. He knew I would choose Satan over Him even though Satan offers me nothing and Christ offers me everything. He knew all of this, yet He died for me. He brutally suffered for me…and for you.
We choose this sin and emptiness even though there is a heavenly banquet of goodness and fruit waiting for us. We need to choose the fruit. We need to choose this unfathomable love that created the universe. We need to choose God because without Him we are nothing.
Note: This blog post was originally featured on Delight Ministries blog on April 12, 2016. Post republished here with the author's permission. Photo provided by author.
Posted: Monday, May 2, 2016----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Divine Mercy Sunday
by Katie Freddino
Mount St. Mary's University student/Athens Catholic Team
In 2000, at the canonization of St. Faustina, St. John Paul II declared the Sunday after Easter “Divine Mercy Sunday.” I can remember celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday right after Easter, and have fond memories of God’s mercy in play on that day. (My best friend was baptized and confirmed on Divine Mercy Sunday last year!) But I’ve never really stopped to ask why Pope John Paul II chose the Sunday after Easter to be especially in honor of the Divine Mercy.
During his homily for the feast in 2001, the then pope explained the relevance, “Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity at the dawn of the third millennium.”
God’s Divine Mercy towards his beloved is best shown at that first Easter Sunday. What better way to honor this beautiful devotion and God’s love for His people than during the Easter octave?
A beautiful side note: Pope John Paul died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2005, was beatified was Pope Benedict XVI on Divine Mercy Sunday six years later, and was canonized a saint on the feast in 2014. How beautiful is that?
How can we celebrate this special day? If you are able, to go reconciliation and receive God’s mercy directly! Our community offers this to you in a special Divine Mercy devotion this day. You can also pray the Divine Mercy chaplet on your own (which can be prayed with regular Rosary beads) [See how here], or maybe meditate on scripture in which God’s mercy is shown. If you are struggling to forgive someone who has hurt you, spend special time in prayer that day to pray for God’s grace to forgive that individual.
Jesus told St. Faustina: “I am love and Mercy Itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it.” In other words, Jesus sees what we are going through, and nothing we can choose to do will overpower His desire to grant us His mercy.
I hope that on this Divine Mercy Sunday, you are able to recognize God’s infinite love and mercy in your life, and spread it to others.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
Title Photo by Katie Freddino | Photo of Pope St. John Paull II from The Apostle of Divine Mercy webpage
Posted: Sunday, April 3, 2016----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little Girl, Big Mercy
by Katie Freddino
Mount St. Mary's University student/Athens Catholic Team
Forgiving people who hurt us… oof. That can be really hard. I know that my initial reaction to being hurt by someone is not to forgive, but instead to hold a grudge and justify my reasoning behind my unforgiving mindset. But, I know in my heart that I am called to forgive those who cause harm to me because that is what God does every time I sin against Him.
We are called to be merciful like the Father. But since God is all good and all knowing, sometimes I get frustrated with this call to mercy, since it must be so much easier for God. He doesn’t have the infamous Italian temper, after all.
However, God does not leave us without models of mercy. One of these is the beautiful St. Maria Goretti.
Most people know St. Maria for dying rather than be sexually assaulted by her older neighbor, Alessandro. However, the real beauty behind this beautiful saint is often forgotten. People cite her as a model for perfect purity and chastity; however, I hold that she should be remembered as incredibly merciful. During the attack, Maria did not fret for her purity, but rather for her attacker’s soul. Alessandro ended up choking and stabbing her, and Maria died from her injuries.
Maria was only eleven years old at the time of her death; and yet, when she lay dying in a hospital bed, she was not angry or sorrowful. No, she was merciful. She forgave Alessandro and expressed her hope that she would see him in heaven again.
Wow. While in excruciating pain from stab wounds, and undergoing surgery without an anesthetic, she still found the ability to forgive. What excuse do I have, then, when I hold a grudge when someone takes my seat in class?
Alessandro was initially unrepentant of his crime, but Maria appeared in a dream while he was imprisoned. He awoke and repented of his past actions. When he was released from prison, he begged Maria’s mother for forgiveness, which she gave because her daughter had been able to even on her deathbed. Forty-eight years after Maria’s death, Alessandro was present when Maria was canonized a saint in Vatican City. Look at the incredible effects that being forgiven had on Alessandro’s life, mortal and eternal!
We are all able to achieve this level of mercy in our own lives. Maria did not have superpowers that allowed her the ability to forgive at superhuman levels. Maria had something we all can have: the grace of God. Maria was so close to Jesus’ heart that she was given the grace to forgive the unforgivable. We, too, can receive this grace from Our Lord. We need just ask.
“Forgiveness, in the Church's opinion, does not mean moral relativism or permissiveness. On the contrary, it demands the full recognition of one's sin and the assumption of one's responsibilities as a condition for rediscovering true peace and for confidently resuming the journey to evangelical perfection.” – St. Pope John Paul IITitle Photo by Katie Freddino | Prayer Card Photo by Angelo Bautista | OU Catholics Group Photo by Jacob Welter
Posted: Sunday, March 20, 2016----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Songs to Listen To and Pray With for The Year of Mercy
by Katie Freddino
Mount St. Mary's University student/Athens Catholic Team
What a great blessing it is for us all that Pope Francis declared this year a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Each and every one of us is in desperate and dire need for mercy in our own lives, from God, others, and even ourselves. Oftentimes, it is something we need to extend to others who have hurt us in our own lives. This year is a prime opportunity to contemplate the mystery of mercy and the role it plays in our lives.
To celebrate, I created a Spotify playlist with songs that look at mercy, both divine and human, and would be great to pray with and listen to during this year. I will explain the significance behind fifteen of the included songs.
- Alive Again by Matt Maher – This is a beautiful song by a Catholic musician that takes the words of St. Augustine, one of the Church’s notorious “bad boys turned good” and puts it to music. The song tells of how God never stops searching for us, and can bring us new life if we allow Him.
- You are More by Tenth Avenue North – A new favorite song of mine by a long-time favorite band. This song reminds us that we are “more than the choices that [we’ve] made” and that our value rests in God alone.
- Marvelous Light by Ellie Holcomb – This song always makes me so happy. It reminds me that to find light and mercy, I only have to reach out to Mercy Himself, because He is always calling us. With mercy, we are able to live in the light.
- Forgiveness by Matthew West – This jam is a bit different from the previous ones, as it’s about our need to do one of the hardest and God-like things we can: extend forgiveness to others in our lives. We can only do this with help from God the most merciful.
- Beautiful Things by Gungor – A beautiful, meditative song which reminds us that God “make[s] beautiful things out of the dust”, as well as out of us. God’s mercy takes any horrible situation we are in and turn it into something that is beautiful and will bring glory to His kingdom.
- Show Me by Audrey Assad – an important component of receiving God’s mercy is accepting that mercy. I don’t know about you, but I often feel as if I am unworthy of God’s love or mercy. Assad wrote a beautiful song that reminds us that with God, we have incredible potential, we just have to agree to it and put God’s will into action.
- How Can it Be by Lauren Daigle – This song makes use of one of the most beautiful examples of mercy in history: Jesus saving the woman caught in adultery from being executed (John 8:1-11). Jesus takes our wrong choices and sins and he takes them away so that we can be fully free and new in Him.
- Love Me by JJ Heller – Heller takes us through the stories of several people who are looking for love and mercy. The chorus is each of these people asking God to send them someone who will “love me for me” and show them what “love really means.” An especially powerful line in the song is when God sings back to one of the characters, “I will love you for you.” God’s love and mercy cannot be stunted by anything we do.
- Come As You Are by Crowder – This lovely song reminds us that when we go to God for mercy, we do not need to clean ourselves up or make our lives look picture perfect. God wants us to return to Him just the way we are: broken and bruised. We don’t have to wait until life is pretty to call out for mercy, He wants to extend it to us already.
- Losing by Tenth Avenue North – In this song, we are reminded of the duty we have to extend forgiveness towards those in our own life. Holding grudges and withholding forgiveness can cause more harm to us than the person we refuse to forgive. The band sings, “Father, give me grace to forgive them, because I feel like the one losing,” showing us that love and mercy are what will change our hearts.
- Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher – When life gets hard, we can’t do it alone. God wants us to call out to Him in our darkness and ask for His love and mercy. My favorite line is “where sin runs deep, your grace is more.” It reminds me that even in my deepest, darkest sin, when I am running from God, He is still there, reaching out to me. Any decision we make, He is still with us, and He alone can save us from our darkness.
- By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North – Told from the point of view of God, this song also reminds us that God will never leave us alone in our trials. Even when we turn our backs to Him, he still remains and will be by our side. He sings that “I’ll be by your side wherever you fall, in the dead of night whenever you call. Please don’t fight these hands that are holding you,” telling us at even at our darkest moments, His mercy and love remain.
- Drops in the Ocean by Hawk Nelson – Another song that is from God’s point of view. The opening line is “I want you as you are, not as you want to be”, reminding us that our imperfections and failures can never scare God. God’s mercy and forgiveness is greater than all the drops in the ocean.
- Times by Tenth Avenue North – The narrator is someone who is looking for God, and wondering how His love and mercy could ever be extended to himself. God responds that His love for him is everywhere and immeasurable, and that He is with him at his worst moments.
- Because He Lives (Amen) by Matt Maher – Our lives are dependent on the fact that Jesus chose to suffer and die for us, and then rise again. When we are “covered with sin and shame”, mercy calls our name, and He rolls the stone that is keeping our hearts from letting Him in away. His death and resurrection are His love and mercy towards humanity manifest.
You can find these songs (and 12 bonus songs!) here or in the menu to the left of this page. Feel free to follow the playlist on Spotify and share with your family and friends. I hope that listening to these songs of mercy is as fruitful for you as creating the playlist was for me!
Posted: Monday, March 14, 2016