Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

The Lord has remembered his mercy.

Jesus entered the house of Peter,

and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand, the fever left her,
and she rose and waited on him.

The Lord has remembered his mercy.

Today’s stories of Sarah’s late life pregnancy, the healing of the centurion’s slave, and Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother-in-law evoke our grateful response, “The Lord has remembered his mercy. “

In Louisiana I often visited the city and parish jails. I remember one fellow’s story. He had been out of jail, on parole. Somewhere far from the town, way out in the fields, a safe distance from any house or building he and a buddy were shooting tin cans with a small handgun. It’s a harmless kind of sport country boys enjoy. Somehow his parole officer learned of it. Perhaps his girlfriend ratted on him. The next day the police picked him up and returned him to jail.

It occurred to me at the time, “You’re no longer a consumer, free to do what you want with the expectation of understanding and forgiveness. You’re a convict, we give you no license whatsoever.” Perhaps he had not noticed when he crossed the line; perhaps he had not yet discovered his new identity.

Christians must live on that razor’s edge between those two worlds. We have sinned; we have done wrong:

Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
   we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.  Psalm 106:6

Nor can the Lord ignore our sins.

…if we deny him, he will also deny us; 

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

Remind them of this, and warn them before God…. 2 Timothy 2: 12b-13

Too often God is portrayed as an easy touch, a sugar daddy Santa Claus. Jesus warns us

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.

Entering God’s presence through the narrow gate of penance, with sorrow for our sins and the clear recognition that there was never any compulsion to sin -- and fully aware that God is not under any compulsion to forgive!  -- we will find ourselves singing with all the saints, “The Lord has remembered his mercy.”