Let us bring St John the Baptist to our mind and listen to his teaching about two virtues that were so manifest in his life.
Penance and Mercy towards the Neighbour
My beloved, listen and understand.
I will show you what you must do to escape the wrath that is yet to come: trust in Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and imitate him in humility, in mercy towards the neighbour, and in his forgiveness of the enemies.
Bear the fruit of penance by heartily condemning every evil you have done, and by paying God’s justice with deeds of mercy towards your neighbour in need.
The practice of mercy towards the neighbour is so powerful that for those who exercise it everything becomes pure and because of it they are counted among the blessed. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Now is the right time. Time cannot be bought, nor can it be determined by man. So be careful, lest you seek time to do penance and do not find it.
You should tremble before the wrath of God’s justice which, to satisfy itself, required a divine Person to take flesh, come into the world and shed his blood.
Our God is an awesome God. Amen.
We praise the Lord our God. It is right and just.
Adapted from L-Eku tal-Ħbieb (The Echo of Friends), Day 1
