Rejoice in the Thunderbolt!

Psalm 86:5

For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving,

abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee.

When it all comes down to it, this is the most astonishing fact about God: that he forgives and loves us.  If that seems like a commonplace, then we haven’t really encountered God.  As Peter Kreeft said long ago, that the “god” of feel-good religion should love us is a commonplace.  What else should such a simpering, nice, harmless little fellow do.  His only creed is “Niceness is Nice” so of course he “loves” us.  It’s his duty.  But that the real God loves us… that the power who hurled Andromeda and made the tiger and shatters the cedars with lightening and who was steeped in Eternity when the dinosaurs came and went like a flash in the pan… that this God loves us, forgives us, and bothers his tender head about us to the degree that he is willing to be crucified for us: that is a thunderbolt.  Rejoice in the glory and mercy of that Thunderbolt.

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Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

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