Divine mercy is.
Life-changing.
Profound.
Dynamic.
Beautiful.
Powerful. I am a pilgrim of mercy.
Can something that has been broken be put back together in a way that makes it more beautiful than ever before? It may seem like an impossible proposition to our straight line, everything in its place, secular minds. But I marvel at how God doesn't use straight lines or right angles in nature. The perfection of nature is marked by crooked lines, brokenness, seemingly imperfect colours, and things that seem out of place. If we put on the mind of God, we discover one of the most beautiful truths this life has to offer. Something that has been devastatingly broken can be put back together in a way that makes it more beautiful than ever before. It is true for things, but it is even more true for people, and it is true for you. This truth carries with it tremendous hope. We believe that once something is broken, it can never be as beautiful as it was before. But that's not true. It's true that it cannot be exactly the same as it was before, but that doesn't mean it cannot surpass its former self. You don't look at a wonderful tree that loses some leaves and limbs in a storm and say, "It's ruined forever." But we say that about ourselves and others.
The Japanese have a beautiful art form called Kunsungi. In our disposable culture, if we break a vase or a bowl, we throw it away and we buy a new one. This simple act allows us to maintain the illusion that life is not messy. It plays into our delusion of perfection. But life is messy. Perfect is a myth. And the wisdom of the Japanese art of Kensungi has much to teach us. It is a form of ceramics that I have been fascinated with for years. When a vase or a bowl or a cup is broken, artists gather up the broken pieces and glue them back together. But it is how they put them back together that is steeped in wisdom and beauty. Japanese Kunsungi artists mix gold dust with the glue. They don't try to hide the cracks. They own them. They honor them. They accentuate them by making them golden. They don't pretend the vase was never broken. They celebrate the cracks as part of the vase's story. Can something that has been broken be put back together in a way that makes it more beautiful than ever before? Absolutely. But the more beautiful question is, can someone who has been broken be healed and become more beautiful and more lovable than ever before? Yes, this is the redemption we celebrate in Jesus Christ, and the history of Christianity is a long line of stories, one more stunning than the next about God transforming the most unlikely people and then working through them in the most unimaginable ways. Atop this list in the canon of saints is St. Augustine. He is a staggering example of divine mercy at work in the human heart. Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future was Oscar Wilde's observation. And Augustine is certainly proof. Wherever you are in your journey, wherever you have been, and whatever you have done, the lives of the saints, such as Augustine, remind us that God never gives up on us, even if at times we give up on ourselves or give up on God. Augustine had given himself over to just about every pleasure and ambition that this world has to offer. But they all left him dissatisfied. His own words sum up his journey and his destination in a single line. "Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they rest in you." Imagine the moment when Augustine finally surrendered, weary of the world's broken promises, empty in his heart and in his soul, he finally turned to God. He became aware of his great need for mercy. And just becoming aware of our need for mercy is itself a significant manifestation of mercy. Mercy manifests in so many different ways in our lives. The clarity God gave Augustine was a powerful form of mercy, and he spent the rest of his life sharing that mercy with others. Clarity is merciful.
Augustine's writings provide a bridge between Greek philosophy and Christian theology, demonstrating that faith and reason were not only compatible, but complementary. The clarity of his philosophical writings has been influencing Western thought for over 1,500 years. Clear teaching is a kindness. Clear teaching is merciful. This was one of the many ways Augustine allowed God's mercy to flow through him to others. God is the Master Potter who picks up the broken pieces and mercifully glues us back together with his gold dust-infused glue. Can someone who has been broken be healed and become more beautiful and more lovable than ever before? So many of the saints are striking reminders that the answer to this question is yes. Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, every saint in the history of our faith wants to whisper in your ear. Today is a new day and every moment is a chance to turn it all around. Each day, we are a step closer to our consecration to divine mercy. Today, I leave you with these words, which Jesus spoke to Faustina, "I desire to pour out my divine life into human souls and sanctify them. If only they are willing to accept my grace, the greatest sinners would achieve great sanctity if only they would trust in my mercy. Saint Augustine, pray for us. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Are you sick and tired of hearing people say mass is boring? We want to eradicate those words from the Catholic vocabulary forever. Our Catholic Moments Initiative has already delivered groundbreaking programs for confirmation, first communion, first reconciliation, daily prayer, baptism, marriage preparation, and the fourth quarter of your life. And this year, we're excited to announce we're creating a game-changing program that will transform the way Catholics, young and old, experience the mass. Nobody who experiences this program will ever say mass is boring ever again.
Everyone knows that mass is boring. Epidemic is a huge problem. The question is, who's willing to do something about it? If you are a Dynamic Catholic Ambassador, thank you. And this is what we are spending your money on this year. If you are not a dynamic Catholic ambassador, become one today and together, let's eradicate, "Mass is boring," from the Catholic vernacular. Click the button below and choose your welcome gifts today. If you're already an Ambassador, increase your gift and we will send you these exciting new gifts also. Thank you for partnering with us to put an end to, "Mass is boring." God bless you. And remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.
Eternal God.
In whom mercy is endless.
And the treasury of compassion inexhaustible.
Look kindly upon us.
And increase your mercy in us.
That in difficult moments we might not despair.
Nor become despondent.
But with great confidence.
Submit ourselves to your holy will.
Which is love and mercy itself.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
See you tomorrow.
Thank you, Ambassadors.
You are changing the world.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Have a great day!
Hey, Ralph. One of the best ways to be a pilgrim of mercy is to collaborate with God to create holy moments. So I figured while we have a couple of minutes, you could inspire our audience. So tell me, what is today's Holy Moment Challenge?
It is clean up a mess even though you didn't make it.
