| "Go and wash...and your
flesh will heal." (2 Kings 5:10)
Reflection.
Although I know well, Margaret, that because of my past wickedness I
deserve to be abandoned by God, I cannot but trust in his merciful goodness. His grace has
strengthened me until now and made me content to lose goods, land, and life as well,
rather than to swear against my conscience. God's grace has given the king a gracious
frame of mind toward me, so that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my liberty. In
doing this His Majesty has done me such great good with respect to spiritual profit that I
trust that among all the great benefits he has heaped so abundantly upon me I count my
imprisonment the very greatest. I cannot, therefore, mistrust the grace of God.
By the merits of his bitter passion joined to mine and far surpassing in merit for me all
that I can suffer myself, his bounteous goodness shall release me from the pains of
purgatory and shall increase my reward in heaven besides.
I will not mistrust him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of
being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at a blast of wind began to
sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do as he did: call upon Christ and pray to
him for help. And then I trust he shall place his holy hand on me and in the stormy seas
hold me up from drowning.
And finally, Margaret, I know this well: that without my fault he will not let me be lost.
I shall, therefore, with good hope commit myself wholly to him. And if he permits me to
perish for my faults, then I shall serve as praise for his justice. But in good faith,
Meg, I trust that his tender pity shall keep my poor soul safe and make me commend his
mercy.
And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let you mind be troubled over anything that
shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure
that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best. ..a
letter by St Thomas More to his daughter Margaret
Lenten Action.
Forgive one who has betrayed you and ask forgiveness from one you have
betrayed.
Prayer
Jesus, may we know that when a person is forgiven and begins to
walk in the path of righteousness he will go on to become the recipient of many spiritual
blessings. May this be the inheritance of every true believer.
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