What is justice?  Justice can be defined as the administering of a deserved punishment or reward.

Most of us probably think of ourselves as relatively good people, doing what is right, at least most of the time.   What do you think a just judge would say to someone who commit a horrendous crime, such as murder, but in their defense told the judge that they only commit the horrendous crime once and for the most part they have been a good person and have done a lot of good throughout their lives?  Would the just judge drop the charges and punishment that the crime deserved or would the just judge sentence the criminal to the punishment that was deserved according to the law?

As Catholics what do we believe is the deserved punishment for committing a Mortal Sin, a sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent? (CCC 1857)  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1861: “If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back.”

All of us would like to think that our God is super merciful and loving and would never even allow someone to suffer the eternal death of hell, but what if, even though God is merciful, the sins we commit in this lifetime actually cause us to be excluded from Christ’s kingdom and to be condemned to the eternal death of hell?  Our God is a just god, and wouldn’t you want Him to be just?  A just God could administer a just punishment or a just reward.

Thankfully we also believe that Jesus came to atone for our sins, past, present, and future.  “For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Sin is real, Satan is real, Hell is real.  Sin needs to be redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness. The Book of Revelation 3:1-3 tells us: “I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent.  If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know what hour I will come upon you.”  And Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Luke 12:39-40: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.  You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Let’s pray for each other that we are not caught of guard, that we can fight sin, that we can humble ourselves enough to repent for our sins and seek the forgiveness of our all merciful God, who loves us with an everlasting love that will never end.

Please remember me in your prayers that I may not undergo the test, that I may grow in holiness and that I may continue to fight the good fight and receive the just reward from our merciful God.  I’ll be sure to pray for all of you as well.  Together we can conquer evil.

Jesus Christ, I place all my trust in you.