I wish there were more of this type of emphasis on mercy when I was younger. I was considerably damaged by a Jansenistic spirit which too often prevailed among parents, confessors, priests and nuns. It takes so longer to recover once you get the God of vengeance thing rooted in you. I would appreciate the prayers of anyone here who prays on a regular basis.
Happy to pray for you.
One of our fellow Freepers encouraged me to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (kind of a quick series of prayers you pray using rosary beads). I’ll think of you when I do it. It has really helped me ponder God’s abundant and kind mercy, and the need we all have for it.
(I could swear it is making me more patient with my children, although I wasn’t even praying for that.)
I will because I know EXACTLY what you mean. I went through it as well.
Thirty some years out of Catholicism and I still find tendrils of that kind of mentality popping up, although for the most part, I am over it.
What I found useful is to concentrate on the passages of Scripture which emphasize His love and mercy> It is not as unbalanced as it might seem because you've already got enough of a load of the condemning, judgmental God to deal with.
Psalms 34, 103, and 139 are great places to start.
Even in the OT, God portrays Himself as a God of mercy who would rather forgive than condemn.
Matter of fact, He says that Himself here.
Micah 7:18 18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.