Have Compassion on Your Own Soul- 12th after Pentecost (16th Aug. 2026)
My Dear Brethren,
St. Alphonsus Liguori, commenting on the words spoken by the Good Samaritan: "Take care of him.", applies them to every faithful whose soul has been wounded by sin. Many people are spiritually injured, yet instead of seeking healing, they continue to commit new sins. The saint urges everyone to have compassion on his own soul.
- The Devil's Two Greatest Deceptions,
According to St. Augustine, the devil traps souls in two opposite ways: despair and presumption.
After someone sins, Satan tries to convince him that God will never forgive him. The sinner loses hope and refuses to return to God.
Before someone sins, however, Satan whispers the opposite message: God is merciful. You can always repent later. This false confidence encourages people to sin without fear.
The proper Christian attitude is the reverse:
• After sin, hope confidently in God's mercy.
• Before sin, fear God's justice.
- The Danger of a Hardened Heart,
Repeated sin changes a person.
The conscience becomes less sensitive. Mortal sins that once caused sorrow begin to seem ordinary. Excuses replace repentance. The sinner postpones conversion again and again, believing there will always be another opportunity.
To delay repentance is therefore extremely risky. The person who says, "I will convert tomorrow," assumes that tomorrow belongs to him. But tomorrow belongs only to God.
Many people plan to repent at the end of life. But who can guarantee reaching old age? Countless people die suddenly while still attached to serious sin.
Even if someone reaches his final illness, there is no certainty that he will receive the sacraments, remain mentally alert, or possess true repentance. Habitual sin weakens the will. A person who has resisted grace for many years may find genuine conversion extremely difficult at life's end.
- Justice Eventually Follows Mercy,
Throughout salvation history God first shows patience, then justice.
He waited while people sinned in the days of Noah, but eventually the Flood came.
He tolerated the wickedness of Sodom for a time, but eventually fire fell from heaven.
The same pattern appears throughout Scripture. God always gives opportunities for repentance, but He never promises that those opportunities will continue indefinitely.
- Delayed Punishment,
Why does God delay punishment? Not because He ignores sin, but because He desires conversion.
Every extra day of life is an invitation to repentance. Every opportunity to confess one's sins is a gift of mercy. Every warning, illness, disappointment, or sermon may be another chance to return to God.
However, each rejected grace hardens the heart. The sinner becomes more attached to evil and less willing to repent. Thus, what began as God's mercy may eventually become evidence against the sinner, who knowingly ignored repeated invitations.
- True Confidence in God's Mercy,
Many people comfort themselves by saying, "God is merciful." St. Alphonsus agrees completely—but reminds his listeners that God is also perfectly just.
The saint carefully distinguishes between authentic hope and false presumption.
True hope says: "I have sinned, but I sincerely repent, and I trust God will forgive me."
False presumption says: "I will sin now because God will forgive me later."
Contrition and trust in God glorify God's mercy.
Presumption abuses God's mercy.
God never rejects the truly repentant sinner. No matter how serious the sins, sincere repentance always finds a merciful Father ready to forgive.
Yet this confidence must always be joined to a real desire to abandon sin. St. Alphonsus quotes numerous Fathers of the Church who warn against presumption. Mercy is meant to lead people back to God, not to encourage them to offend Him more boldly.
My dear Brethren,
The Good Samaritan cared for the wounded traveler. Christ likewise cares for wounded souls through His grace, His Church, and the sacraments. The only remaining question is whether the sinner will accept that healing.
Do not wait for tomorrow. The present moment is the time of salvation. Have compassion on your own soul!
If your conscience tells you that you have wandered from God, return immediately. Make use of the graces God is offering today. Every confession, every prayer, every act of repentance strengthens the soul and prepares it for eternity.
God's mercy is immeasurable, but it is given so that sinners may be transformed—not so they may remain comfortably in sin.
“O Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for us!”
