“Not even the sins we have committed can prevent us from reaching holiness if we long to attain it” (St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori).
Again and again we hear the valuable advice that we should not allow ourselves to be discouraged by our sins to the point of resignation or surrender. If we did, the devil would have achieved his goal. After a fall, we must always get up and move forward, strengthened by the forgiveness of our sins. This is the great invitation that the Lord extends to us!
Why does what St. Alphonsus Liguori says in today’s sentence happen? When a person aspires to holiness, he aspires to supreme love. This is what is decisive! When he repents, gets up, and moves on, he demonstrates his love for the Lord. For, as the Gospel says, he who is forgiven much, loves much (cf. Lk 7:47).
But how does our Heavenly Father see it? In His message to Mother Eugenia, He provides an example to illustrate this point:
“Listen, My children, let us make a comparison, and you will be assured of My love. For Me, your sins are like iron, and your acts of love like gold. If you gave Me a thousand pounds of iron, it would not be like giving Me just ten pounds of gold! In other words, with just a little love, great iniquities can be expiated.”
Our Father can even make use of all our faults, as the masters of the spiritual life assure us again and again. Let us always remember that He is a loving Father who delights in forgiving and raising fallen man up again. Sin is undoubtedly terrible and utterly senseless. However, God’s love is greater, and the blood of His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Therefore, we must fight with determination to avoid sin. If, in spite of our efforts, we have fallen into sin, we must get up and continue on our way with gratitude and humility. Go ahead!