Dies Irae

Garrigou-Lagrange quotes Thomas Aquinas on the fact that the punishment received for sin is less than we deserve.

St. Catherine confers on this point. Mercy tempers justice. Garrigou-Lagrange writes, “…with the souls in purgatory divine mercy is still more active, inspiring them with the loving desire to make reparation, which temper a little the keen purifying pain they are undergoing and confirms them in their assurance of salvation.”

Mercy is seen not only in purgatory, but in hell, as the punishment could be worse, if we really understood the gravity of our sins before God.

And in heaven, “…divine mercy shines forth in the saints according to the intensity of their love for God.”

And, “How consoling is the thought of this infinite mercy, which transcends all wickedness and is inexhaustible. For this reason, no relapse into sin, however shameful, however, criminal, should cause a sinner to despair. There is no greater outrage against God than to consider His loving kindness inadequate to forgive. As St. Catherine of Siena tell us, ‘His mercy is greater without any comparison than all the sins which any creature can commit.’”

Most of us really do not realize this. The pride which makes us hide our sins gets in the way of accepting mercy. The theological virtues, destroyed by mortal sin, can be re-energized, resurrected, as it were, through the sacrament of Confession. 

I love the Dies Irae, which some people cannot understand. Why--because as Garrigou-Lagrange points out, the hymn celebrates both justice and mercy. 

Day of wrath and doom impending,
David’s word with Sibyl’s blending!
Heaven and earth in ashes ending!

O what fear man’s bosom rendeth
When from heaven the Judge descendeth,
On whose sentence all dependeth!

Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth,
Through earth’s sepulchers it ringeth,
All before the throne it bringeth.

Death is struck, and nature quaking,
All creation is awaking,
To its judge an answer making.

Lo! the book exactly worded,
Wherein all hath been recorded;
Thence shall judgment be awarded.

When the Judge His seat attaineth,
And each hidden deed arraigneth,
Nothing unavenged remaineth.

What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
When the just are mercy needing?

King of majesty tremendous,
Who dost free salvation send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us!

Think, kind Jesu, my salvation
Caused Thy wondrous Incarnation;
Leave me not to reprobation.

Faint and weary Thou hast sought me,
On the Cross of suffering bought me;
Shall such grace be vainly brought me?

Righteous Judge! for sin’s pollution
Grant Thy gift of absolution,
Ere that day of retribution.

Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
All my shame with anguish owning;
Spare, O God, Thy suppliant groaning!

Through the sinful woman shriven,
Through the dying thief forgiven,
Thou to me a hope hast given.

Worthless are my prayers and sighing,
Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
Rescue me from fires undying.

With Thy favored sheep O place me,
Nor among the goats abase me,
But to Thy right hand upraise me.

While the wicked are confounded,
Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,
Call me with Thy Saints surrounded.

Low I kneel, with heart submission,
Crushed to ashes in contrition;
Help me in my last condition!

Ah! that day of tears and morning!
From the dust of earth returning,
Man for judgment must prepare him;

Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!
Lord all-pitying, Jesu Blest,
Grant them Thine eternal rest. Amen.

And, in another illuminating footnote, Maritain is quoted, in a very interesting reflection on evil and good in our times. I shall quote part of this.

“So the cockle grows up along with the wheat; the capital of sin increases throughout the whole course of history and the capital of grace  increases also and superabounds. Christian heroism will one day become the sole solution for the problem of life….Then we shall doubtless see coincident with the worst condition in human history a flowering of sanctity.”  From St. Thomas Aquinas, Angel of the Schools, translated by J. F. Scanlan.

Downright prophetic…to be continued.