Just the other day, I was meditating on the life of David, who is one of my favorite persons in the Old Testament. His heart, it is said, was like unto God's, full of love.
My thoughts centered on the fact that after God disciplined David for killing Uriah, by taking away the baby of Bathsheba, David was still allowed to keep his soul-mate, after a series of serious sins.
God forgave murder, adultery, lying, arrogance, and most likely, pride. David obviously was playing God by taking Uriah's wife and killing him.
Yet, as Raissa points out in my reading of her today, God was "displeased" with David, forgave him and let him keep Bathsheba and the kingdom of Jerusalem.
Raissa notes several points with regard to this mystery which I merely was pondering a few days ago.
One, God's mercies are clear in the Old Testament.
Two, the Old Testament is written after the facts of history and with a perspective of God's mercy.
Three, the law of the Old Testament is NOT as severe as that of the New. (We have Christ Incarnated, the Church, the sacraments, grace in abundance, 2,000 years of teaching and so on, I add.)
That we are held to a higher level of expectations becomes a revelation like a strong light in our lives. One must, as I wrote yesterday as well, move away from even venial sin, not merely the gross sins of St. David. We are called to put on the Mind of Christ. And, we have all we need from baptism and the other sacraments in order to do this.
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/12/perfection-series-viii-part-xxii-venial.html
Raissa goes on to say that when our time in the Church is written, (and I am not sure it will be), our time will be seen as a time of great mercies.
to be continued....