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Father Faber and Father  Claude  de  la  Colombiere,  S.J.

"How great  is  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  and  His  forgiveness  to  them  that  turn  to Him." — Eccles. xvii. 28.

MERCY is  the  tranquillity  of  God's  omnipotence  and  the sweetness of  His  omnipresence,  the  fruit  of  His  eternity and the  companion  of  His  immensity,  the  chief  satisfaction of  His  justice,  the  triumph  of  His  wisdom,  and  the patient perseverance  of  His  love.

Wherever we  go  there  is  mercy,  the  peaceful,  active, endless mercy  of  our  Heavenly  Father. If we  work  by day,  we  work  in  mercy's  light;  and  we  sleep  at  night  in  the lap of  our  Father's  mercy.

The courts  of  heaven  gleam  with  its  outpoured  prolific beauty. Earth is  covered  with  it,  as  the  waters  cover  the bed of  the  stormy  sea. Purgatory is,  as  it  were,  its  own separate creation,  and  is  lighted  by  its  gentle  moonlight, gleaming there  soft  and  silvery,  through  night  and  day.

His mercy  is  simply  infinite,  for  mercy  is  one  of  His  perfections, while  His  love  is  the  harmony  of  all.

Mercy does  not  tire  of  us,  does  not  despair  of  us,  does not give  over  its  pursuit  of  us,  takes  no  offence,  repays evil with  good,  and  is  the  ubiquitous  minister  of  the  precious Blood  of  Jesus. But love  seems  more  than  this. Love fixes  upon  each  of  us,  individualises  us,  is  something personal; but  mercy  is  something  by  itself.