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 Love is  the  perfection  of  the  uncreated ,  in  Himself. Mercy is  the  character  of  the  Creator.

Mercy pities,  spares,  makes  allowances,  condescends; and yet  if  mercy  is  not  the  reason  of  God's  love,  where else shall  we  find  it  in  His  infinity?

Father Faber (Orat.)

''Creator and Creature.

[Colombiere, Claude  de  la.— This  learned  and  saintly  Jesuit was born  in  the  year  1641,  and  yielded  up  his  soul  to  God  at  the  early age of  forty-one,  at  Paray  le  Monial. After a  two  years'  sojourn  at the  court  of  James  II. God led  him  to  Paray,  to  the  school  of  the Sacred Heart,  that  he  might  discover  its  treasures  and  make  known their value. " It  was  distinctly  told  me,"  writes  the  blessed  Margaret Mary, "  that  this  great  servant  of  God  had  been  partly  designed  for the  execution  of  this  grand  design."]

God so  pardons  our  sins,  that  He  blots  out  even  the remembrance of  the  greatest  outrage. God does  not  act as men  do. He does  not  grant  half  a  pardon.

When any  one  has  betrayed  our  trust,  or  has  mortally offended us — howsoever  we  may  wish  to  become  reconciled to  the  offender,  or  may  cherish  an  earnest  desire  to forgive,  and  strive  in  our  heart  to  do  so — nevertheless  we find  it  difficult  to  place  the  same  confidence  in  him,  or  to treat  him  with  the  same  affection  as  before;  for  there remains in  the  corner  of  our  heart  a  tinge  of  bitterness from time  to  time,  or  when  we  call  to  mind  what  he  has done to  us.

Our merciful  Lord  is  not  subject  to  this  weakness.

Oh! would that  all  sinners  who  sincerely  repent  of  their past offences  could  see  in  His  heart  the  feelings  He  has for them; — no  resentment,  no  bitterness  there! and how thoroughly He  forgives  them.

God does  not  stop  there. Not content  with  forgetting our trespasses,  He  gives  us  back  the  merit  of  those  good