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 yourselves, and of your own free-will condemn yourselves to everlasting death? Return to me and you shall live. In a word, His infinite mercy induced Him to descend from Heaven to earth to come and free us from eternal death: Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us. [Luke 1:73] But here we must be mindful of what St. Paul says: previously to God becoming Man He reserved mercy for us; but He could not feel compassion for our miseries, because compassion implies some suffering, and God is incapable of suffering. Now, says the Apostle, in order to be moved also with compassion for us the Eternal Word willed to become Man, capable of suffering, and similar to other men who are afflicted with compassion, so that He might be able not only to save us, but also to compassionate us: For we have not a High Priest Who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but One tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. [Heb. 4:15; 2:17] And in another passage: It behoved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might become merciful.

Oh, what a tender compassion has Jesus Christ for poor sinners! This makes Him say, that He is that Shepherd Who goes about seeking the lost sheep, and on finding it He arranges a festival, saying: Rejoice with Me, because I have found My sheep that was lost. And He lays it upon His shoulders rejoicing; [Luke 15:4-6] and thus He carefully keeps possession of it in His fond embraces for fear He should again lose it. This, too, caused Him to say that He is that loving Father Who, whenever a prodigal son that