“God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk 18:13). Only a person’s sins rightly introduces himself to God. This was graphically illustrated at the funeral of Empress Zita, the last of the Hapsburgs. The procession stopped at the closed church doors. A member of the funeral party knocked, and was asked from within, “Who goes there?” The titles were read out: Queen of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, etc. From within came the response, ““I do not know her.” A second knock and the repeated question, “Who goes there?” The response: “Zita, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.” Again, “I do not know her.” But when the question was asked the third time as to her identity, wisely the answer finally came: “Zita, a sinning mortal.” Only then was the door opened. Infinitely better, to introduce oneself at heaven’s Door while still in this life, and then to enter the next world with the words, “I was a guilty sinner, but Jesus died for me.”
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 40-42 Memorize: Romans 2:4