We read in 1 Peter 4, 17 ‘For the time of judgment, and it must being with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed  God’s Good News.’ In the paper this morning the report of sexual abuse in diocese of Baltimore. 

St Catherine of Siena said that ‘every good act will be rewarded and every sin punished.’ And we read in scripture that ‘God punishes sin to the 3rd and 4th generation. Why would judgment begin with the Church? because God has called the Church to preach the Gospel of Holiness. If someone is tempted to take glee in the revealing of the sins of the Church. Scripture says that a worse judgment will fall upon the world. 

Ultimately Jesus desires our salvation. And often we are blind to our own sin and brokenness.. We can become wish washed tombs. Pope Francis draws a distinction between corruption and sinfulness. A person might be sinful and very sinful but not corrupt. A corrupt person is blind to their own sinfulness. That is why the corrupt person has to fall into lose of fortune, sickness etc.. Because the corrupt person is blind to their own sinfulness and is incapable of repentance.

In our world today we often see famous personality fall from grace and face punishment for their sin. This is God mercy. Why? Because we will all be judged. And we might be surprised or shocked how seriously God deals with our sin. 

God is Light. And every sin will be dwelt with. God Justice and Mercy will confront every sin. God desires to lead us to repentance in this life. So that He will  have mercy on our souls. Because the worst thing that can happen to us is to die, convinced of our own holiness. 

One day all of us. Will have every one of our sins presented to us by God. And when this happen we can only say God have mercy. But while we are alive we can not only admit or sins but repent of them. God light will reveal to us all of our sins. 

Cardinal George said ‘He will die at the hospital, His successor will die in person and his successor will die in the streets.’