Oh my Jesus,My emphasis, duh.
Forgive us our sins;
Save us from the fires of Hell;
Lead all souls to Heaven
especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Dominic was said to weep often in his concern for the fate of sinners.
Surely it is a pretty thing, this compassion.
(And besides, now that every time we even TALK about a pyre the ACLU shows up and shuts us down, we might as well pray for 'em. I got all these marshmallows going to waste!)
So, yeah, while there is a sense that the righteous judgment of God on the reprobate will be part of the joy of the blessed, still between now and the end, it seems good to pray compassionately even for baby-killers.
so it seems to me.
All are called to Salvation and a plan for Salvation exists for all. As St. Thomas Aquinas said (paraphrasing); "The salvation of a single sinner is a greater thing than the creation of the heavens and the earth. For the heavens and the earth will pass away but salvation is eternal."
Great post, and thank you very much for posting the Fatima prayer, which is part of the Rosary.
“Especially those most in need of Thy Mercy” — the first time I heard that prayer, when I was converting decades ago, I remember thinking, “I am one of those most in need of Christ’s mercy...”
I have a lot of compassion for even baby killers.
For all kinds of dreadfully evil creatures inflicting all kinds of pain on others, even innocents.
I’ve persistently prayed for their redemption. I will again.
I’m not sure I have sufficient explanation for such an intense rising up within me of such a spiritually intense sense. Doesn’t happen that often.
However, I usually don’t shy away from running with it.
I figure God knows when someone has crossed over the line far better than I. And I certainly don’t want such a person having MORE power for MORE destructiveness.
I also would rather have an example made to discourage others from such evils—AS LONG AS IT’S GOD MAKING THE EXAMPLE HIMSELF.