Compassion of God

“There were two monks who committed a very serious sin when they went to the village to sell their wares. But they were wise enough not to let the devil trick them into discouragement and so they came back to the desert and went to the Abba to confess their sins. To ease them into their conversion, they were asked to go and live on their own for one month on bread and water, to pray and do penance. When the time was over, Abba himself came over to reunite them with the disciples. However he was very surprised because one came out grim, downcast, pale while the other was radiant, buoyant and brisk. ‘What did you meditate upon?’ Abba asked. The sad monk answered: ‘I thought constantly on the punishment which I merit and the justice of God.’ The happy monk answered: ‘Well, I used to remind myself constantly the mercy of God and the love which Jesus Christ had for the sinner.’ Both of them were joyfully accepted back in the community but Abba remarked on the wisdom of the brother who kept his mind fixed on the compassion of God.”

~A story from the Desert Fathers