God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and filled with compassion - and it is never too late to turn back to God and ask for forgiveness. No one is a hopeless case or beyond redemption. The journey home begins with opening one's heart and asking for forgiveness and mercy. God takes care of the rest. We re expected to be ambassadors of Christ who died for our sins and there is no way we can do that unless we ourselves have experienced God's mercy. An ambassador does not voice his or her own opinions and prejudices but speaks for the one who sent him. To be an ambassador of Christ means speaking with the mind and heart of Christ so that we can reveal the love of God to them. We should be filled with compassion and mercy as God is.

In order to put on the mind and heart of Christ it is necessary to put aside our selfish ego and our tendency to exalt self. Matthew instructs us to not let our left hand know what our right is doing when we pray and do good deeds and to do these things in secret so that we will not receive praise and notice. In this manner we will be doing them for God and not for the approval and praise of others. There is a joy and sense of satisfaction in being God's 'secret agent'! Try doing acts of goodness and kindness in a hidden way - it is truly liberating and healing.