mercy

"O Lord God, just Judge, strong and patient. You who know the weakness and depravity of men. Be my strength and all my confidence, for my own conscience is not sufficient for me. You know what I do not know, and therefore, I ought to humble myself whenever I am accused and bear it meekly. Forgive me, then in Your mercy for my every failure in this regard, and give me once more the grace of greater endurance. Better to me is Your abundant mercy in obtaining pardon than the justice which I imagine in defending the secrets of my conscience. And though I am not conscious to myself of any fault, yet I cannot thereby justify myself, because without Your mercy, no man living will be justified in Your sight." ~From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas 'a Kempis.