Betsy GuerraBilingual Keynote Speaker, Psychotherapist/Coach, Author, Leadership Training and Life Coach Certification

The moment I met the God of love and mercy... #storytime

16 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this personal story, Betsy Guerra recounts growing up in a strict Catholic household where love and mercy were juxtaposed with fear‑based warnings about missing Sunday Mass. She describes how, as a young mother, she sometimes missed Mass and felt no guilt, prompting her to seek confession with Father Gerardo Diaz of the Prince of Peace community. In that confession, Father Diaz reassured her that God does not want believers to feel guilty but to be excited to spend time with Him, especially as she cares for her daughter. This compassionate response shattered her previous fear‑based understanding, leading to a freeing realization that God truly embodies love and mercy. The narrative highlights the tension between doctrinal fear and compassionate faith, and how a single pastoral encounter reshaped her spiritual perspective.

Chapters

I grew up in a very Catholic home. I'm saying this in my own words, but I often heard, "God is a God of love and mercy, but God forbid you don't go to church on Sunday because then you're gonna go to hell." And I remember like feeling, wait, but God of love and mercy, that fear-based experience? And I was like, this doesn't, this doesn't add up. When I grew up, I started participating in the community of Prince of Peace, and my priest at the time was Father Gerardo Diaz. And when I had my his daughter, there were times that I missed Mass on Sunday. And I remember going to him once in confession and I'm like, it's gotten to the point that I don't even feel guilty about not going to Mass. He's like, ay, mi hijita, God doesn't want you to feel guilty. He wants you to be excited to come visit him and spend this time with him. But you're taking care of the daughter that he entrusted you with. He understands. And I was like, "Wait, what? You're not gonna tell me that I'm wrong?" I was so confused. It felt so freeing. And like, at that moment, it was like, "Oh, this is the God of love and mercy."