The two verses from Luke’s gospel presented today are quite compelling—one message: “Be Merciful as your heavenly Father” (Luke 6:36-38). From a human perspective, Mercy is placing oneself in a situation of someone else who requires assistance. Do we all need help? Yes, we do, we need authentic help, the one that only comes from God (Psalm 121:1-2). This help is Mercy. Hence, Mercy is a divine attribute—that which reveals the essence of God. In the Catechism, we learn that God is merciful. His Mercy is also His might: “God shows forth his almighty power by converting us from our sins and restoring us to his friendship by grace. ‘God, you show your almighty power above all in your mercy and forgiveness. . .’” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 277).
God’s Mercy is not limited to forgiveness of sins and restoration to Grace. God’s Mercy spans everything He does, from creation to redemption; from provision to sustenance; from sanctification to salvation; and from life on earth to eternity with Him in heaven. Every act of God is Mercy. Even His wrathful judgment has a merciful component. So, when we relate with God, we are essentially relating with Mercy. Operating from a place of Mercy has several implications, a major one being our required response to Mercy.
How to respond to Mercy
Mercy is not sentiment. It is more than an existential force that overcomes evil in all its forms. As beneficiaries of Mercy, God has given us the responsibility to extend Mercy to others. A simplified “how-to-respond” to Mercy is the corporal and spiritual works of Mercy. The Catechism teaches that:“ The works of Mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities (Isaiah 58:6-7; Heb 13:3). Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of Mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. the corporal works of Mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead(Matthew 25:31-46) Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God” (CCC, 2447).
A Lifestyle of Mercy
It is easy to fall into attempt checking off the above list while trying to “respond” to Mercy. But that will not bring us to the place of proper appreciation of God’s Mercy. A better approach is a lifestyle of Mercy. Imagine constantly placing yourself in another person’s condition that needs help! But the Lord makes this possible by His Grace. The first step is to acknowledge that you’ve been shown Mercy, followed by receiving this Mercy with thanksgiving. You can tell you’ve completed the first and second steps if you begin to desire Mercy for others. The longing to show Mercy to others is a sign that a soul has indeed received Mercy. This yearning never stops until spiritual and corporal works of Mercy follow it. And then the Lord responds: “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Mercy, therefore, becomes a fuel that empowers our “engine of life” or a force that compels us to action (See 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). A recipient of Mercy will never act outside the bounds of Mercy otherwise they did not truly receive Mercy and what looks like Mercy in their lives vanishes for we need Mercy to sustain Mercy (See Matthew 18:23-35).
In this holy season of Lent, may we acknowledge God’s Mercy, give thanks to Him, and respond to this mighty Mercy accordingly. Amen.
It’s interesting how mercy ties into relationships. Have you seen that concept reflected in real weddings?