The readings for the great Feast of Divine
Mercy show that mercy and peace go hand in hand. Mercy is an admirable virtue
that we often think of in terms of giving aid to those in need or in a
crisis. Kindness motivates our acts of mercy in this sense, including
water to the thirsty, shelter for the homeless, visiting the sick, burying the
dead, and giving aid to the poor. We also think of mercy in terms of
forgiveness. We forgive a wrong without expecting the person to make full
amends, or we relieve an obligation, either in full or in part. Kindness
and goodness are the underlying motives in such acts of mercy. We show
mercy to others not because of any good deed on their part, but from the
goodness and kindness of our hearts.
Showing mercy is a kind of declaration and
acknowledgment that the person is still loved and accepted despite the wrong
they committed, or the obligation they incurred. In this sense, mercy
provides opportunity to start over. For this reason, receiving mercy
carries with it an obligation to do likewise to others who need mercy.
Scripture makes it clear that we all are under such obligation because of the mercy God has shown and
continues to show each of us: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy” (Lv
11:44; Dt 23:15; 1 Pt 1:15). We imitate the holiness of God when we
are merciful toward others. Jesus calls us to imitate the mercy of God with the
simple command, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36).
Indeed, merciful is how God first describes
himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai. God describes himself as “merciful and
gracious…slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity…” (Ex 34:5-7).
And, the greatest act of mercy that God has ever shown is that He sent his Son
to show us the way to eternal life. We
follow that way by living out God’s plan of love, mercy and forgiveness.
Just as God gave the Promised Land to the Israelites, not because of any good
deed of theirs, but because of his mercy (Dt 9:4-6), so too the God of Mercy
sent his only Son to give us eternal life. In this sense, Jesus
personifies the mercy of God. St. Paul calls attention to this act of
mercy in his letter to Titus. Paul says that, “…the kindness and generous
love of God our savior saved us, not because of any righteous deeds we had
done, but because of his mercy…” (Titus 3:5).
This is the good news of God that we
can share with others. When Jesus delivers his Sermon on the Mount, he
highlights the need for mercy with the words, “Blessed are the merciful, for
they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5:7). Living by these words today comes
through living in the spirit of Christ. The spirit of Jesus Christ is
mercy and forgiveness. Through the Holy Spirit, the God of Mercy
transforms us into people who forgive and assist others with mercy.
Divine mercy gives each of us the ability to
start over once again. It is the God of Mercy to whom we appeal and have
final recourse for our own sinfulness. The Father assures us that He is
pleased with such an approach, for the Lord makes it clear that he takes
pleasure in those who hope in his mercy (Ps 147:11). Divine mercy brings not
only forgiveness and eternal life; it also brings peace in the here and now,
for mercy and peace go hand in hand.
Our God of Mercy is also the God of
Peace. Jesus comes not only as the mercy of God; he also comes as the
Prince of Peace. “Peace be with you” is the first greeting that Jesus
offered his disciples in the Upper Room. He uses this greeting frequently to
show that his gift of peace is different than the peace the world offers. The
world offers peace only in terms of an absence of conflict, but the world
offers nothing to hearts that are troubled. On the other hand, the peace
that Jesus gives is the peace of God, the only true peace because it brings
tranquility of heart. Only the peace of God can guard our hearts and
sustain us in times of trouble (Phil 4:7; Col 3:15).
This reality requires a response on our
part. Our first response is to accept God’s gift of peace by trusting in
Him as children who trust in their parents. As children of God, our
further response is to pursue peace for others. Jesus calls for this
further response in his Sermon on the Mount when he says, “Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt 5:9). Seeking peace
is not that unusual or hard. We do this regularly, if we want to keep our
friends and save our marriages.
In fact, seeking peace is an indispensable
part of ordinary living. Bringing peace to countries at war is perhaps beyond
our reach, but we can bring peace to our families. We can stop fighting
with those we love. We can live in peace with our neighbors. There
is no need to return insult with insult. We can resist evil without
seeking revenge or harming others. We can heal the wounds that destroy
and relieve the hurt that divides. When we let peace rule our hearts in
this way, we truly serve the God of Peace and Mercy. We can be sure that
the peace and mercy of God comes to those who imitate Jesus (Col 3:15). Forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. This is a prayer for mercy that acknowledges
our daily obligation to do likewise.
