Rich in Mercy

How often do we utter the word “mercy”? And especially when we pray?  Certainly every time when we participate in Mass, we do.  We pray with the Body of Christ, the Church as we cry out, “Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!” “Mercy” plays a central role in our spiritual life. As a matter of fact, it is an attribute of God Himself.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote in his encyclical letter, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy, 1980), “the Bible, Tradition, and the whole faith life of the People of God provide unique proof that mercy is the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God.” (#13)

St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Ephesians, “God who is rich in mercy, because of the great love He had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ – by grace you have been saved – raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus…” (Ep. 2:4-6) The Father in heaven pours out mercy upon us and upon  the whole world in Christ Jesus His Son. Pope St. John Paul II notes in Dives in Misericordia, “In Christ and through Christ, God also becomes especially visible in his mercy… Not only does he speak of it and explain it by the use of comparisons and parables, but above all He Himself makes it incarnate and personifies it. He Himself, in a certain sense, is mercy.” (DM #2) We can say, then, that Jesus Christ is “Mercy Incarnate,” that is, Mercy in the flesh.

We see this clearly through the lens of the Gospels.  In their pages we see Jesus performing many acts of mercy: curing the sick, raising the dead, driving out demons, feeding the hungry by multiplying loaves and fish, teaching the truth about loving God first and foremost, and loving one another with mercy.  He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Mt. 5:7) Then, as the crowning event, He went to the Cross on Calvary to accomplish the greatest deed of mercy and act of love the world would ever know – the Merciful Jesus offers Himself in sacrifice so as to save us from sin and darkness and bring the mercy of His Father upon us.  God Himself assumes our own human flesh and as Great High Priest lays down His life as the Divine Victim to save us sinful humans. 

The Latin word for mercy is misericordia contains two other words as its basis: miser meaning “being in misery” or “to share misery”, and cor meaning “heart”. We can say that misericordia or mercy connotes “having a heart that suffers with another” or “being compassionate with another”. From Jesus’ cor, His heart, flows forth miser, His capacity to share in our suffering and to take on our sins
           
On the Cross, as Jesus completed His Sacrifice of mercy and love, the centurion came with his spear and pierced His side and His heart from which flowed blood and water. (Jn. 19:34) This is the source of the sacramental life of the Church – the water of Baptism and the blood as the Holy Eucharist. His Sacrifice becomes the geat source of mercy for the Church and the world.
           
Our Lord wanted His Sacrifice of Mercy and Love to be perpetuated for us every day through every age. So, He instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, the Holy Eucharist. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, taught, “At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection…” (#47)
           
God, who is rich in mercy, desired to pour out His mercy and grace on people by making His Sacrifice present on the altars of the Church.  Our Lord instituted His Sacrifice at the Last Supper and made it possible to nourish the people for by making the fruit of this Sacrifice, His Body and Blood, available in the Paschal Banquet of the Lamb at every Mass.  It is absolutely true what the Second Vatican Council taught, “the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” (Lumen Gentium #11) The Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass is how the mercy of God is poured out upon us.  The Mass, every time it is celebrated, accomplishes our redemption.  We must open our eyes to what the celebration of the Mass does for us.  We must reclaim what the Church teaches us about the Mass.  Then we will realize that to gather before the altar is the most important thing we ever do.
           
St. Faustina Kowalska (d 1938), the humble Polish nun to whom Our Lord entrusted the Message of Divine Mercy, wrote in her diary, “The inconceivable miracle of your mercy takes place, O Lord.  The Word becomes flesh; God dwells among us, the Word of God, Mercy Incarnate.” (Divine Mercy in My Soul, #1745) She also wrote in her diary, “Oh, what awesome mysteries take place during Mass! A great mystery is accomplished in the Holy Mass.  With what devotion should we listen to and take part in the death of Jesus.  One day we will know what God is doing for us in each Mass…” (Divine Mercy in My Soul #914)
           
At every Mass, the love and mercy of the Father is sent down upon us by the presence of the Sacrifice of His Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is no wonder that the Church teaches us that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our life.  There we find love, mercy, peace, and meaning for our sufferings and sorrow.  It is the source from which we draw our strength and the summit where we are united with Christ in Holy Communion.

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh