Pathways of Mercy

Photo: Pinky, fsp

The overflowing mercy of  God manifests his readiness to forgive and let go of our transgressions. When God forgives, he forgets. Such is the greatness of his love and mercy for all of humanity. The very reason for sending his Son, Jesus Christ into the world and embracing our human nature so that he will become like us in all things except sin.

The nature of God, who is all love and mercy are best exemplified by various Gospel parables that are devoted to mercy. In these parables, “Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father wh never gives up until he has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion and mercy.” (Misericordiae Vultus)

It is only possible to be compassionate when one has been touched and transformed by the infinite mercy of God.

In this year of Mercy, we are invited to look deeply into the recesses of our hearts. What do we see in there? Do we see the merciful love of  the Father etched in every recess of our heart? 

What are the pathways of Mercy that we can adopt; some kind of routes to tread; lines of action to follow especially this year? 

Mercy is what our world needs today. There is so much violence around us – violence inflicted not only on fellow human beings , but even in animals and the environment as well. 

In declaring the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis reminds us that at this particular time, more than ever, “we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.” (Misericordiae Vultus)