Today’s liturgical readings call us to remember and to live today the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. We all know the gist of the story. A traveler is violently attacked and left for dead, passersby avoid the person, but then the least likely of them stops and tenderly cares for the person.

We tend to call anyone who helps a stranger a “good samaritan” which is certainly true to this story but there is also a deeper meaning which the last verse of the story calls us to remember:

Who is neighbor? The one who showed mercy, compassion.

Lest we only allow the story of the Good Samaritan to fill us with warm fuzzies, God calls us to live mercy and compassion, to reach out to others and to ourselves with mercy and compassion. There is yet a further meaning of these words which the prophet Zephaniah brings to the fore:

The word of God came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says God: Render true judgements, show compassion and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. (Zephaniah 7:8-10)

Mercy and compassion are the mark of true justice — not a vengeful justice that takes life for life, violence for violence — but one that shows kindness and respect, one that feels deeply for all involved, one that uses wisdom and relies on the grace of God.

Our response must be three-fold:

1. Pray and reflect on the words of Scripture.
2. Consider how the Spirit is calling us to look at this in our own life — in how we treat ourselves and how we treat others — indeed our whole disposition to life and the world around us!
3. Act. Don’t just think about how this is such a nice idea. Incarnate it.

I’ve learned the all-too-difficult lesson that when you ask God to help you with something like putting your actions where your mouth is, God obliges! Just not necessarily the way I would have liked it. Still, we are called to follow through, to keep pursuing the good that God has stirred within us.

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"Blessed are the Merciful" in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, Missouri

I find it challenging at times to take Jesus up on his call to be merciful. Sometimes I can swing a bit more towards the “vengeance shall be mine!” philosophy, especially when I’ve been hurt deeply. The sword is, after all, is so much more tangible than forgiveness. Is it really possible to be persons of mercy, without at the same time being delusional or sacrificing who we are and what we stand for?

On days when I’m not up to the challenge of mercy and forgiveness, I take a walk with Jesus. Sometimes we walk a beautiful meadow, other times we walk the street. I look at Jesus …

… amazed at his ability to be a person of strength and tenderness, truth and mercy, vulnerability and peace
… amazed that he could forgive those who hurt him
… amazed that for all he gave up and sacrificed, he never took to the sword or hollered even one a word of insult

And I pray …

… to overcome my fear
… to not mistake reprimand for forgiveness
… to understand and to live the truth of mercy, of compassion especially to those who have been violent with me or others
… and for forgiveness as I fall short so many times

I would be grateful to hear from you about how you tread the path of mercy and forgiveness. What helps you or hangs you up from time to time?

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Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, a Catholic feast day that originated with Saint Faustina Kowalska. Saint Faustina was a Catholic nun belonging to the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. She experienced visions Jesus Christ including a message about spreading the word about God’s mercy to the whole world. When Pope John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina, he made Divine Mercy Sunday part of the church’s liturgical calendar.

The scripture readings today are beautiful and offer a kind of “action plan” for our Christian journey. Visit the blog From the Pews in the Back to read my guest post A Divine Action Plan, a short reflections on the readings for Divine Mercy Sunday.

Since today is a day to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, I want to explore a bit more what “mercy” means. It’s one of those words that is fairly ordinary and unassuming, yet loaded with meaning. It is simple yet it is life-changing.

Mercy.

My first research destination: Merriam-Webster dictionary

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise

1 a: compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; also: lenient or compassionate treatment b: imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder

2 a: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b: a fortunate circumstance

3: compassionate treatment of those in distress

My next stop: Theological Dictionary (Rahner and Vorgrimler)

Mercy. Readiness to help those in need. The Old Testament expresses God’s mercy chiefly by the verbs meaning to “be motherly” and to “bend down”. Throughout the Old Testament, assurances of God’s mercy, graciousness, and fidelity to his covenant outbalance all references … to the wrath of God; these qualities dominate the New Testament conception of God….

Human mercy, according to Scripture, is not measured by any display of feeling but by concrete proofs.

Which brings me to my final research destination: The Works of Mercy

The Corporal Works of Mercy

• feed the hungry
• shelter the homeless
• clothe the naked
• visit the sick and imprisoned
• bury the dead
• give alms to the poor

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

• instruct
• advise
• console
• comfort
• forgive
• bear wrongs patiently

What does mercy mean to you? Which word or phrase above resonates with you, draws you, calls for some kind of response from you?