Mercy – Part 1
This is the first of a two-part series on Mercy. We apologize that we cannot give proper credit for these helpful thoughts. We welcome any information you may have about the author. The original piece has been edited for space and clarity.
WHAT IS MERCY? We tend to think of “mercy” as compassion or sympathy, but the word has a much deeper meaning. It is more than feeling sorry for someone. Having mercy means that we enter the other person’s suffering. We feel the other person’s pain, see through the other person’s eyes, and place ourselves inside the other person’s heart and mind. When that happens, we are moved to respond in a merciful way. We can be merciful because God is merciful. “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. The LORD is good to all, compassionate toward all your works” (Ps 145:8-9). Mercy grows in us as we reflect on how God has been merciful with us.
Here are four tangible ways to show mercy to others.
DARE TO REALLY CARE. Allow yourself to look beneath another person’s surface needs and feel what that person is going through. Maybe it is physical pain. Or, maybe it is loneliness, rejection, discouragement, or fear. Imagine that you are seeing this person through the eyes of Jesus. Then decide how you can help that person.
How would my life change if I began to really care about other people?
DON’T JUDGE. Merciful people don’t say, “You got what you deserved” or “You caused this yourself.” Maybe the person did act recklessly, or refused to see a doctor, or continued to smoke or eat junk food. Let God be the judge of what happened. You are called to offer mercy and help in whatever way you can -no matter what the circumstances.
What attitudes would I have to change to stop judging others?
AVOID GOSSIP. Merciful people refrain from gossip because they know that gossip is another assault on an already injured person. Pope Francis tells us: “It is so terrible to gossip! At first it may seem like a nice thing, even amusing, like enjoying a candy. But in the end, it fills the heart with bitterness, and even poisons us” (Angelus, Feb. 16, 2014).
How will I keep myself from gossiping about other people?
REFUSE TO RETALIATE. Merciful people don’t hold a grudge or try to even the score. They let it go, give whatever happened to God, and forgive. Forgiveness allows you to let anger, hurt, and bitterness drain out of your heart. It restores a sense of peace to your soul. Without forgiveness you become a prisoner to your own resentments. With forgiveness, you mirror God’s mercy.
Who are the people that I need to forgive?
JESUS SAID, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). Our efforts to become more merciful may change the people around us. More importantly, those efforts will guarantee a change in us. We’ll become kinder and more compassionate. We’ll become more like Christ.