Saturday, March 29
Several Lenten seasons ago, I read a book by Father Michael Gaitley entitled, You Did it to Me: A Practical Guide to Mercy in Action. Through the book, Fr. Michael gives practical and actionable steps to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, but first, he defines mercy for the reader: “Mercy is love when it encounters suffering…Mercy is love that feels compassion for those who suffer and reaches out to help them” (Gaitley 19).
In today’s readings, Mercy is thematically woven throughout, especially in the Psalm and the Gospel. The Psalmist cries, “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense” (Ps. 51:3). As Christians, we know the full revelation of this Scripture: the Lord’s compassion for us is so great that He not only loved us into being, but He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as expiation for our sins. This is Our Lord’s ultimate act of mercy, and He continues to love us in our suffering through the Sacraments and through our daily relationship with Him. Prior to reading Fr. Michael’s book, I was more familiar with being the receiver of God’s mercy whether through my own prayer and Confession, or receiving mercy from family/friends for wrongs that I had done. But, with the actionable steps given by Fr. Michael, I realized how much I, and consequently we, can also be the givers of mercy, not just to those that personally hurt us, but to all people every day. We can step into the role of loving like Our Father by encountering people’s suffering around us and loving them there. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy are tangible ways for us to live out Christ’s love and His mission of Mercy on earth.
In our Lenten theme of “Pain into Hope,” I propose that one of the most powerful ways to turn pain into hope is to experience God’s mercy, and then, to extend and share His Mercy with others. Prayerfully, read through today’s readings and ask the Lord to reveal to you what person you can extend mercy to in your day, whether by prayer or by action. Maybe it’s a smile and water bottle given to the homeless woman you see every day by the subway, maybe it’s a hug to your husband as he comes home from a long, stressful day at work, maybe it’s a kiss on your daughter’s scraped knee after she fell at the park, or maybe it’s a kind word to yourself as you struggle to see yourself as the dignified and loved child of God that you are. Ultimately, when we receive God’s mercy, which we have access to every day through the Sacraments and prayer, let us be aware of the ways we can then give God’s mercy. May we be people of love and compassion when we encounter other’s suffering, and may we, day by day, help to transform pain into hope.
Madison Mitchell is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher and a Cantor at her parish. Previously, she was a musical theatre actress performing on Broadway and in National Tours.
You can find out more about her here.