Mercy as a definition of love!
Many times when someone asks us to define what love is, it would seem that the only way to define love is as something abstract, as if it were something difficult and impossible to do. In reality, Jesus Christ and in the Word of God in general defines them as something tangible and possible to realize.
The First Letter of St. John tells us more than clearly that God is Love (read 1 John 4:7-21). When I usually write that sentence (or phrase) “God is Love” you will notice that I write the word love with a capital letter. This has a very important and transcendent reason. Under no circumstances do I want to forget (not only in writing but also in my daily actions and lives) that love in God is not only an attribute of God but more significant and transcendental is that the Love of God encompasses all its fullness.
With this in mind, we must understand that in God, love is his main reason for being. According to theologians, the Holy Spirit flows from the Infinite Love between the Father and the Son. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the Love between the Father and the Son and vice versa, but this is a Love that does not end, that is, it is infinite.
When Jesus promised the disciples that He would send Him another Paraclete (sea and read John 14:15-17; 15:26-27; 16:7-15) that is, Advocate, Comforter, etc. With this promise of the Holy Spirit He was telling them that He would send them the One who is all Love to comfort them. This promise is so timely that it is equivalent with such force for Christians today, and with all the social, cultural and injustice problems that affect the most intimate fibers of the person, without a doubt that we need divine consolation.
Psychologists say that there is nothing better that comforts a person than the love of a loved one. We could imagine if this is a great reality in human beings how much more true and sovereign God is to us.
It would be very convenient to look at the etymology (origin of the words) and the meaning of this word mercy.[1] Etymologically speaking, this word has its origin from the Latin “misere” or misery or need. Continuing with this etymology we also have cor and cordis also from the Latin which means heart. Ending with ‘ia’ (also Latin) whose meaning is towards or for others. In other words, to have mercy is to possess a heart of solidarity with all those who have and suffer from need.
Having the definition of mercy we will realize that this word is synonymous with charity. In fact, charity is love made action and not just giving alms as many tend to think. But it is important not to confuse mercy with pity. Mercy requires more closeness and fraternity in Christ Jesus, while pity can be empty of the Christian context.
Jesus gives us many examples of how He loved us with great mercy. Here at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount we can see that it begins with the Beatitudes. The fifth beatitude proposes that the merciful will obtain mercy (read Matthew 5:7). We could say that Jesus with the Beatitudes exposes to us the most complete and integral definitive way of living Christianity. With the Beatitudes, Jesus is telling us that love is the highest expression of the Christian life.
The Lord was dining at the home of Matthew, who was known as Levi. The Pharisees questioned the disciples why their teacher ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus' answers were undoubtedly very impressive. “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13).[2] [3] Jesus alludes to the Prophet Hosea: “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).[4]
Hosea is at the same time inspired by the Prophet Samuel . Here Samuel said to King Saul who had disobeyed God: “And Samuel said, Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).[5] One thing goes with the other: obeying the Word of God is loving, and living mercy is loving.
As we can see, for the prophets Samuel and Hosea, love and all its ways of manifesting it are more important than sacrifice and burnt offering. Jesus Christ himself placed love above the burnt offering and sacrifices and therefore charity and mercy. That is why Jesus says to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).[6]
We may forget the Commandments of God’s Law, but if we are asked the first one, we will undoubtedly know what it is: “Love God above all things.”[7] It is precisely when we keep the commandments (from the heart and not as something imposed) that we are loving God. Similarly, when we love God (if we do so from the heart and not as a mere observance) we are fulfilling God's word. But this also applies to all the baptized since later in the Gospel of St. John he will tell us: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).[8]
The Encyclical Letter Misericordiae Vultus (MV) meaning the “Face of Mercy” (let us remember that, in a bundle, especially in our Hispanic American countries, there is room for many things) with which Pope Francis convoked the Year of Mercy[9] tells us: “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. The Father, “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4), after having revealed his name to Moses as ‘a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’ (Ex 34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout history, his divine nature. In the ‘fullness of time’ (Gal 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God.”[10]
The Church has always taught and emphasized to us about the works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual. The works of mercy are loving actions which we practice through fraternal charity. There are 14 works of mercy, and they are divided into seven that are corporal and another seven that are of a spiritual nature. Of these, without a doubt, Jesus is the perfect model to imitate.
We must ask ourselves: Why does the Church invite and exhort us to live the works of mercy? We can understand this better when we are very aware of what is the first Commandment of the Law of God, which is to love God above all things. When Jesus was asked what the main commandment was, after pointing it out, Jesus tells us that the next one is to love our neighbor as ourselves.[11] If we keep in mind that the Law and the Prophets are based on these two commandments, without a doubt the works of mercy will always be in our hearts and our being, not only to know them, but rather to realize them and make them a reality in our Christian life.
Let’s see what these works are and how the Lord Jesus lived mercy. The following are the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry; to give drink to the thirsty; to give lodging to the needy; clothing the naked; visiting the sick; to help prisoners and bury the dead. The following are the spiritual works of mercy: teaching the one who does not know; give good advice to those who need it; correct the one who is in error; to forgive injuries; to console the sad; patiently suffer the defects of others; pray to God for the living and the dead.
Now let’s look at how Jesus lived mercy. He was very famous because he went from town to town, from village to village. Of these wanderings St. Matthew does not say that in his itineraries of journeys he educated in the synagogues, proclaimed the Kingdom of God, cured ailments and diseases. In addition, he felt compassion or mercy for those who were suffering and sad, downcast and discouraged because they were like sheep without a shepherd (See and read Matthew 9:35-36).
One of the works of mercy, or rather several, in this account is not indicated by St. John in his Gospel. Jesus being in Jerusalem teaching in the Temple is brought to him an adulterous woman. The Mosaic Law indicated that a woman caught in adultery was to be stoned (see Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18). But Jesus, who sees beyond minds, that is, beyond the human mentality, tells him that “he who is without sin should cast the first stone.” Here Jesus not only forgave the adulterous woman, but he gives a very important lesson that mercy and therefore the love of God is.
The works of mercy in Jesus are so many that I would not give 100 articles and reflections like this. I would like to conclude this reflection by quoting Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (EG). “The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.”[12]
Holy Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Mercy, pray for your children, all the baptized who seek one day by the infinite mercy of God to reach the Heavenly Homeland. God help us!
[1] In Hebrew, raham or racham (רָחַם) is a verb meaning “to love deeply” or “have mercy,” therefore signifies “merciful.” The Hebrew word “rahamim” (רַחֲמִים) directly translates to “compassion” or “mercy.” It is a plural noun for , sometimes serving as an intensive form of the quality of compassion. In Hebrew, the literal translation of rehem or rechem (רֶחֶם) is “womb” or “uterus.” But the rechem also has a metaphoric meaning, which is the source of mercy, compassion and tenderness. Its root is the Hebrew verb “racham” (רָחַם), which means “to have compassion” or “to love.” The rechem then can be both the physical source of shelter and compassion in the womb as well as an attribute of compassion in God. We may notice that when we write racham and rechem in Hebrew are almost the “same word” the difference lies in the punctuation of both words.
[2] PRESS, IGNATIUS. Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version - Burgundy - Second Catholic Edition (p. 2424). Kindle Edition.
[3] See and read Matthew 9:10-13
[4] PRESS, IGNATIUS. Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version - Burgundy - Second Catholic Edition (p. 2155). Kindle Edition.
[5] Ibid pp. 612-613
[6] Ibid p. 2634
[7] Sea and read Exodus 20:2-6
[8] PRESS, IGNATIUS. Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version - Burgundy - Second Catholic Edition (p. 2634). Kindle Edition.
[9] The Year of Mercy began on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and concluded on the Solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, November 20, 2016
[10] MV # 1
[11] See and read Matthew 22:34-40
[12] EG # 114