Probably one of the most quotable figures on the face of the earth is the Pope, Francis. Partly this is because there are so many Roman Catholics in the world. And another part is the fact that many non-Catholics---like me---want to know what the Pope is thinking and how he articulates that. I suppose a third reason why the Pope speaks and folks listen is because the Pope inevitably plays a political role in the world simply because he is Pope. There is no other comparable religious figure on earth.
I routinely read a Catholic periodical online just to stay abreast of what the Pope is up to and what the Catholic Church is thinking about. Part of the online journal is usually a quotation or two from Pope Francis. Recently I saw one of these that focused on mercy and would like to share it and then comment on it.
It is a bit lengthy, but it is worth sharing as a whole. “We usually think of the works of mercy individually and in relation to a specific initiative: hospitals for the sick, soup kitchens for the hungry, shelters for the homeless, schools for those to be educated, the confessional and spiritual direction for those needing counsel and forgiveness. But if we look at the works of mercy as a whole, we see that the object of mercy is human life itself and everything it embraces. Life itself, as “flesh”, hungers and thirsts; it needs to be clothed, given shelter and visited, to say nothing of receiving a proper burial, something none of us, however rich, can do for ourselves. Even the wealthiest person, in death, becomes a pauper; there are no removal vans in a funeral cortege. Life itself, as “spirit”, needs to be educated, corrected, encouraged and consoled. We need others to counsel us, to forgive us, to put up with us and to pray for us.” These words from Pope Francis came in an address called the Jubilee for Priests and was delivered in June, 2016.
In the first place I find it interesting that the Pope talks about mercy from the perspective of works. Mercy is something we do or give, usually to another person or group. Mercy is like grace; typically, it is understood as gift. If we are able to make our own way---make our own breaks---then we don’t need mercy. Mercy tends to be an issue when dealing with the young, the infirm or those who are disadvantaged somehow. Mercy is for those who can’t do it themselves. We get a sense of its meaning when we hear the plea, “Don’t give me what I deserve; give me mercy.” Notice the list of receivers of mercy the Pope points out: hospitals, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, etc.
It is at this point the Pope pushes a little deeper in his analysis of mercy. He says the object of mercy is human life itself. Mercy may seem to be addressing a more specific issue, i.e. homelessness, hunger, illness---but the real object is more general, namely, human life itself. The Pope pushes even deeper. Life comes to each of us in two forms. Life is flesh and life is spirit. Let’s look at both of these.
Life as flesh has to do with the radical humanness of each of us. Life as flesh is life as vulnerability. We get hungry; we get sick; we need other basics things, like clothing, shelter and so forth. Life as flesh ultimately knows itself to be mortal. Ultimately, we will not be able to do for ourselves---to sustain ourselves by ourselves. Not even the wealthy can do this, admonishes the Pope. Ultimately, we are all dependent. Of course, we may be independent for a long time. But at some point, there is not enough wealth, strength or anything else that can spare us or save us. We are at the mercy of the process that will lead to our undoing. Or alternatively, we are at the mercy of God and God’s helpers to grace us with life, which we may not even deserve.
Life is a gift and ultimately, a pure gift. The Pope gets at this when he looks at life in its other dimension, namely, life as spirit. Life as spirit is core to who we really are. But to learn this requires mercy from others. We need to be educated and corrected when we go wrong. We need the mercy of forgiveness and the mercy of encouragement. I like how the Pope puts it when he says we need the mercy of others to put up with us! I know this kind of mercy as a parent to my kids. Since I am a child of God, I guess it is the same deal!
There is no doubt all of us will be the recipient of mercy. This will certainly be true when we receive the mercy of God. But most of us will probably receive the mercy from others—from our family and friends and, perhaps even, from strangers. It causes me to say, “God bless the merciful.” I think the Pope suggests that mercy is a work. It is not necessarily easy. In some cases, it is difficult because the person we show mercy is not a friend or even someone we like. It is easy with family and friends. But as children of God, we can’t play favorites! We are called to be God-like. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.”
I may not be full of mercy yet, but with what little I have, I can start practicing. Following the Pope, I want to get on the mercy bandwagon. I want to be a merciful disciple. I am confident we learn mercy by doing works of mercy. Real mercy is not just an idea; it is a work of the spirit. To do works of mercy asks us to put our ego aside and be other-centered for a while. It may well be “more blessed to give than to receive.” Maybe that is the logic of mercy.
Finally, after thinking about mercy, the only thing to do is go to work---to work mercy.
I routinely read a Catholic periodical online just to stay abreast of what the Pope is up to and what the Catholic Church is thinking about. Part of the online journal is usually a quotation or two from Pope Francis. Recently I saw one of these that focused on mercy and would like to share it and then comment on it.
It is a bit lengthy, but it is worth sharing as a whole. “We usually think of the works of mercy individually and in relation to a specific initiative: hospitals for the sick, soup kitchens for the hungry, shelters for the homeless, schools for those to be educated, the confessional and spiritual direction for those needing counsel and forgiveness. But if we look at the works of mercy as a whole, we see that the object of mercy is human life itself and everything it embraces. Life itself, as “flesh”, hungers and thirsts; it needs to be clothed, given shelter and visited, to say nothing of receiving a proper burial, something none of us, however rich, can do for ourselves. Even the wealthiest person, in death, becomes a pauper; there are no removal vans in a funeral cortege. Life itself, as “spirit”, needs to be educated, corrected, encouraged and consoled. We need others to counsel us, to forgive us, to put up with us and to pray for us.” These words from Pope Francis came in an address called the Jubilee for Priests and was delivered in June, 2016.
In the first place I find it interesting that the Pope talks about mercy from the perspective of works. Mercy is something we do or give, usually to another person or group. Mercy is like grace; typically, it is understood as gift. If we are able to make our own way---make our own breaks---then we don’t need mercy. Mercy tends to be an issue when dealing with the young, the infirm or those who are disadvantaged somehow. Mercy is for those who can’t do it themselves. We get a sense of its meaning when we hear the plea, “Don’t give me what I deserve; give me mercy.” Notice the list of receivers of mercy the Pope points out: hospitals, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, etc.
It is at this point the Pope pushes a little deeper in his analysis of mercy. He says the object of mercy is human life itself. Mercy may seem to be addressing a more specific issue, i.e. homelessness, hunger, illness---but the real object is more general, namely, human life itself. The Pope pushes even deeper. Life comes to each of us in two forms. Life is flesh and life is spirit. Let’s look at both of these.
Life as flesh has to do with the radical humanness of each of us. Life as flesh is life as vulnerability. We get hungry; we get sick; we need other basics things, like clothing, shelter and so forth. Life as flesh ultimately knows itself to be mortal. Ultimately, we will not be able to do for ourselves---to sustain ourselves by ourselves. Not even the wealthy can do this, admonishes the Pope. Ultimately, we are all dependent. Of course, we may be independent for a long time. But at some point, there is not enough wealth, strength or anything else that can spare us or save us. We are at the mercy of the process that will lead to our undoing. Or alternatively, we are at the mercy of God and God’s helpers to grace us with life, which we may not even deserve.
Life is a gift and ultimately, a pure gift. The Pope gets at this when he looks at life in its other dimension, namely, life as spirit. Life as spirit is core to who we really are. But to learn this requires mercy from others. We need to be educated and corrected when we go wrong. We need the mercy of forgiveness and the mercy of encouragement. I like how the Pope puts it when he says we need the mercy of others to put up with us! I know this kind of mercy as a parent to my kids. Since I am a child of God, I guess it is the same deal!
There is no doubt all of us will be the recipient of mercy. This will certainly be true when we receive the mercy of God. But most of us will probably receive the mercy from others—from our family and friends and, perhaps even, from strangers. It causes me to say, “God bless the merciful.” I think the Pope suggests that mercy is a work. It is not necessarily easy. In some cases, it is difficult because the person we show mercy is not a friend or even someone we like. It is easy with family and friends. But as children of God, we can’t play favorites! We are called to be God-like. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.”
I may not be full of mercy yet, but with what little I have, I can start practicing. Following the Pope, I want to get on the mercy bandwagon. I want to be a merciful disciple. I am confident we learn mercy by doing works of mercy. Real mercy is not just an idea; it is a work of the spirit. To do works of mercy asks us to put our ego aside and be other-centered for a while. It may well be “more blessed to give than to receive.” Maybe that is the logic of mercy.
Finally, after thinking about mercy, the only thing to do is go to work---to work mercy.
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