Jesus said to his disciples:”Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,will be poured into your lap. For the measure you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Lk 6,36-38
We are called to be merciful this 2nd week of Lent. Last week’s readings were a basic catechesis on prayer, centered around the Our Father from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. In this week’s gospel readings, mostly from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, all are called to “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
“Just as your Father is merciful.” God’s mercy is expressed in Luke’s beautiful story of the Prodigal Son, read this Saturday. The father of the prodigal son neither judges nor condemns his son. He takes nothing away from him. Instead, he calls for a bountiful feast. “Bring a robe–the best one–and put it on him, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.”
God’s mercy is like that, surprising, boundless, unmeasured.God is merciful to our world.
Daniel, the Jewish exile in Babylon sees the merciful hand of God even there. We read his story in our first reading.
“Great and awesome God,” Daniel prays, “we have been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.”
Yet, God is merciful even there. Unlike the elder son in the gospel, Daniel sees God’s merciful care even in the lion’s den of his world.
Daniel is a figure of Jesus who identifies with sinful humanity and shares in its suffering. He brings mercy to a poor world..
“Be merciful, just as your Heavenly Father is merciful.”
Lord, great and awesome God, teach me to be merciful as you are, for your mercy brings hope to me and to the world I live in. Amen
The Victor's Place 
Be compassionate… in a different translation. Can I feel the suffering of another? relate to their burden or lift up the cross of another? Will my mercy towards someone take my time or my money? How much am I willing to show mercy?
” Feuds, quarrels and vendettas were common in the small mountain towns.” where Paul ministered. Seems like a description of our unrest today as we see the news.
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“Feuds, quarrels and vendettas were common in the small mountain towns.” where Paul ministered. Seems like a description of our unrest today as we see the news. We are quick to place blame, judge the actions or non-actions of officials. jump to conclusions about the current health emergency. A book titled, “The Meanest Man in Texas” tells the story of murderer Clyde Thompson who was facing execution but then had his sentence commuted to life in prison. After his time as prisoner included a murder, he was confined to solitary. The only thing he was allowed to have was a Bible. Can you guess what happened? His soul was awakened to God’s mercy, He began studies, changed his meanness to ministry and eventually was paroled. He had a new measure of mercy.
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Bring mercy to the world like Jesus did.
He endured the world’s suffering.
He gave without measuring.
I am called to show compassion.
In doing so I am a sign of hope.
The world urgently needs to know:
Mercy is God’s everlasting, free flow.
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Before I show mercy to others,
I need to bow before God’s mercy to me.
Before I give a second chance,
I remind myself of how many I have had.
Before I close my critical eye,
I’m reminded of God’s winks at me.
Before I utter harsh words of reproof,
I count to ten while holding my tongue.
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