Many people ask me about mercy because it touches a tender place in every human heart. We know our weaknesses, our regrets, and our failings — and we hope that God will meet us not with judgment, but with compassion. When Jesus speaks about mercy, He doesn’t offer a theory. He shows us God’s own heart. And when you let His words sink in, you begin to see that mercy is not just something God gives — it’s something He invites us to live.
One of the clearest moments comes from the Gospel when Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” He frames mercy not as an optional virtue, but as the very way God relates to us. Jesus heals the sick, forgives sinners, and sits with outcasts — not to excuse sin, but to reveal what divine love looks like in action. When He tells the parable of the prodigal son, He’s opening a window into the Father’s heart: a heart that runs toward us even when we’ve walked away.
The Church teaches that mercy is God bending down to lift us up, restoring the dignity we were created for. It isn’t weakness. It isn’t permissiveness. It’s the strength of love that refuses to give up on us. And Jesus calls us to share that same mercy with others — even when it’s difficult, even when someone has wounded us. In the Beatitudes, He says, “Blessed are the merciful,” reminding us that mercy isn’t just something we receive; it’s a path to true joy.
In daily life, mercy begins in small, hidden places — choosing patience when we’re tired, offering forgiveness before someone earns it, looking at another person with the same tenderness God shows us. When we practice mercy, we become living signs of Christ in a world that hungers for kindness and understanding. And little by little, our hearts begin to resemble His.
May we allow the mercy of Christ to soften our hearts, shape our choices, and guide our steps — so that others may glimpse God’s love through us.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
