The Jubilee has ended and the Holy Door is closed. But the door of mercy of our heart must continue to remain wide open, says Pope Francis in Misericordia et Misera, his Apostolic Letter marking the conclusion of the Holy Year of Mercy. He calls on believers to replace the prevalent culture of indifference with a “culture of mercy”. It is a clear and prophetic roadmap for the future — for individuals, communities, societies and the human family itself. New initiatives are proposed to open up our hearts to the all loving God and, in turn to each other – to build our lives on mercy.
The title of the Letter “Misericordia et Misera” (Latin for ‘Mercy and Misery”) is from St. Augustine’s commentary on the meeting of Jesus with the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of St. John (Jn 8:1-11). In the eyes of the law,she is to be stoned to death. Her accusers are ready with stones in their hands…. Jesus intervenes, “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”… One by one, the stones fall from their hands and they slip away quietly. Jesus is left alone with the woman — Jesus and the woman – a poignant image of Mercy and Misery. Jesus asks her: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” Jesus helps the woman to look to the future with hope and to make a new start in life. This scene, says Pope Francis, could easily serve as “an icon of what we have celebrated during the Holy Year, a time rich in mercy, which must continue to be celebrated and lived out in our communities… Everything is revealed in mercy; everything is resolved in the merciful love of the Father.”
Called to celebrate mercy
Forgiveness is the most visible sign of the Father’s love, which Jesus came to reveal by his life. Pope Francis says, “We are called to celebrate mercy”. We celebrate God’s mercy in the Word of God, in the liturgy, in the Sacraments and “in a very particular way in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation” (8). Pope Francis wants priests to prepare carefully for the ministry of confession, where God shows us the way to turn back to him and invites us to experience his closeness anew (8). Pope Francis lists the qualities a priest should have in hearing confessions: “I ask you to be welcoming to all, witnesses of fatherly love, whatever the gravity of the sin involved, attentive in helping penitents to reflect on the evil they have done, clear in presenting moral principles, willing to walk patiently beside the faithful on their penitential journey, far-sighted in discerning individual cases and generous in dispensing God’s forgiveness” (10). “The Sacrament of Reconciliation,” Pope Francis affirms, “must regain its central place in the Christian life” (11).
The Family, a privileged place for mercy
The family is the first school of mercy, because it is there that we have been loved and learned to love, have been forgiven and learned to forgive,” said Pope Francis in The Name of God Is Mercy. Here he reminds us that the grace of the sacrament of marriage strengthens the family to be a privileged place for practising mercy” (14). The experience of mercy enables us to view all human problems from the standpoint of God’s love, which never tires of welcoming and accompanying. Our life, says Pope Francis, with its joys, sorrows, and struggles is something unique and complex, where many find themselves in difficult situations. This demands, especially of priests, “a careful, profound and far-sighted spiritual discernment, so that everyone, none excluded, can feel accepted by God, participate actively in the life of the community and be part of that People of God which journeys towards the fullness of his kingdom of justice, love, forgiveness and mercy” (14).
Social Character of Mercy
Pope Francis tells us that “now is the time to unleash the creativity of mercy,” to launch new initiatives which are the fruits of grace. He wants new ways of practising “the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to respond to the new situations. Many concrete signs of mercy have been performed during this Holy Year. Communities, families and individuals have rediscovered the joy of sharing and the beauty of solidarity. But this is not enough. Our world continues to create new forms of spiritual and material poverty that assault human dignity. For this reason, the Church must always be vigilant and ready to identify new works of mercy and to practise them with generosity and enthusiasm. We are called “to give new expressions to the traditional works of mercy.”
The social character of mercy demands that we banish our indifference and hypocrisy, and contribute actively and selflessly to making justice and a dignified life a reality in our world. Mercy should impel us to “roll up our sleeves and set about restoring dignity to millions of people; they are our brothers and sisters who, with us, are called to build a civilization of love.” Pope Francis says, being unemployed or not receiving a sufficient salary, not being able to have a home or a land in which to live, experiencing discrimination on account of one’s faith, race or social status – these are all examples of situations that attack the dignity of the person. “In the face of such attacks, Christian mercy responds above all with vigilance and solidarity”.
Towards a Culture of Mercy
The Holy Door that we have crossed in this Jubilee Year has set us on the road of mercy on which we meet so many of our brothers and sisters who reach out for someone to take their hand and become a companion on the way. By its very nature, mercy becomes visible and tangible in specific acts. Once mercy has been truly experienced, it is impossible to turn back. “It grows constantly and it changes our lives. It brings about a new heart, capable of loving to the full, and it purifies our eyes to perceive hidden needs.”
Like St. John Paul II who called for “a culture of life,” Pope Francis calls us to promote in our society “a culture of mercy, a culture in which no one looks at another with indifference or turns away from the suffering of our brothers and sisters” (20). The culture of mercy urges us not to overlook situations that call for our involvement. Thus we can set in motion a real cultural revolution, says the Pope, beginning with simple gestures that touch people’s very lives. This is a commitment that the Christian community should take up.
Pope Francis concludes his Letter with a concrete suggestion: “The entire Church might celebrate, on the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, as the World Day of the Poor” (21). This is the Sunday before the feast of Christ the King. This would be the worthiest way to prepare for the celebration of the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, who identified with the little ones and the poor and who will judge us on our works of mercy (cf. Mt 25:31-46). It would be a day to help communities and each of the baptized to reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel and that, as long as Lazarus lies at the door of our homes (cf. Lk 16:19-21), there can be no justice or social peace.
– Fr. K. J. Louis SDB is a well-known writer, editorial and preacher
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