February 19, 2025 at 12:06 p.m.
How can we be merciful?
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
In Luke’s Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:27-38), Jesus presents a radical teaching that challenges every natural instinct. He commands His followers to love their enemies, bless those who curse them and give without expecting anything in return. At the heart of this teaching is the command: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Mercy is the key to understanding this passage. It is the foundation of God’s relationship with humanity and the essence of how we are called to live as His children. But what does it mean to be merciful, and how can we live this out in a world often characterized by conflict, self-interest and division?
Saint Thomas Aquinas offers profound insights into the nature of mercy, helping us to see it not only as a human virtue but as a reflection of the very nature of God.
Aquinas defines mercy, or misericordia, as a “heartfelt sorrow” for another’s suffering, accompanied by a desire to alleviate it. In the “Summa Theologica,” he explains that mercy arises from charity — the love that wills the good of another. It is not a passive feeling but a virtue that moves us to action. Mercy, Aquinas teaches, is grounded in our shared humanity; we are moved to compassion because we see our own vulnerability in the suffering of others.
Aquinas also emphasizes that mercy is central to God’s nature. While God is perfectly just, His mercy does not contradict His justice. Rather, mercy is “the most excellent work of His power” (ST I, Q.21, Art. 3). It is through mercy that God reveals His infinite goodness, forgiving sins and offering grace to those who do not deserve it. This divine mercy is not weakness but strength.
In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus shows us what mercy looks like in action, namely loving enemies, rather than retaliating against them; blessing those who curse us and praying for those who mistreat us; and giving generously without expecting repayment. Each of these commands overturns the logic of the world, which often operates on retribution and self-interest. Instead, Jesus calls us to a higher standard: to act with the same mercy that God shows to us. Mercy, as Aquinas reminds us, begins with seeing the suffering of others. It involves recognizing their pain and allowing it to move our hearts. But it does not stop there; it compels us to respond. When we forgive, when we give, when we choose love over hatred, we participate in God’s work of mercy in the world.
Living out this mercy is not easy. It requires us to let go of pride, selfishness and the desire for vengeance. Yet, Jesus assures us that mercy is its own reward. In Luke 6:38, He says:
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Mercy opens us to the abundance of God’s grace. When we show mercy to others, we draw closer to the heart of God and experience His mercy more deeply in our own lives.
The transformative power of mercy is beautifully depicted in the story of “Les Misérables.” Jean Valjean, a hardened convict, is transformed by the mercy of the bishop who forgives him and gives him another chance. That act of mercy not only changes Valjean’s life but becomes the foundation for a life dedicated to compassion and justice.
In our own lives, we are called to be like that bishop, extending mercy to those who least deserve it. This could mean forgiving a family member who has hurt us, helping someone in need without expecting anything in return, or choosing to see the humanity in someone society has cast aside.
To be merciful, as our Father is merciful, is both a challenge and a gift. It requires us to go beyond the limits of our natural inclinations and to love as God loves. Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that mercy is not merely an act of charity but a reflection of divine justice and perfection. It is a way of participating in the very life of God.
As we meditate on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Plain, let us pray for the grace to live out this call to mercy. May we see the suffering of others with the eyes of compassion, respond with the heart of charity, and act with the strength of divine love. In doing so, we will not only transform the lives of others but become more fully who God created us to be: instruments of His mercy in the world.
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