Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
My first contribution to the Rhode Island Catholic could very easily have focused on any one of the many worries of the day. Our world is hurting. Every day we encounter wounds in the lives of our families, neighbors, and parishes: families divided by immigration struggles, communities strained by political and ideological conflict, economic burdens that weigh heavily on the young, families, and the elderly, and deep questions about human identity, sexuality, and the meaning of life.
We live in a time of relentless pressure. Ukraine, Gaza, Minneapolis... violence daily surrounds us. Culture wars rage over gender, race, education, the environment, and the sanctity of life. Social media amplifies outrage and fosters competition, isolation, and anxiety. Political discourse is marked more by shouting than listening. Families are pulled apart not only by physical distance but by moral and spiritual division, some leaving the Church, others growing discouraged within it.
As Catholics, we can feel caught in the middle, trying to live the Gospel while navigating a society that often misunderstands or rejects it. We feel tension between tradition and change, truth and tolerance, courage and compassion. Even within the Church, we wrestle with how to move forward faithfully and fruitfully.
It is no wonder that many of us feel anxious, fearful, confused, or hopeless.
A game I played as a child serves as a metaphor that speaks volumes for us today. You may have played it, too. Opponents interlock their fingers and then twist and turn their wrists and hands until one of the players breaks under the pain and pressure calling out “mercy.” Over the past months, one word, one prayer and one hope has been on my mind constantly: mercy. We are not children. This is not a game. Some feel they’re being squeezed, and they’ve reached the breaking point. The cries for mercy are real. Many are wounded and hurting.
Mercy is missing from our everyday lives at home, at work, at school, in the marketplace, in our politics, and even in our Church. What can be done? Something must change.
We must change.
God is Merciful
Mercy permeates the Scriptures. Beginning with the Book of Genesis, mercy abounds. God shows compassion toward Adam and Eve after the Fall. They are permitted to live. They are not destroyed because of their sin but banished from Eden. God spared Cain from death, and Noah, his family and a great collection of wildlife were given a new beginning after the flood. God continually showed mercy toward Israel after each infidelity and transgression.
Jesus, the Incarnation of the Father’s Mercy
The mercy revealed through God’s action in the Old Testament takes on a new and more vital expression in Jesus. God the Father’s mercy in a singular, most unique, and powerful way becomes flesh in the person of Jesus. The sinner, the sick, the outcast, and the forgotten find healing, forgiveness, and restoration in him. He showed them mercy.
In the greatest show of mercy, Jesus Christ, God incarnate, surrenders to sin and death. He is treated mercilessly, so that infinite and abundant mercy could be ours. He shows us mercy.
The Church Teaches Mercy
St. Thomas Aquinas defined mercy as “the compassion in our hearts for another person’s misery, a compassion which drives us to do what we can to help him”. This virtue has two aspects: an “affective” or emotional component, which is the feeling of pity for another’s suffering, and an “effective” component, which is the action taken to alleviate that suffering. (ST II-II 30.I) For St. Thomas, mercy is a virtue that requires both feeling and action, ultimately stemming from empathy and the desire to aid another as “another self.” We should do for others what we hope they will do for us. Show them mercy.
When we offer mercy, misery finds relief. Misery can take the form of personal sickness whether mental, physical, or spiritual. Misery can take the shape of unexpected tragedy and misfortune. Misery can be inflicted on individuals or groups of people, consciously or unconsciously. Christ’s own passion and death shows us plainly the worst that humanity is capable of. We should live in such a way as to never be the cause of another’s misery.
Mercy is More than Human Kindness
Mercy is a fundamental aspect of Christian life and a core component of Catholic social teaching. Pope St. John XXIII called mercy “the Church’s medicine.” Pope St. John Paul II famously emphasized the importance of Divine Mercy, stating, “There is nothing that man needs more than Divine Mercy.” He dedicated much of his pontificate to promoting the message of God’s merciful love and called on humanity to embrace both receiving and extending mercy. The limit imposed upon evil... is ultimately the Divine Mercy. Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly stated, “In our time, humanity needs a strong proclamation and witness of God’s mercy.” Pope Francis emphasized mercy, highlighting its role in personal conversion and social change. He said, “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”
A Time for Mercy
Let’s make time to practice mercy. The more we practice the more effective we can be in our exercise of mercy. From September 14, 2025 (The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) to October 5, 2025 (The Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska), I invite each of you to participate in “MERCY21.” For 21 days, we will Reflect on mercy, Exercise mercy, and Pray for mercy. Repetition is key. The more we practice and repeat, the better we can get. Day after day over the next three weeks we will do our REPs. Remembering each day that God in Christ has shown us mercy, we will do our best to share mercy with others.
“Be merciful as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
To learn more & participate in “MERCY21,” please visit www.dioceseofprovidence.org.
