Remembering his mercy

Soph 3,14-18a or Rm 12,9-16b; and Is 12,2-6; Lk 1,39-56
31 MAY

Society lives on recurrent, we could say annual, half-yearly and monthly “big-turmoils”. A new motif arises of success in singing or dancing, a new, good or bad, style of life is presented and everyone feels maimed if he acts in a different way, or keeps on walking his own way, without even thinking about what is imposed from the ephemeral fashion of the moment. The same commotions also occur in the Church on a ten-year recurrence. They are ephemeral and transient fads. One wishes he could translate all of Revelation in one word, ignoring that revelation is an eternal, infinite mystery, beyond time, fashions, understandings, philosophies, theologies and the mental structure of every man. Today is the time of the commotion of mercy, but read in a vulgar, profane and by some even in a diabolical way. It is right then to ask oneself: what is the true mercy of which the Lord remembers and accomplishes the work of redemption and salvation? Mercy is a promise made by God to humanity. It consists in offering every man the possibility of being able to get converted after sin. It is also the offering of every gift of grace, so that we may walk in the Law of the Lord. Mercy is the gift that God makes of himself, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, so that man can always walk in his Word and thus achieve eternal glory. It is mercy because it is a free gift. It is a gift that arises and is born only from the heart of the Father. Adam was hidden in the bushes of the garden after sin. The Lord God calls him and makes him the great promise of victory over sin. In truth the promise was not made to him, but to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your lineage and his lineage. This will crush your head and you will strike her heel.” The whole history of salvation is oriented towards its fulfilment.

During those days Mary set out and travelled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

For the Lord’s mercy to be realized, the Lord has asked for collaboration with many Old Testament men: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the Prophets and many others. In the Gospel according to Luke already in the First Chapter the Lord asks the collaboration of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and John the Baptist. He asked for the collaboration of the Son who is incarnated and accomplishes the redemption from the Cross. Jesus asks the collaboration of his Apostles who have to go all over the world to preach the Gospel and give the Holy Spirit and grace. Today all the Christians are called instruments of the Lord’s mercy; of the mercy of God and not theirs. Today, this is the great betrayal of mercy: it has been transformed into the mercy of man and no longer of God, of the body and no longer of the soul and the spirit, for time and no longer for eternity. The mercy of God is Christ Jesus. The mercy of Christ is his Church. The mercy of the Church are all her children. Children must lead to the Church. The Church leads to Christ and Christ to the Father. But the children are without Church. The Church is without Christ. Christ is without the Father. If we say that man can go to God directly, do not we destroy God’s mercy?

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, make us servants of the true mercy of the Lord our God.