The Works of Mercy – with the voice of Domenico Vai
Pope Francis, in the document “The Face of Mercy” (Mv), passionately exclaims: “How I desire that the coming years be permeated with mercy, to reach every person, bringing God’s goodness and tenderness! May the balm of mercy reach everyone, believers and those far away, as a sign of the Kingdom of God already present among us” (Mv 5). This same document helps us reconstruct the History of Salvation in the key of Mercy: “In short, God’s mercy is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality through which He reveals His love, like the love of a father and a mother whose child touches their very being.
Truly, it can be said that this is a visceral love. (Mv 6)
The mission Jesus received from the Father was to reveal the mystery of God’s love in all its fullness. “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8, 16). His person is nothing other than love, a love that gives itself selflessly. His relationships with those who approach him reveal something exceptional and unique. The signs he performs, especially toward sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are under the banner of mercy. Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in him is without compassion. What moved Jesus in every circumstance was nothing other than mercy, with which he read the hearts of his interlocutors and responded to their truest needs. (Matthew 8)
Let us listen to the words of Jesus, who made mercy an ideal of life and a criterion of credibility for our faith: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7) is a blessing that should be inspired with particular commitment in this Holy Year. God’s mercy is His responsibility for us. He feels responsible, that is, he desires our well-being and wants us to be happy, filled with joy and serenity. The merciful love of Christians should be oriented on the same wavelength. As He loves the Father, so they love their children. As He is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to one another. (Mv 9)