I listened to a story about the late Cardinal Terence Cooke. Over “250,000” attended his funeral. When asked why they came to honor Cardinal Cooke, they said “because he was my friend.” Having lost his own mother an early age, he was especially sensitive to others who were in sorrow. Though he had many talents including administration, speaking, and leadership, he was most remembered for his mercy.
In today’s “Collect” prayer, we read:
“O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us…”
We do not think of a powerful person as being good at showing mercy. Yet the Church tells us the greatest manifestation of God’s almighty power is when he pardons and shows mercy to us humans.
We continue to read from the prophet Zechariah (8:20-23). He prophesies what the future of Jerusalem would look like.
“There shall yet come peoples, the inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another, and say, ‘Come! Let us go to implore the favor of the Lord….Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the Lord.’”
What was it about Jerusalem that so attracted people to make pilgrimage there? Solomon’s temple had been destroyed, so that feature attraction no longer existed. Why would even strong nations want to visit the Lord in Jerusalem. They already had everything they needed, didn’t they? And, I’m sure, these peoples and nations had their own set of gods to call upon, why inconvenience themselves and travel all the way to Jerusalem?
That certain something that set Jerusalem apart from other places was the presence of the living God. And when people went there, though they may not have understood it this way, they experienced being soaked in the mercy of God. Their gods could not supply this gift to them, nor could their power and money obtain it. Jerusalem was the only place that provided this most wonderful of all gifts.
In today’s gospel story (Luke 9:51-56) we get another glimpse into the heart of Jesus. He was journeying to Jerusalem for the last time and sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village. These people rudely refuse to welcome him. How did Jesus handle this?
“When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?’ Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.”
Jesus was in the mercy business, not the justice business. Though the insult was certainly deserving of punishment, for they had closed the door on God’s Son, Jesus rebuked James and John for wanted to retaliate. Despite all the power that Jesus had at his disposal, he remained focus on his one goal—to deliver mercy to suffering people.
Each of us also has been sent on a mission of mercy. Transformed by the sacraments and prayer, we are equipped to continue to do the works of Jesus in our time. When we run into people who disagree with us or even attack us for our faith, our instinct is to call down fire from heaven. The pride inside us wants to see justice done. And yet the more we have allowed the Heart of Jesus to abide in us, the more we respond as he did—to extent mercy.
“The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
