The qualities of God, and for that matter, those who wish to call themselves disciples of Jesus, echo throughout the readings for this Sunday. If we are to focus on exactly what those qualities are, they could be summed up by the words, compassion, love, and mercy.
We all have the ability the be self-righteous, to try to impose our will on those who think differently from us, and condemn them when they do not conform to our will. I am as guilty of this as most people.
The psalmist reminds us in Psalm 25 (the Responsorial Psalm for today), of God’s love and mercy. The psalmist calls on God to form his/her life in the way of God. Then remembers how God’s love, compassion and mercy has forgiven the past sins of the psalmist. Humility formed by God’s love, compassion, and mercy is the quality of one who follows the path of God.
The prophet Ezekiel states very clearly that God is so generous in bestowing love, compassion and mercy on all people, even those whom we would judge evil, that it appears as unfair. This reminds me of a scene in the movie, “The Princess Bride”. The grandfather reading the story to his grandson is confronted by his grandson by the question, “Who kills Prince Humperdink?” The prince has killed the hero, Wesley, and is compelling Wesley’s bride to marry him. The grandfather replies, “No one kills Prince Humperdink.” The grandson is appalled by the apparent injustice of the Prince not getting what is due to him. Of course, the story revives Wesley, who was only “mostly dead”, not “all dead.” And Wesley is reunited to his true love, Buttercup. And, the prince remains living.
Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that God’s mercy, compassion, and love is greater than that of we, who are mere creatures of God. The scriptures call us to live lives that push against our natural tendencies for revenge.
I believe one of the greatest descriptors of who Jesus is, was used by the great theologian, Monica Helwig. She called Jesus, “The Compassion of God.” Jesus is the living and breathing compassion of the One who created all life. Paul in his letter to the Philippians, emphasizes this when he writes, “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” (Phil 2:1-3)
While we must always work to build the reign of God in our world, we must do so starting first by emulating the love, compassion and mercy of God, as lived by Jesus. I pray every evening that the justice and peace of God penetrate my heart, and the hearts of every American and all people in the world. If we are to be disciples of Jesus, then we must strip ourselves of self- righteousness (which is only a thinly veiled selfishness) and clothe ourselves in the compassion, the love, and the mercy of God.
