Mercy Begets Mercy

by Sister Mandy Carrier, RSM, Campus Minister

Think about the world right now. The world we currently live in sounds a bit like the world described in Isiah 58:6-10, which was written thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, some things just haven’t changed over time:

Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of Jehovah shall be thy rearward. Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am.

If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday.

Isaiah, Jesus, Catherine McAuley, and I’m sure many of you, have encountered people experiencing oppression, hunger, homelessness, violence, or pain. The world’s longing for the gift of mercy that God has given us has not changed… Mercy remains a constant need. Our world is crying out for mercy. 

And you might say, who am I? What can I do? I’m just me, just one person?

Fortunately, mercy has never been so much about what we do—it's not as simple as charity. Instead, mercy is about who we are, how we show up. It's about how we show others the mercy that God has given us to share with everyone.

Mercy is a type of kindness we live out every day. It’s helpful and caring. It goes beyond just feeling for others and makes us want to stand with them. Mercy connects us so closely to others that it pushes us to take action. God brings us together at Merion Mercy Academy, a Mercy family, and gives us this gift of mercy, a gift that serves others, in a world that is like the one we read of in Isiah.

In that reading, we learn about what's wrong, the ways people are hurting. But God also paints a picture of the world God wants for us: a world full of justice where needs are met, where people respond to the pain of others. In the face of injustice, Mercy does not simply respond; God gives us the gift of Mercy because mercy always goes above and beyond the basics. It’s radical and it is tender, Mercy is love that is so generously given that it's like taking a cup and pouring so much into it that it overflows and turns the world upside down! 

In Isiah we read about this reversal. It said: End oppression, injustice, hunger, homelessness, and then… “Your light shall break forth”… and then “Your wound will quickly heal”… and then all will clearly see God with us as the Beloved One who says, “Here I am.” In God’s plan, all the mourners will be comforted, the weak will be empowered, the poor in spirit will gain the Kingdom of God. The merciful will experience this reversal as well: because God says that people who are merciful will be given mercy.  

Sometimes people ask me why I became a Sister and I always talk about how living in a community of Sisters attracted me to Mercy.  When I got to know the Sisters and saw them together, the sense of loving friendship—of family—in community drew me to Mercy. I wanted to become that kind of mercy for others.

Along the way, I found that Mercy is the gift I most needed within myself. And when I knew that was the truth in my heart—that mercy is my own greatest need—I felt I had come home in Mercy.

Think about a time when you gave mercy to someone. When did you do something merciful? Now, think of a time when someone showed you mercy.

I don’t know about you, but isn't it easier to give mercy than it is to receive the gift ourselves? But, that’s what God is asking us to do: to share the gift of mercy, and to receive mercy ourselves. This makes mercy a cycle of giving and receiving. We turn this into a circle of Mercy when we let God’s mercy flow in and between and through us, and as it does it becomes stronger. In this way, mercy creates mercy—the more it is poured out for others the greater it becomes. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, it grows and grows.

God has given mercy to us as a whole group, but it was also given to us one-by-one—individually—by a God that is present to us so personally.

Being a sister of Mercy filled a need in me. It has changed me and helped me heal, and grow. I know my experience is not unique, we have all been touched by the mercy of God.  

So, consider your own story: How has God poured mercy into your heart?

What are you doing to make the circle of mercy?

How are you helping mercy grow?