Why Mercy?
Jesus and His church have always emphasized that God’s mercy is unlimited, unfathomable, and always available for mankind. It is a free gift to each human; the only requirements to receive God’s mercy are for a human to admit his sins, commit to avoiding them in the future, and trust in God’s love and mercy. The concept of mercy has been prevalent throughout the history of the Catholic Church. God’s mercy and love for man has been an integral part of the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments. More recently, Pope Francis declared 2015 to be a year of mercy during which God’s mercy would be especially abundant and available to mankind. During the 20th century, Saint Faustina of Poland received numerous visions from Jesus Christ urging her to establish and promote His Divine Mercy; Jesus even advised her on the exact image that he wanted to portray His Divine Mercy. There can be no doubt that God’s mercy has been and remains an essential part of His love for man.
The question arises, “Why is God’s loving mercy necessary for mankind?” The answer is Sin!!! Sin separates humans from God and only His mercy will bring humans back to God’s good favor. The noted Swiss theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar succinctly noted that “Sin obscures the sight.” Through sin man loses sight of God, becoming a stranger to his creator and savior. Man can only regain his “sight” through the mercy and help from God, primarily through His Church, the Catholic Faith.
It is disconcerting to note that many who rightly espouse the truth of God’s loving mercy frequently fail to mention the role that sin has in the need for mercy. All men sin and must frequently be reminded of this fact, unless they lose sight of the real need of mercy and the requirement to avoid sin. God’s mercy is often contingent on man’s willingness to accept that man sins and then to act vigorously to remove sin from his life. Oh, that our clergy would instruct mankind about sin and its everlasting effect on humankind. Only God’s forgiveness and mercy can cure humans of the fatal consequences of sin.
Seek God’s help to avoid all sin! Continuously and vigorously seek God’s mercy; it is there for the asking.