INTRODUCTION
Welcome, everyone, to today’s reflection on mercy. Good evening, dear friends in Christ, My name is Friar Geoffrey Egwuatu, OFMCap. I am a Capuchin and a student of philosophy at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan. I am privileged to be here with you this evening as we continue on this Lenten journey together. In a world often characterised by division, conflict, and injustice, the concept of mercy stands as a beacon of hope and compassion. Let us embark on a journey to explore the significance of mercy in our lives and our relationship with God and others as we reflect on the theme: “Mercy: the bedrock behind the season.” But before we excel, let’s look at what mercy is. Mercy is forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. It is likened to clemency. Mercy is a consequence of love, which is deeply rooted in compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and understanding. It is a way of expressing our love for others, even in difficult circumstances. One who shows mercy is one who truly loves. No one truly loves anyone other than God, who is love. The mercy of God stems from the root of His love. We humans are perfect evidence of God’s mercy. The love of God is seen played out right from the creation of man, and it has always been His desire to redeem man after his fall, as seen through many generations before the advent of Christ. In His compassion and love for man, He drew close to Abraham: despite man’s waywardness, God showed mercy toward Noah and his family by sparing them from the flood, depicting His willingness to start over and a new covenant, which is represented with a bow in the sky—the rainbow (Genesis 9:16). He delivered Israel, His chosen people, from bondage through Moses (Exodus); warned the people of Nineveh through Jonah; subsequently, He tried to warn man through His prophets to desist from his evil path, for He derives no pleasure in man’s destruction (Ezekiel 18:30b–32). For the love He has for us, God enters into human experience through the birth of Christ to offer salvation and reconciliation, which He achieved when He handed over his son to be crucified for our sins.
Dear friends, We all have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God (Romans 3:23–26). It is God’s will to save us, and nothing pleases Him more than our coming back to Him with true repentance like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). True repentance and reconciliation begin with honest and sincere acknowledgment of the sins we have committed and being truly sorry for them, then we make a resolve to leave our old life behind and become a new person in Christ.
True repentance comes with the desire to love like Jesus and be willing to make sacrifices for the good of others. If this is not our goal, then it will be very difficult for us to do what is acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. As Catholics, we are privileged to be graced with the sacrament of reconciliation—penance. Unfortunately, we do not use this privilege. We are of the protestant mentality that we could just pray and our sins would be forgiven rightly, but the sacrament of penance brings us back into the sheepfold of Christ. In this reflection, we ought to sit back and ask ourselves these questions: How often have I sought to be in a good relationship with God? When was the last time I went for confession? How often do I long to return to the sheepfold of God?. We are already three months into the new year, and some of us cannot boast of going to confession, not even once this year. This implies that we pride ourselves on not being sinners and not in need of God’s mercy.
The season of lent is a reminder of God’s love for us and the mercy He has shown to us feeble mortals. It is a time to sit and recollect, to try to make amends, and to inadvertently return to our Father. To this end, it is a call to recognise ourselves as sinners, ask God’s mercy, abide by His commands, and reciprocate that mercy to our fellow men. Just as we ourselves seek mercy from God, it is only right to extend such mercy to our neighbours. Christ taught this to us in the Lord’s prayer when He said: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" (Matthew 6:9-13) and in the parable of the wicked servant, which illustrates that mercy is shown to those who extend it to others. This is the basis of Christ’s commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) It is in these acts of love that we become perfect, just like our Heavenly Father. If we hope for mercy, we show mercy. If we look for kindness, we show kindness. If we want to receive, we give. If we ask for ourselves what we deny to others, our asking is a mockery. Let this be the pattern for us all when we practise mercy: show mercy to others in the same way, with the same generosity, with the same promptness, as we want others to show mercy to us. It is also essential to note that ‘others’ incorporates those who do not wish us well; in an extensive way, we could say our enemies, not just those who hurt us.
God wants all His beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent, and He confirmed this desire by His almighty will. In light of this, we should obey His sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat His mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before Him and turn to His compassion, rejecting empty works and sins that could lead to death. Furthermore, let us ensure that we remain in relationship with God by strengthening our prayer life. Prayer is an offering that belongs to God and is acceptable to God: it is the offering He has asked for, the offering he planned as His own. Prayer is the one thing that does attract God’s mercy. Prayer cleanses us from sin, drives away temptation, comforts the fainthearted, gives new strength to the courageous, supports those who are falling, and sustains those who stand firm, to mention but a few.
Dearest friends, It is not enough to seek God’s mercy in this season and then return to our former ways afterwards; rather, let us take this season as a turning point in our lives. God’s love for us is unending. There is never a time when the Lord rejoices at the death of a sinner or a wicked person. Instead, He wills that a sinner should repent and return to Him. If the Lord should mark our iniquity, the Psalmist says, none of us will stand before Him (Psalm 130:3). However, He gives us an opportunity to turn away from our evil ways and live. He desires us to return home to Him. Like the Father in the parable of the prodigal son, He waits patiently with arms outstretched, evident in His son, who hangs on the cross, willing to give whoever wishes an embrace of love. Let us not delay. It is never too late to return, but tomorrow might be too late. The God who did not need us to create us needs us to save us.
As we sojourn through lent, let us embrace mercy as the basis for our spiritual journey. May God grant us the grace of docility so that, through the action of the Holy Spirit, we may be truly cognizant of His love and, with a contrite heart, seek His mercy, extend it to others, and so come to share in the glory of His kingdom, where He lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Peace be with you.
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