Compassion forgiveness and mercy

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to make the teaching and past experience of our ancestors in the faith a real experience in our lives.

Judging others

In the Book of Daniel the turbulent times of persecution of the people of Israel generate prayer for deliverance.

* [9:2] Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution.1

In Psalm 79 the author seeks to persuade God to act for reasons of honor.

 * [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11).2

Jesus warns us about judging others in the Gospel from Luke.

Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.3 

Larry Gillick, S.J. observes that we judge what we know, but we usually judge only a section or part of the other’s truth. We do not know their entire story and assume that what we judge of another is correct, because we assume they are doing this or that the way we do.

I have been in locker rooms at the halftime of football and basketball games. No matter how well the teams have been doing, their coaches have exact advice on how the team and each player has not executed the game-plan. This spirited encouragement can sound harsh at times and demanding, but in the real sense of the word, it is compassionate. Passion, at its root-meaning, contains the experience of “reception” or “presence to”. To be compassionate is to be present and available and eager to be with the other in their truth. Compassion is to know, at least partially, the story, the truth, the condition of the other or others.4 

Don Schwager quotes “The Practice of Mercy, by Augustine of Hippo,” 354-430 A.D.

 "The practice of mercy is twofold: when vengeance is sacrificed and when compassion is shown. The Lord included both of these in his brief sentence: 'Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you.' This work has the effect of purifying the heart, so that, even under the limitations of this life, we are enabled with pure mind to see the immutable reality of God. There is something holding us back, which has to be loosed so that our sight may break through to the light. In connection with this the Lord said, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.' Therefore the next and sixth step is that cleansing of the heart." (excerpt from Letter 171A.2) 5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 6:36-38 comments that of all the words Jesus could have chosen to describe his heavenly Father, he chose “merciful” (Luke 6:36). More than his justice, more than his power, more than his wisdom, Jesus made clear that he is a God of forgiveness and compassion—and he tells us to have that same attitude toward one another.

The disciples may have known this mercy historically, from their Scriptures, but Jesus didn’t want them to stop there, just as he doesn’t want us to stop. He wants us to experience his Father’s mercy personally and, even more, to allow this mercy to move us to share that mercy with the people around us. Instead of finding faults in the people around us, he wants us to love and honor them. Rather than holding onto offenses, he encourages us to forgive.6

Friar Jude Winkler notes the Penitential discourse in Daniel calls upon the compassion of God. We don't impose our moral judgement on people. We see them as broken and needing of our love. Friar Jude asserts that when we open our heart to others, our hearts will be more able to accept the overloving Love of God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes most churches just keep doing the first half of life over and over again. Young people are made to think that the container is all there is and all they should expect, that believing a few doctrines or performing some rituals is all religion is about. The would-be maturing believer is not challenged to adult faith or service to the world, much less mystical union.

As a priest for over four decades, I find that much of the spiritual and pastoral work of churches is often ineffective at real transformation of consciousness. As a spiritual director, I find that people facing important issues of social injustice, divorce, failure, gender identity, an inner life of prayer, or a radical reading of the Gospel are usually bored and limited by the typical Sunday church agenda. And these are good people! But they keep on doing what Bill Plotkin calls their survival dance because no one has told them about their sacred dance. [2] In short, Christianity has not helped many people do the age-appropriate tasks of both halves of life.7

Adult faith is enriched as we respond to life situations with compassion, forgiveness and mercy modelling Jesus and transforming the false self of our first half of life.

References

1	(n.d.). Daniel, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved March 18, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/daniel/9:4
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 79. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Psalms/79:8
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 6. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/luke/6:36
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved March 18, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/18
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved March 18, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/