Importance of “Acts of Mercy”

Our God is Righteous and Just. God understands the fallen nature of human beings and hence redeemed human beings by sending his own Son as an ultimate sacrifice to abolish our sins. So all our Sins are forgiven, the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. The moment we accept Jesus in truth and spirit, we do have a change of Heart. Our inner man is sanctified and is a new being in Jesus Christ.

Sacraments instituted by Jesus himself provide us with this Grace. As new human beings in Jesus Christ, we are expected to show Mercy to our fellow human beings. When we show mercy to our fellow human beings, God’s mercy will pour on us. God is always waiting to pour his mercy on us; however, I believe the acts of mercy should first come from us.

“With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless” (2 Samuel 22:26)

What are the acts of Mercy?

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’ ”.  (Matthew 21:31-40)

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, and comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2447))

When we receive Jesus in the Holy Mass, we are becoming another Jesus. As a new Jesus, we have to show the attribute of mercy to our fellow brethren. 

 In my understanding, God is always ready to forgive our sins as he understands our human nature more than anyone. As the writer in Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”, our sins are always getting washed by the blood of Jesus, the moment we repent from our hearts and do a thorough confession. But what happens to us because of our ignorance of the Acts of Mercy? Remember, the day we start to show mercy and pour out ourselves for our dear brethren, we have a change in heart and eventually, our nature of sin minimizes and vanishes gradually. So, the key to leading a life full of Jesus is to be compassionate and take baby steps towards “Acts of Mercy”.