杏MAP导航

By Sergio Centofanti

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the , the apostle of Divine Mercy; and the fortieth anniversary of the encyclical . 杏MAP导航 John Paul II prophetically walked the path of mercy, 鈥渇ollowing,鈥� as he writes in that document, 鈥渢he doctrine of the ,鈥� and impelled, 鈥渋n these critical and difficult times,鈥� by the need to discover 鈥渙nce again in Christ to the countenance of the 鈥楩ather of mercies and God of all comfort鈥�.鈥�

For this reason, he continues, 鈥渋t is now fitting to reflect on this mystery. It is called for by the varied experiences of the Church and of contemporary man. It is also demanded by the pleas of many human hearts, their sufferings and hopes, their anxieties and expectations.鈥�

John Paul II: Men and women of today seem opposed to a God of mercy

In that encyclical, St John Paul II launched 鈥渁 heartfelt appeal鈥� that the Church might make the mercy of God ever better known. It is a mercy, he writes, 鈥渨hich humanity and the modern world need so much. And they need mercy even though they often do not realize it.鈥� In fact, 鈥渢he present-day mentality, more perhaps than that of people in the past, seems opposed to a God of mercy, and in fact tends to exclude from life and to remove from the human heart the very idea of mercy.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis: It is the time of mercy

杏MAP导航 Francis, following in the footsteps of the Second Vatican II and of his predecessors, forcefully affirmed 鈥淭his is a time of mercy鈥� (Apostolic Letter , 2016).

It is a proclamation proclaimed with passion, which fills the hearts of many people with joy, but does not fail to arouse in some, even within the Church, doubts and perplexity, if not open hostility. We find ourselves in the same situation described by the Gospel two thousand years ago: 鈥渕ercy鈥� becomes a 鈥渘ice鈥� but empty word for those who feel they have no need of it; a word that is inimical to so much of our 鈥渏ustice鈥� that knows only how to accuse and condemn in a summary fashion. The justice of God, on the other hand, saves.

Benedict XVI: Mercy is the nucleus of the Gospel

For Benedict XVI, 鈥渕ercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it is the very name of God, the Face with which he revealed himself in the Old Covenant and fully in Jesus Christ, the incarnation of creative and redemptive Love鈥� ().

The evangelists tell us that the first to oppose Jesus were the scribes and Pharisees, who could not bear to see Jesus behaving mercifully toward even the most notorious and despised sinners, while treating so harshly those who considered themselves to be just, to be true observers and defenders of the Law handed down by the fathers 鈥� who themselves had, nonetheless, already spoken of the 鈥渕erciful and gracious鈥� God (Ex 34:6).

But they could only see God as a judge and chastiser of sinners, the others; and they accused Jesus of transgressing the Law, of blaspheming, and even of being a demoniac. Their rage is understandable: they believed they were righteous, and felt they were being harshly criticised. They thought they were defending God, and God corrected them with hard words.

Jesus鈥� harshness towards the scribes and Pharisees

The harshest words were the seven maledictions hurled by Jesus at the scribes and Pharisees. We read in the Gospel of Matthew:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves鈥� Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity鈥� Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men鈥檚 bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity鈥� You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (cf. Mt 23:13-33).

Jesus鈥� disciples accused of transgressing tradition

When the scribes and Pharisees asked Him why His disciples transgressed the tradition of the ancients, Jesus answered:

"Why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?... So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 鈥楾his people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men鈥� (Mt 15: 3, 6-9)."

Not those who say, 鈥淟ord, Lord鈥�

The words that Jesus promises to address to some who consider themselves believers are also disconcerting:

鈥淣ot everyone who says to me, 鈥楲ord, Lord,鈥� shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 鈥楲ord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?鈥� And then will I declare to them, 鈥業 never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers鈥� (Mt 7:21-23)."

鈥淚 desire mercy, and not sacrifice鈥�

At that time, very detailed religious norms had accumulated, which could provide security, but had lost what was essential. Jesus, who was criticized by the Pharisees because he ate with publicans and sinners, says:

鈥淭hose who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 鈥業 desire mercy, and not sacrifice.鈥� For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners鈥� (Mt 9:12-13).

The essence of Christianity

The Pharisees were accustomed to asking Jesus trick questions, so He would have to answer yes or no, with His back against the wall. Other times they would simply test Him. To one of them, who had asked about the greatest commandment of the law, Jesus clearly revealed that the essence of Christianity is charity:

鈥溾�榊ou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind鈥�. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, 鈥榊ou shall love your neighbour as yourself鈥�. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets鈥� (Mt 22: 37-40).

The questions of the final judgment

We know that we will be judged on love, and we already know the questions for the examination of the final judgment. They are the works of mercy:

鈥淲hen the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at His right hand, 鈥楥ome, O blessed of 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 drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me鈥欌�� (Mt 25: 31-36).

鈥淒istant鈥� examples of charity for 鈥渘eighbours鈥�

Our perennial temptation is to 鈥渃age鈥� Jesus in our own schemes; but He goes beyond them, as the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 25: 10-37) reminds us: A man considered a heretic performs an act of charity, unlike the priest and the Levite who see a man left half dead by bandits, but do not intervene. The Samaritan, on the other hand, has compassion, he stops and cares for that man.

God鈥檚 judgment is different from our judgements.

Jesus has words of greater esteem for two apparently distant people, who approach Him not for themselves, but for the healing of a daughter and a servant. To the Canaanite woman, He says: 鈥淥 woman, great is your faith!鈥� (Mt 15:28). And to the centurion, He says, 鈥淭ruly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith鈥� (Mt 8:10). Love overcomes all barriers and labels.

The humility to accept correction

No one likes to be called a Pharisee. But inside each of us there is a 鈥渄octor of the law鈥� who judges our neighbour and thinks himself better than the publican on duty, as the famous parable (Lk 18:9-14) tells us: We need to be corrected, sometimes even to be strongly shaken in our harshness.

Jesus says to all of us, 鈥�unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven鈥� (Mt 5:20). The justice of Jesus is the mercy that comes to love the enemy. The justice of Jesus is salvation.

Reading the signs of the times

The Lord in the Gospel invites us to read the signs of the times, in order to know when He will come (cf. Lk 12: 54-59).

With the latest Council, the Church has continued her journey in understanding the truth of God鈥檚 mercy.

杏MAP导航 Francis continues to travel along this path, as pointed out by St John Paul II: 鈥淎part from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind鈥� (, 17 August 2002).

(Translated from the original Italian)