Mercy limits evil

THAT’S an expression, intriguing and dramatic, coined by Pope John Paul II. The insight came to him in the course of some personal reflections he gathered in a book entitled, “Memory and Identity.”

There he traced the historical validity of this insight as he considered the defeat of the ideological evils of communism and Nazism that raged in his native Poland. Those evils were systematically vicious, their malice carried out in scientific fashion.

He seemed to tell us of the universal applicability of this truth to all forms of moral evil besetting our world today. I think it is worthwhile to pay attention to the suggestion. We tend to take this for granted. And yet it is a crucial ingredient in our life.

Thus, it’s good that Pope Benedict XVI himself echoes the same idea a number of times already. Fact is we need to be reminded of this basic truth that, of course, needs to be blended with the requirements of justice and prudence.

We have to realize that even without considering the effects of moral evil, our human weakness and limitations alone can easily give rise to conflicts and problems among ourselves.

Given that human condition alone, common sense will immediately tell us that we have to be ready to forgive and reconcile, no matter what it takes, otherwise we can all head towards mutual destruction.

Mercy can do a lot of wonders to us. First of all, it is a divine command, lived first of all by Christ himself. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,” we pray in the “Our Father.”

When Peter asked our Lord how many times we should forgive, Christ was clear about forgiving not only seven times, but seventy times seven—meaning always.

When the woman caught in adultery was dragged before him, our Lord did not condemn her. He saved her from being stoned and later admonished her to sin no more.

And from the cross, that ultimate appeal for divine mercy was made—“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Our Lord just forgave and
forgave, and continues up to now to forgive, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Why? Because we are so precious to him--we are all children of God—that regardless of our mistakes, our Lord is willing to forgive us and to reconcile us with him. He has given us all the means to attain that goal, because our reconciliation cannot also take place without our cooperation.

We can say that mercy disarms evil. It may not prevent evil, but it surely can take away much if not all of the sting of evil and malice. It halts the vicious cycle of evil, and can start the process of healing.

Mercy purifies our hearts, removing traces of resentment and anguish. It bestows on us peace and serenity. It restores joy. It facilitates friendships. As we enter into more complicated webs of relationships, we should neither forget the growing relevance of mercy in our life.

Mercy can teach us how to expand our perspectives, from being purely human to being supernatural as well. It helps us to be more mature, to be more mindful of the over-all picture than to get entangled with childish details.

With mercy, we will more easily understand that evil does not deserve to be given a lasting concern. Parasitical in nature, opportunistic in character, it cannot survive when we overflow with goodness and holiness.

We have to learn the ways of mercy. First of all, we have to realize that it is an effect of grace, of our living union with Christ, following his commandments and receiving him especially through the sacraments.

We have to learn to forgive, and also to ask for forgiveness. We have to give due attention to this task. The dramatic transformation we all want to happen in our personal as well as social lives can only take place if we live the spirit of mercy, which is the spirit of Christ.