Let us make God’s mercy visible, audible and tangible in everyday life, as Jesus taught us in the Gospel.
Mercy: visible, audible, tangible
Visible, audible, tangible. Those three words are important: they indicate that God’s merciful love takes concrete shape in our mission and indeed becomes a reality for others. And they call forth all kinds of ideas.
Visible is the mercy in our work, in our projects and in our communities. It is visible, too, in our teaching and our care, especially in our attitude of service and readiness to help, and even in the assistance and concern that we receive from others. In becoming visible in this way, this mercy can also inspire others and set an example for them.
Mercy can be audible in a variety of ways: by our witnessing of God’s love, by our stories about our dedication and our vocation, by the message we as a community spread all over the world. But it is audible in small things as well – such as when we can give words to the pain, loneliness and sadness of others, and speak a ‘redeeming word’ to those who feel lost. Because, yes indeed, words of mercy are redeeming, and inspire new hope of life.
And, ultimately, mercy is always tangible. Often no words at all are needed to act mercifully.
We can convey our mercy in a quiet and hidden way; mercy is humble by its very nature and often remains invisible. Our simply being present may bring with it a token of mercy; sometimes this is the only thing we can do. But also in our being near to each other every day, mercy is tangible and perceptible: both to others and to ourselves, in what we are allowed to give and receive.
Brother Harrie van Geene, the Netherlands