Pentecost III, Year A

Hosea 5: 15 - 6: 6
Psalm 50: (1 - 6) 7 - 15 (16 - 24)
Romans 4: 13 – 18
Matthew 9: 9 – 13

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I would like to start by sharing with you a real-life anecdote in this lively city. There is a group of Methodist seminarians going on a study tour at the local Russian Orthodox Cathedral. They are all amazed at the colorful iconography in the interior of the Cathedral. There is even a reliquary containing the relics of the pioneers of Orthodoxy in America; this reliquary is very simple and unassuming; it is simply made out of glass, much like the display case in regular stores, so that the pilgrims can have easy access to the relics for veneration. One student, who is heavyset and portly, does not realize want this case is all about. He leans against this precious but unassuming reliquary, almost sitting on it; lo and behold, his weight shatters the glass reliquary. Fortunately, the shattered glass has not punctured his backside. Otherwise, this story would have taken a different turn. His peers become very angry at him, yelling at his misdemeanor and demanding that he should compensate the Cathedral. Then, the Dean, Father Constantine comes in to view the "crime" scene. Realizing what has just happened, he says to the group of seminarians, "Leave him alone. Isn’t this whole thing about mercy and forgiveness?"

Well said. "Isn’t this whole thing about mercy and forgiveness?" Jesus, in today’s Gospel lesson from Matthew, urges the self-righteous Pharisees to ponder over this, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' What does Jesus mean by this? In order to grasp that, let us rewind about seven hundred years before Christ to the days of the Prophet Hosea, as we read in our Old Testament lesson today. Hosea was a prophet from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He passionately denounced the unfaithfulness of Israel; he called for repentance and reconciliation between God and Israel. He told us that God desires mercy, not sacrifices. Mercy is an expression of steadfast love, and God prefers mercy rather than sacrifices or burnt offerings. Jesus joins Hosea in urging the Pharisees to consider this, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' Jesus urges anyone who is self-righteous or anyone who considers himself or herself self-sufficient in spiritual life, to consider this, to ponder over this: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

Divine mercy is the wellspring of our life in every facet. In our liturgy, after the Lord’s prayer, Fr. Davenports chants a prayer to ask for our deliverance from all sin, ‘that we, being holpen by the succor of Thy mercy, may always be free and safe from all disquietude.’ Basically, we are asking for the help of God’s mercy to combat all the negative effects of sin in our lives.

We are also blessed today to have the Sacrament of Baptism at this Solemn High Mass. Baptism is the means for our Christian initiation by Divine Mercy. As Christians, we believe that the fallen nature of our fore-parents, Adam and Eve, actually has an effect on our spiritual destiny. Some call it original sin. Out of divine mercy, God has provided the Sacrament of Baptism through the Church so that we may be cleansed of this original imperfection. Our old selves die symbolically as Christ dies for us to atone for our sins. Through baptism, we are made a new creation. We are sealed as members of the Body of Christ forever. Through baptism, we are called to lead a life in light of divine mercy. Having received the mercy of God in our regeneration as new creation, new individuals, we are to extend this mercy we have received from God to all of humanity.

The late Pope John Paul II in his last book, wrote, "the limit imposed upon evil is ultimately Divine Mercy." What does that mean? For me, it is a reflection of Jesus’ command, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." It is a different way of saying that God’s love triumphs over all things. An Eastern Orthodox mystic, St John Damascene once said that those who are in hell, those who are in hades would be chastised; but they would be chastised by the scourge of love. Mercy is an effect of love; and love is the theme of our salvation. St Paul the Apostle says, "we preach Christ crucified." It is because Christ’s sacrifice has opened up a new dimension to the meaning of suffering, which is the dimension of love. And through love, we have Divine Mercy. ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice," makes perfect sense now in light of Christ’s passion and death to atone for our sins. The ultimate sacrifice has been made, once for all. Through the mass, we are able to be joined to that once for all sacrifice on Calvary. We should then extend that love and mercy we receive from God to all of humanity, to all the world.

In my own life, I remember vividly the last conversation that I had had with my father before he passed away. He said, ‘the chaplain in the hospital gave me a large-print version of the New Testament. There are a lot of things I cannot understand. But if only I could touch God’s cloak, I too could be saved." Indeed, I too could be saved! He was apparently referring to the bleeding woman in the market place that touched Jesus cloak, hoping to be cure and made whole. Jesus made her confess her faith and she was healed. My father was baptized at a young age in a Methodist church, but he was no churchgoer as far as I can remember. But through Divine Mercy, God communicated to him and also to me a sign of his childlike faith in the end. I am confident of his eternal abode in the Lord; and I entrust him to the care of Divine Mercy.

I recommend that we put mercy into practice this coming week. We pray often in the Lord’s prayer, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those we trespass against us." May we put that into real practice. Forgive someone in your heart, but also do it in action. It can be as simple as a phone call; or a visit to an estranged relative or friend. Don’t worry if you think you don’t have what it takes to fully forgive, because God will help you out as he has helped many before us such as King David in the Old Testament.

At the end of his life, reflecting on his career as the King of Israel, he says, "All things come of thee O Lord, and of Thine Own have we given Thee." Mercy is one of those "all things" that King David is referring to in his reflection. It comes from God, and when we practice it, we offer it back to God.

Kyrie eleison; Christe eleison; Kyrie eleison. May we all follow as Jesus says, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.