We enter in the last week of the “Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy” announced by Pope Francis in March 2015, which began on December 8, 2015 and will conclude on November 20 — the solemn “Feast of Christ the Universal King”. The reason for the “Year of Mercy” was, in the Pope’s words, “If the Lord never tires of forgiving, we have no other choice than this: first of all, to care for those who are hurting...”
Throughout this year, the Pope found ever-newer interpretations of Jesus’ words and deeds to enlighten the world about how God treats his creatures with undying love and tender mercy. Among Jesus’ many teachings through parables on God’s love and mercy, the most outstanding could be the one, traditionally known as the parable of the “Prodigal Son”, but now with new insights, is known as of the “Forgiving Father”. The parable is a moving account of how the “prodigal son” squanders his share of property on all the possible wickedness until he is left with absolutely nothing, unable even to feed himself. Halfheartedly deciding to return home, he rehearses along the way, how he would beseech his father for forgiveness. The father but hugs him tightly, ignores his remorseful utterances, dresses him with finest silk and orders a grand festal celebration.
Lamenting the sad fact that the Church, instead of presenting the real face of God’s love and mercy, had often emphasised strict adherence to rules and regulations. Pope Francis has tried to reverse this inclination by advancing Church’s authentic mission. Right in the beginning of his papacy he had said, “The thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful I see the Church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and blood sugar levels! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else...”
As a part of the concluding ceremonies of the “Year of Mercy”, last week in a meeting with different world religious leaders, including Hindus and Sikhs from India, Pope Francis sought to expand its application, saying, “To bow down with compassionate love before the weak and needy is part of the authentic spirit of religion, which rejects the temptation to resort to force, refuses to barter human lives and sees others as brothers and sisters It rises from the heart of every genuine religious tradition. It is the echo of the divine voice heard in the conscience of every person.”
Even Shakespeare wrote in the Merchant of Venice, “The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religion, can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com
