Practicing Mercy – Br. Jack Crowley

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Br. Jack Crowley

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

If someone is begging you for mercy, you know exactly what they mean. We all have a gut sense of what the word “mercy” means even if we have a hard time defining the word. Mercy is hard to explain; but Jesus was clear about the importance of mercy. The problem most of us have, including myself, is figuring out how to practice mercy in our day-to-day lives.

The good news is that we all have plenty of God-given opportunities to practice mercy. Sometimes these opportunities to practice mercy will be obvious. Situations like forgiving a resentment, giving someone the benefit of the doubt, or having patience with someone you disagree with are obvious opportunities to practice mercy. Other times, these opportunities to practice mercy will be subtle. For example, not getting angry at bad drivers or letting go of your pet peeves. The important thing is that we do not waste these opportunities.

In my own life as a monk, when I contemplate mercy, I usually start with a feeling. I try to feel in my heart as richly as I can what it would feel like to be more merciful. I ask myself what it would feel like to be more generous, more compassionate, more forgiving, and more understanding of how I perceive the faults of others. When I do this contemplative exercise, I always feel a lightness in my spirit. I feel an expansiveness in my heart and a sense of joy that I want to share with others.

It might help to think of mercy as being contagious. Normally we use the word contagious to describe something bad that can be spread from one person to another, but try considering the word contagious in a positive light. Try to imagine the mercy you feel inside as being contagious to all those around you. Try to imagine how much more peaceful the world would be if we could all spread a little bit more mercy each day of our lives.

I do my best to take that feeling of contagious mercy and apply it to my life. I consider how I can be more merciful to others, especially in my thoughts towards them. Personally, I find being merciful in my words and actions towards others to be much easier than being merciful in my thoughts!

I also try to be more merciful to myself. I try to pay attention to how I am talking to myself and ask myself If I have neglected to apply that feeling of mercy inwardly as well as outwardly. Of course, this is all easier said than done, but, as I said before, God gives us so many opportunities for practice.

If you ever feel stuck in your journey with mercy or wonder why it is important, consider how merciful Jesus was in his earthly ministry. Think of all the time and energy he spent healing the sick, practicing patience with those who reviled him, and calmly teaching the truth to all who came to him. Jesus was also a merciful leader with his apostles as they squabbled amongst themselves, misunderstood what he was saying, and even abandoned him. Jesus kept coming back to mercy again and again throughout his earthly ministry. We must do the same. Above all else, remember that God is with us on our journey with mercy. Our most merciful God has our back. We can always fall back on the mercy of God.

For Reflection

• Consider some times in your own life when someone has been merciful to you. How did that make you feel?
• What would it look like in your own life if you were to practice a little bit of mercy every day?
• For you, what is the relationship between mercy and forgiveness?