One of the joys of this Jubilee Year of Mercy is the “Doors of Mercy” that have been established by our Holy Father Francis and by the local bishops in each diocese in the world. These physical doors of mercy which we are all invited enter are reminders that the conversion of life is a journey and the choice to walk the way of mercy, in the example of our Lord Jesus, is a grace shared by the Church.
In paragraph #10 of Misericordiae Vultus Pope Francis call us all to be witnesses to mercy in our lives in the face of waning mercy in the wider culture, “without a witness to mercy, life becomes fruitless and sterile, as if sequestered in a barren desert. The time has come for the Church to take up the joyful call to mercy once more.” (10)
What should the joyful call of mercy look like in our lives? I believe one of the great examples we can share is our witness to life as a blessing and gift of God’s generosity. This week we pray with many people throughout our country for a greater respect of life as we mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The need for mercy is never more evident than in this terrible injustice to the gift of life. It is because we are called to be witnesses to mercy that we should seek to become living doors of mercy available and ready to be opened to those who suffer and need to hear God’s healing words of forgiveness, mercy and love in their life. To be living doors of mercy is to accept the life-giving invitation to participate as active, fully conscious members of the Body of Christ.
As a Christian and as a priest I share God’s call to walk the footsteps of life. In particular I have witnessed the joy, the peace and the prayer filled blessing that shines forth in those who participate in the West Coast Walk for Life. The Walk for Life can be seen as a giant living door of mercy as we absorb the vitriolic shouts of those who wish we would just go away. But it is as a door of mercy that our witness brings healing to those who have suffered the trauma and sin of abortion in its many harmful facets.
Becoming living doors of mercy is the invitation of God to listen in hope and to begin in prayer. It is meeting anger with patient love and hurt with tender compassion. The victory of the Cross of Jesus Christ is the victory of love over hate and mercy healing our sins. As a Church of life we recognize that all life is placed in the mercy of God’s healing hands and that we, as the Body of Christ, are healed and become healers when we choose to become filled with mercy as our Father is heaven is filled. We become the living doors of mercy in welcoming all people, saints and sinners, to share the one-cup of salvation. “Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:27-28) The one-cup, which is offered for the forgiveness of our sins and the sins of the world.
Pray for the protection of life.
God Bless
Fr. Mark