The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

The astonishing depth of God’s love for us

In his traditional Easter message, “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world), Pope Francis said:

“Today, throughout the world, the Church echoes once more the astonishing message of the first disciples: ‘Jesus is risen!’—‘He is truly risen,’ as he said!”

“By his resurrection, Jesus Christ has set us free from the slavery of sin and death, and has opened before us the way to eternal life.

“All of us, when we let ourselves be mastered by sin, lose the right way and end up straying like lost sheep. But God himself, our shepherd, has come in search of us. To save us, he lowered himself even to accepting death on the cross. Today we can proclaim: ‘The Good Shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep, and willingly died for his flock, alleluia.’ ”

What is astonishing, of course, is the depth of God’s love for us. We certainly did not (and do not) deserve the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. We were lost because of our refusal to follow his way. We were enslaved because we freely chose to “let ourselves be mastered by sin.” We were like sheep without a shepherd, and the Good Shepherd willingly died for us so that we might find our way home to him.

What Jesus did for us happened 2,000 years ago, but the experience is repeated daily. As Pope Francis explains,

“In every age, the Risen Shepherd tirelessly seeks us, his brothers and sisters, wandering in the deserts of this world. With the marks of the passion—the wounds of his merciful love—he draws us to follow him on his way, the way of life. Today too, he places upon his shoulders so many of our brothers and sisters crushed by evil in all its varied forms.

“The Risen Shepherd goes in search of all those lost in the labyrinths of loneliness and marginalization. He comes to meet them through our brothers and sisters who treat them with respect and kindness, and help them to hear his voice, an unforgettable voice, a voice calling them back to friendship with God.”

The Risen Shepherd seeks us out here in Indiana or wherever we may be. Whether we are in urban centers, small towns or rural communities, Christ is present. He comes to meet us, as Pope Francis says, through the people who treat us with respect and kindness and who speak with the voice of God.

Our archdiocese is blessed with parish communities spread throughout our 39 counties. In our celebration of the Easter mystery during the past six weeks, we have recommitted ourselves to being the welcoming and merciful voice of God in our communities. Inspired by Pope Francis’s teaching on mercy—and the joy of the Gospel—we have worked hard at treating others with kindness and respect, especially strangers in our midst.

This is the work that our Risen Lord has commanded us to carry out in his name. He challenges all of us “to help all those victimized by old and new forms of slavery, inhuman labor, illegal trafficking, exploitation and discrimination, and grave forms of addiction.”

In his endless mercy, the pope says, “[Christ] takes upon himself children and adolescents deprived of their carefree innocence and exploited, and those deeply hurt by acts of violence that take place within the walls of their own home.”

And especially in our day, “The Risen Shepherd walks beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes. Everywhere he helps these forced migrants to encounter brothers and sisters, with whom they can share bread and hope on their journey.”

The challenge for us is the same as it was for the first disciples. Where will we find the courage and the stamina to be Christ for others, especially those who are most vulnerable and in need of our help?

Now that the joyful season of Easter is drawing to a close, we naturally turn our attention to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The fact is that we desperately need the empowering gifts that God’s Spirit brings. And so, we pray: Come Holy Spirit. Enflame our hearts with your good zeal so that we may boldly and confidently proclaim the astonishing message of the first disciples, “Jesus is risen. He is truly risen as he said! Alleluia!”
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †