Immersed in Christ: Friday, June 18, 2021

Lord, Have Mercy

After our confession of sin, the Eucharist brings us again into the truth of our relationship with God. We ask God for "mercy." It's important to understand what this means for us.

We "have mercy" when our help to others is based on a bond of relationship that is like family. In fact, by sharing his own divine life with us, God has made us family. When Jesus taught us to "have mercy" on everyone on need, he meant for us to embrace the whole family of the human race. We are really saying, "Lord treat us as family and teach is to treat each other as family."

The Kyrie - "Lord have mercy" - reminds us to focus on relationship with every person we deal with, and with God. When our whole life is an awareness of interacting with other persons in loving relationship, we will know what it means to do everything "in the name of the Father and if the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

May the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of the Father, and the communion of the hoy Spirit be with you all!"

Kyrie eleison!

Take action: Whenever you are in a store, a bank, a restaurant, or any other public location, try to treat each person you encounter as a member of your own family... because each person you meet is a member of your own family! For example, you might smile and say hello to the person who checks out your groceries, and thank them for doing the hard labor of standing on their feet all day!