Ordinary Time

Pause

There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothing to be afraid of

There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't no reason to fear

I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
But reach out to Jesus, hold on tight

He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

from Rich Mullins, “Bound to Come Some Trouble”

Listen

“Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.”

Matthew 5:7

Think

In little league there is a rule called “the mercy rule.” It calls for the game to end if the winning team is ahead by 10 runs after four innings. It is called the mercy rule because it spares further humiliation for the loser. The irony is that sometimes the losing team isn’t ready for the game to end. Instead of extending mercy to the losing team, the “mercy rule” ends up giving the game to the team that is ahead.

While our attempts at mercy are often imperfect, I’ll give little league credit for trying. Because none of us wants to live in a world without mercy. Whether it’s simple or serious, we all have times when we need mercy. Jesus reminds us that we play an important part in the circle of mercy. If we want to live in a merciful world, we have to be people who extend mercy. As Pope Francis has said, “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”

Amy Bost Henegar

Pray

Gracious Lord, I long for mercy. Give me also the willingness to extend mercy to others, participants in the divine circle of grace given and graced received. Through Jesus our Lord, amen.

Go

Go, and know that the Lord goes with you:
let God lead you each day into the quiet place of your heart,
and speak with you;
know that the Lord loves you and watches over you -
that God listens to you in gentle understanding,
and is with you always,
wherever you are and however you may feel:
and may the blessing of God be yours for ever.

Adapted from anonymous prayer in All Will Be Well, ed. Lyn Klug