Mercy is a virtue that leads to compassion for the miseries and misfortunes of others.
Mercy is a term that comes from Latin and refers to a virtue of spirit that leads human beings to feel sorry for the miseries of others. It is a kind attitude that, in general, a wealthy person can show towards someone who has more needs than them, or a person who has been offended towards their offender.
For Christianity, mercy is a divine attribute understood as synonymous with consideration, kindness and forgiveness, which the faithful ask of God so that He may have mercy for their sins and disobedience. It is a term deeply linked to Christian precepts, present both in numerous passages of the Bible and in liturgical songs, as well as in the names of monuments and cathedrals.
According to the words of Jesus , man must be merciful to those around him if he expects to be treated in the same way. Some concepts that express opposite ideas are resentment, revenge and contempt, among other attitudes and feelings considered negative.
Concept analysis
It is important to note that mercy can be expressed in various ways, both through material and spiritual means; In other words, offering food, shelter or clothing to those in need is a work of mercy, just as it is teaching those who do not have access to school education, comforting a grieving person or forgiving the mistakes of others. Other actions that respond to this attitude, although perhaps less obvious, are prayers and the burial of the deceased.
The mistake is often made of confusing mercy with pity, although they are two very different concepts. Feeling sorry for another person is not a persistent attitude of the personality, but rather a passing sensation; Furthermore, it does not entail a kind action to put an end to other people's problems, but rather remains a reflection about them.
Other uses of the term mercy are linked to a piece present in the seats of the choirs of churches that allow one to rest secretly and to the dagger that knights of the Middle Ages used to kill their enemies.
The notion of mercy is very important in Christianity.
Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy is in principle the devotion that Christians feel for the mercy of God, trusting that he sacrificed himself for the sins of his followers. Through this delivery, the Church guarantees the faithful that their faults will be forgiven by Jesus, not through a trial, but as a gesture that symbolizes salvation .
It is also the lifestyle that Christianity proposes, expressed through interior actions (such as faith in God and his promises) and exterior actions : the worship of religious symbols , the repetition of certain prayers (such as the so-called chaplet ), merciful and compassionate acts towards others and the performance of certain celebrations (such as the feast of Divine Mercy).
Regarding this feast , which is among the list of liturgy celebrations declared official by the Catholic Church, it is celebrated on the Sunday following Easter and remembers the promise that Jesus made to Saint Faustina Kowalska , a nun of Polish origin, to be merciful to her. On the same day, he assured that he would forgive all sinners who decided to approach him to confess and take communion.
This Christian devotion is based on Faustina's own experiences, which she captured in her intimate diary. These are stories about their encounters with Jesus, in which they talked about very deep and revealing topics. Its pages were rescued and propagated as a result of the various exiles that took place in the midst of the Second World War.