Creator God-
Maker and Source of Mercy-
all praise to You.
Jesus –
exemplar and champion of Mercy-
all praise to You.
Spirit-
artist and animator of Mercy-
all praise to You.
Out of the profound silence of Your Presence
we murmur the words of Mercy:
Rahamim: the womb love-
inscribe it on our hearts.
Hesed: the loving kindness-
inscribe it on our hearts.
Eleos: the healing oil-
inscribe it on our hearts.
the words of tenderness and empathy
inscribe them on our hearts.
the words of tolerance and forgiveness-
inscribe them on our hearts.
the words of justice and faithfulness-
inscribe them on our hearts.
In the encounters of the life of Jesus
we find our Mercy meaning:
the woman with the alabaster jar-
may we meet as Jesus met.
the rich young man-
may we meet as Jesus met.
the little girl brought to life-
may we meet as Jesus met.
the three at Bethany-
may we meet as Jesus met.
the lepers, the outcasts, the lost-
may we meet as Jesus met.
In the imagination of Jesus
we find our Mercy inspiration:
the one sheep who went missing–
may we do as Jesus told it.
the son who was welcomed home-
may we do as Jesus told it.
the vineyard workers, late and early-
may we do as Jesus told it.
the treasure buried in the field-
may we do as Jesus told it.
the only one who stopped to help-
may we do as Jesus told it.
In the life of our forebears
we recognise Mercy:
for Mary of Nazareth and Calvary-
we thank You.
for Catherine McAuley, woman of Dublin-
we thank You.
for our founders and pioneers,
the near and the far-
we thank You.
for our holy ones and wisdom figures-
we thank You.
for the heroic and the humble-
we thank You.
With all Your creation
we share our life in Mercy:
the feather and the fur –
we respect and cherish.
the waterway and the breeze-
we respect and cherish.
the rock and the leaf-
we respect and cherish.
the fish and the star-
we respect and cherish.
the flame and the stalk-
we respect and cherish.
The colour of mercy-
we celebrate.
the shape of mercy-
we celebrate.
the mystery of mercy–
we celebrate.
the arenas of mercy-
we celebrate.
The unfinished chapters –
we pledge mercy.
the unmet need-
we pledge mercy.
the violence, the horror-
we pledge mercy.
the urgent immensities-
we pledge mercy.
the cries, the silences,
the aches and injuries-
we pledge mercy.
In Your name,
with Your help,
by Your hand.
In the large days
and ordinary ways,
alone and together,
we are people for Mercy.
Mercy calls us-
Mercy calls us.
Mercy guides us–
Mercy guides us.
Mercy sustains us–
Mercy sustains us.
Amen.
*A reader or one section of the group reads the main text, the rest respond with the bold type.
