WHAT I WANT IS MERCY

PRAYER PAUSE

Wednesday 21 September 2016, Matthew

WHAT I WANT IS MERCY

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Jesus saw a man named Matthew and said to him, ‘Follow me! … What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.” (Matthew9:9-13)

Reflection. Mercy means that movement of love, that stirring which melts frozen hearts and bends rigid thinking. We see it in the calling of Paul and here too in the call of the tax collector. Jesus constantly showed it in words – the prodigal son, the good Samaritan - and in action – the widow of Nain, the woman caught in adultery. Pope Francis took it as his motto in referring to this scene of the calling of Matthew, ‘Having mercy on me, he called me.’ It is that movement of the entrails, in the Greek we are told, which looks in deep love and compassion on another.

Prayer. Lord, teach us love, teach us compassion, that we may reach out to others and invite them to turn to you.. Amen