We must show mercy and compassion

The theme for the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines is "Mercy and Compassion." This theme is emblazoned almost everywhere.  You will see tarpaulins of Pope Francis and it is also in our ID's and our tickets for this afternoon's meeting at the Mall of Asia Arena Stadium. Perhaps this is the way Pope Francis is looking at the typhoon victims of Tacloban a year after the world's greatest typhoon struck planet earth.

Since we all have to be in the mood for the Sinulog Festival plus the added blessing of the visit of Pope Francis, I really don't want to write any scathing commentaries today. Rather, I browsed the Internet to look for articles or quotes on the subject of Mercy and Compassion. Thanks to the Internet, it was a treasure throve of short sayings about the theme of the pope's visit. So if you will allow me, I will simply quote these articles and credit them to the author. These are the quotes on Mercy and Compassion.

"There is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this [hospital] corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him... there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is." ? Khaled Hosseini

"The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either -- or both -- when needed?" Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes."

"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy. "Wendell Berry".

"The Lord's mercy often rides to the door of our heart upon the black horse of affliction."   Charles H. Spurgeon

"With time and perspective we recognize that such problems in life do come for a purpose, if only to allow the one who faces such despair to be convinced that he really does need divine strength beyond himself, that she really does need the offer of heaven's hand. Those who feel no need for mercy usually never seek it and almost never bestow it. Those who have never had a heartache or a weakness or felt lonely or forsaken never have had to cry unto heaven for relief of such personal pain. Surely it is better to find the goodness of God and the grace of Christ, even at the price of despair, than to risk living our lives in a moral or material complacency that has never felt any need for faith or forgiveness, any need for redemption or relief. "Jeffery R. Holland"

So what's the difference between compassion and mercy? Where can we find a story in the Bible that can show us compassion and mercy? Most of us believe that the two are the same. But compassion is a mere emotional response to the needs of others, while mercy is showing your love to your fellowman. The best story in the Bible to show compassion and mercy is the story of the Good Samaritan.

Catholics know this story very well. It is about a Jewish man who was robbed and left for dead. People just passed by the man lying on the road. Even a priest just passed by and didn't bother to help him. Then a Samaritan filled with compassion stopped to help the wounded man and treated his wounds. It is common knowledge in Israel that the Jews and Samaritans could never see eye-to-eye. This is why even the title of this parable is a misnomer, as Jews believe that there is no Samaritan who is good.

The lesson we can get from this story is that the Good Samaritan, who was filled with compassion and helped the poor man lying on the road, was able to show the Jews what mercy is all about. I really don't know why Pope Francis used mercy and compassion as his theme for this papal visit. But it certainly has a lot of relevance to the Philippines today, which has millions of poor Filipinos who need mercy and compassion from their fellow Filipinos.

Finally allow me to bring you to the story of the two blind men, which you can read in Matt. 20:30. As our Lord Jesus Christ was passing by, the two blind men shouted "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" Then Jesus moved with compassion, he touched their eyes and healed them.

In short, mercy and compassion can only happen if you have love for your fellowman. God himself has shown us his mercy and compassion by sending his only begotten Son to save us from our wickedness by not judging us but showing us mercy and compassion. So if God himself can show us mercy and compassion, we too must show mercy and compassion to others.