“Though justice be Thy plea, consider this: That in the course of justice none of us should see salvation. We do pray for mercy, And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy.”

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. - ABRAHAM LINCOLN, speech in Washington, D.C., 1865

Scripture Text: (PS 72:1-2, 3-4AB, 7-8, 17)

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

In the Catholic Christian tradition, we make this distinction between justice and mercy. And I think it’s helpful. “Justice” is to uphold the law. Justice is the right ordering of relationships. Justice is to ensure that we render to each person his or her due. That’s the classical definition of justice.

Mercy, on the other hand, goes beyond justice. Sometimes it might even be seen as a violation of justice. Mercy is not about giving each person his or her due. Mercy is about a kind or compassionate treatment of someone who’s under your power. It’s a disposition to be kind and forgiving. It’s an alleviation of suffering that may go beyond what justice calls for.

The “righteous” sometimes have such a difficult time with mercy. Because they’ve worked so hard to live within the laws – they’ve done “everything right”. They’ve followed the precepts that justice demands. And then along comes some notorious sinner who repents, and suddenly that person is entering the kingdom of God ahead of them? Are you kidding me?

Pope Francis spoke on this same theme; he talked about how mercy can scandalize those who don’t see their own sin; he said:“We often hear faithful Catholics who see mercy at work and [they] ask, ‘Why?’” ……...But, Pope Francis said, Jesus himself answered them when he said, I have come not to call the just, but sinners.” So, “if you want to be called by Jesus,” he said, “[then] recognize [that] you are a sinner” and repent.

That’s mercy!