Divine Mercy - Turning to God's Word

Divine Mercy Sunday, sanctioned by Pope St. John Paul II and dedicated to the vision of God’s love as revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska, is celebrated by the Church on the first Sunday following Easter.

The Greek word for mercy, ἔλεος (heleos), can also be translated as “pity” or “compassion.” This is not an incredibly common word in Greek literature. The Latin misericordia carries the same meaning and seems to be roughly consistent with our English usage.

Much more interesting is the Hebrew חָ֫סֶד (checed). This word has a broad range of meaning and a root meaning of “goodness” or “kindness.” The Hebrew word has been rendered by many translations as “loving kindness.” The concept of mercy is secondary only to the core concept of goodness or compassion.

How does your view of mercy change if you equate it with the concept of kindness? How do you think that view differs from the commonly accepted notion of mercy being synonymous with pity? Which view do you think is more consistent with what it is we celebrate in the Church?

you also may like our two-part study of the prophets
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided examines the prophets in historical context using the First and Second Books of the Kings and other Old Testament passages written before the Babylonian Exile. Volume II: Restoration & Redemption looks at the post-exilic prophets. This 51-lesson Catholic Bible study builds on The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Click on these links to view a lesson from Volume I and another from Volume II.

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