The Definition of Divine Mercy

You have certainly already heard the expression "mercy" or "merciful" and you would like to know its definition?

We have done some research to find out important information for you. After reading this article, you will know exactly what mercy is. Here is a brief definition:

Mercy is the quality of God by which He forgives His chosen ones. God is loving, charitable and full of compassion, that is why He is said to be a merciful God. No matter what sins you commit, He will forgive you if you sincerely repent.

To learn more about this subject, you will discover following this article:

• The definition of mercy according to the different holy books;

• The etymological meaning of mercy;

• Acts of mercy.

Let’s find out all this together right now!

Definition of God's Mercy

The definition of mercy varies from book to book:

In the Bible.

God’s mercy toward believing Christians is shown by the period of time during which they can examine their lives and acknowledge their wrongs. By God’s grace , they know what they must do to change. This will enable them to conform to Jesus and apply themselves in order to obtain salvation through Christ.

In other words, God’s mercy is the time the Lord gives us to understand what sins we have committed. Thus, we can repent and change. The Bible is full of scriptures that show us the true concept of God’s mercy.

In the Old Testament.

Testimony of God Himself: Exodus 22:26-27 “If you take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, restore it before the sun goes down, for it is his covering only. It is the clothing of his body: in what shall he sleep? Then when he cries to me, I will hear, for I am merciful .” Exodus 34:6 “And the Lord passed by before him, and cried, The Lord, the Lord God is loving and merciful, longsuffering and full of compassion and true.”

Testimony of God's Law of Mercy: Deuteronomy 4:31 "The Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not forsake you or destroy you, nor forget his covenant with your fathers, which he confirmed with an oath." 2 Chronicles 30:9 "When you turn to the Lord, your brothers and your children will be merciful to those who carried them away captive. They will return to this land, for the Lord your God is good and merciful , and will not turn away his face from you, if you turn to him."

King David's Testimony of God's Mercy: Psalm 85:4-5 "Rejoice, O soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; for you, O Lord, are good and merciful, and have much mercy on all who call upon you." Psalm 114:5 "The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God is gracious."

In the New Testament.

God’s mercy culminated in the New Testament. The Lord, having come down to earth in the form of a man, by His own life set an example of love and mercy for His creation. The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ is briefly stated in the Gospel according to Matthew in chapter 9:35. It says this, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Luke 1:50 (New International Version) - "And his mercy is from generation to generation to those who fear him." God's mercy is always extended to those who love the Lord and are willing to change through repentance and keeping His law. Change takes time, nothing happens overnight, but God keeps His covenant.

His mercy is a gift available to all who love Him and whose hearts are sincere in wanting to change and conform to Jesus. Furthermore, they must apply themselves patiently to obtain their Salvation , in daily life, through Sanctification. We change little by little, as God shows us His mercy and grace; our walk with Him is an experience that will last our entire existence.

Etymological definition of Mercy

The expression mercy has several etymologies, including Latin and Greek.

According to Latin.

To understand words properly, it is helpful, but also interesting, to go to the root of the meaning. Misericordia comes from two Latin words, miserere, which means to have pity, and cor/cordis, which means heart. Basically, it is a feeling that makes us feel compassion when someone is unhappy or in need.

When I think of mercy, an image comes to mind, that of a child always unsteady on his feet who stumbles and hurts himself. He reaches out to his mother to comfort him. Or I think of a girl who is suffering because she has had an argument with her boyfriend and seeks consolation from her friend.

Mercy urges us to help those who are sick, challenging all our patience and understanding. It is a feeling that softens the heart, makes it welcoming and enveloping. It also moves the legs, because it makes us go to those who need support. Mercy also teaches us to forgive those who make mistakes and this is religion. In fact, the three great monotheistic religions say that God is merciful .

According to Greek.

Mercy is an ancient Christian word . Over its long history, it has acquired a very rich meaning. In Greek, the language of the New Testament, mercy is called eleos. This word is familiar to us in the prayer Kyrie Eleison, which is an invocation to the mercy of the Lord.

Eleos is the usual translation in the Greek version of the Old Testament of the Hebrew word hesed. It is one of the most beautiful biblical words . Often it is translated very simply as love. Hesed, mercy or love, is part of the vocabulary of the covenant.

On the part of God, it denotes an unwavering love, capable of maintaining communion eternally, no matter what happens. Since God's covenant with his people is based on a history of infidelity and new beginnings. Moreover, it is obvious that such unconditional love presupposes forgiveness , it can only be mercy.

God's Mercy and Forgiveness

That is one aspect, yes. If I had to summarize the entire Bible in one sentence, I would say that it is the story of man who often makes mistakes and of God who always welcomes him with his forgiveness. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more,” says the apostle Paul. It is no accident that he uses “superabundance” to emphasize that God’s mercy is infinitely greater than the measure that is needed.

Does a woman forget her child so as not to be moved by the child of her womb? This is not my phrase, it is from the prophet Isaiah. God forgives us because he loves us viscerally! And he wants us to learn more from love than from punishment.

In God, mercy manifests his omnipotence, it is the strength of his love. There is a beautiful letter written by Saint Paul to the community of Corinth on this subject. He says: “Charity is patient, charity is kind. Charity does not envy, it does not boast, it does not puff up, it does not disrespect, it does not seek its own, it is not angry, it does not take into account the evil received, it does not enjoy injustice, but is content with the truth. It covers all things, it believes all things, it hopes all things, it endures all things.” Charity is love. And like mercy, charity alludes to the heart of man and his capacity to love. It is the feeling that brings man closer to his God.

Mercy of God according to the Catholic religion

For Catholics, mercy is the quality of God by which he forgives the sins of the faithful . Mercy is a divine attribute by which believers ask God to have mercy on their sins, disobedience, and forgive them . Divine mercy is the faith that Christians feel for God's mercy, believing that he sacrificed himself for the sins of his believers.

By this faith, the Church guarantees the faithful that Jesus will forgive their faults, not through a trial, but as a gesture of salvation. In the same way, mercy is a lifestyle that Christianity proposes through interior actions and exterior actions. Regarding interior actions, you have the fulfillment of his promises, believing in God, among others. As exterior actions, there is prayer, worship of religious symbols, etc.

Mercy and grace are often confused, although they seem similar. They are not since mercy refers to forgiveness granted by God because of sincere repentance. Instead, grace is a free gift from God to help man fulfill the commandments, save himself or be holy.

Acts of Mercy concerning the body

The acts of mercy of the body include several aspects.

Make donations.

Give to the hungry, as Christ said: hunger for more, and give me food (Matt. 25, 35). That is, the poor and the weak cannot saturate themselves with their own labors. Such charity should be given from those benefits which are honestly acquired, by your own labor and righteousness, according to the words of Scripture.

Honor the Lord with your righteous deeds and give him the firstfruits of your righteous fruits (Proverbs 3:9). Furthermore, alms should be given not only to the poor who ask openly in large numbers or who are in hospices. It should also be given to those who, because of their shame, cannot ask for alms.

However, it must be kept in mind that the act of mercy does not become known to others and does not deserve praise or approval, as Christ says. Whenever you give alms, do not deceive before yourselves, as the hypocrisies do in armies and in haystacks. As if they would be glorified by the people. I say to you Amen, they will receive their bribe (Matthew 6:2).

To give water to the thirsty, that is, to him who, because of his poverty and weakness, has no means of quenching his thirst. By these words we mean any kind of drink that someone can use to quench his thirst with a cup of water. Or again in another thirsty one, he will receive bliss, according to our Savior who speaks in the Scriptures.

If you give a cup of water to drink in my name, as in Christ's, naturally, I say to you, he will destroy his reward (Mk 9:41). This includes all services which, in whatever way, are rendered by someone to the poor and the weak.

Dress naked. This happiness is achieved by those who, moved by a benevolent disposition towards their neighbor, help him in need by dressing him naked. For this, Jesus Christ will reward them on the day of judgment. He will say to them, come blessing of my Father , inherit the Kingdom prepared for you since the folding of the world (Matthew 25:34). Here it is understood not only completely naked, but also those who, although they have clothes, cannot protect them from the cold. This also concerns those who suffer from some kind of misfortune and save their lives with difficulty because of scanty clothing.

Visit the oppressed.

Visit the prisoners in the dungeon. We must not inquire what kind of guilty person has been put in prison and who exactly is the person who is being held. For whom he was, and for whatever criminal acts he was thrown into bonds, it is our duty to assist him. For Christ our Lord, we must visit them and comfort them, so that he does not fall into despair.

Visit the sick. Everyone should perform such a task, regardless of whether the sick person is a relative, whether he is at home, whether he is a friend or a peer. In general, every patient, and especially one who is in a hospital, or in a market, should visit in this manner.

First, to console him by conversation, sympathizing with him cordially in his misfortune. Secondly, to admonish the patient that he patiently endures such misfortune, and that he accepts this visitation of God without sorrow of heart and without murmuring. But, rather with his lips and heart, he blessed God , who manifests this will upon him, trusting strongly that he will send him healing for his humanity.

I must also constantly pray to God for him, entrusting him to the common prayers of the whole Church. Even when a sick person, because of his poverty, cannot declare his illness to the Church, it is the duty of a merciful person to appeal to his spiritual father . The latter will thus be able to perform the appropriate rites on his spiritual son. Finally, he must warn the patient so that he does not fall into superstition and does not resort to arts forbidden by the Church.

In other words, so that he does not try to restore his health with the help of magic and communication with the devil. Besides, this method will allow him to receive more harm than much relief. Let all his hope be placed on the mercy of God; and he would take only medicines prepared by experienced doctors.

Such a visit to the weak makes the visitors blessed both in this world and in heaven. If the patient has a lingering illness and is even infected with a plague, then a pious person, in order not to endanger his life, should perform works of mercy through capable people who can handle such illnesses without harming themselves.

Do not discriminate.

Bring the stranger into your house, which you should do with a cheerful face and heart. Especially those strangers who, traveling to holy places for worship according to their promise, stop to rest in the villages. This form of mutual assistance is the essence of all pilgrims and all the poor. Whoever wants to inherit this felicity must help them in need, according to his strength. Even more hospitality is required for those who are exhausted in the markets and at the crossroads, begging for alms.

Bury the dead. Everyone should do this promptly. He should take special care of those who died in extreme poverty. This, by bringing what was necessary for their burial according to Christian custom , as Tobias did (Tov. 2: 1-7). If someone dies of friends or relatives, the Orthodox and the pious, to fulfill this duty, must accompany the body of the deceased to the grave. This practice must be accompanied with petitions and prayers to the Lord for the soul of the deceased.

Acts of Mercy concerning the soul

Besides acts of mercy of the body , you must perform acts of mercy of the soul.

Pray for lost souls.

Reject the sinner and draw him to a better life, as Scripture testifies. “Brethren, if anyone in you wanders from the path of truth and someone turns him aside, leave the message that he who turns the sinner from the error of his way will save the soul from death and will cover many sins” (James 5:19-20). This duty of philanthropy is the first and foremost, pushing the Orthodox to regret his neighbor. Because the goal is not temporary blessings, but eternal ones.

In the performance of this duty, care must be taken not to lead the sinner, through inexperience, to despair or to excessive trust in the mercy of God. For both will bring the sinner more harm than good. And therefore the middle must be prudently preserved. If anyone is himself incapable of fulfilling this duty, let him choose another who has much more experience in this matter.

Pray to God for your neighbor. This debt of philanthropy falls first to the Fathers and spiritual Elders of the Church, and then to the peoples of the world. Enough has been said in the seventh ecclesiastical commandment. To comfort the sad. This duty of mercy requires that we put no one in a state of anger and complaint against us. Let us not give reasons for sadness, according to the Apostle, if it is possible on your part, have peace with all men. Do not avenge yourself, beloved, but give place to anger.

It is written that there is vengeance in me, I will repay, says the Lord (Rom. 12:18-19). Such a duty should be especially fulfilled when someone is burdened with great sins, or oppressed by great sorrow and misfortune. Such people should be comforted.

Teaching the good news.

Instructing the unlearned and ignorant. This work will be properly performed by the one who teaches the ignorant how to believe in the one trihypostatic God. He is supposed to be able to teach. If not, let him find someone more intelligent and experienced than himself. So that he may say that if a blind man leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). Secondly, he must teach the ignorant how to call upon God, and in what prayer to open his petitions to God.

Teach him also the commandments of God, showing how you can keep them without difficulty. Finally, this also includes trying to provide our children with an education in science and knowledge. Thus, in time, they too can become useful to the Church and society, and pray to God for their benefactors. If we neglect this, then we must fear the terrible sentence that was pronounced on the slave who received a talent and returned it without any profit.

Be a good advisor.

Giving good advice to someone who needs it. This duty is fulfilled when someone who lives depravedly, with pious and Christian warnings and good advice, turns to a better life. Also, when people are exposed to unfortunate circumstances and cannot find a way to get rid of them. Then, one should willingly bring them advice, like medicine, to save their life or honor. This also includes the fact that to inform the neighbor of the danger in which his life is and of which he does not know. However, in order not to create conflicts between these people, but great dangers.

Have the spirit of forgiveness.

Endure grudges with patience. We do this when we endure something for Christ. In this case, we must endure with joy because our Lord Jesus Christ suffered incomparably great grievances for us. As it is said, Christ also suffered for us ... let us follow in his footsteps (1 Peter 2:21). Furthermore, we should not wish evil on those who offend and oppress us, and should not repay evil for evil. According to the apostle, do not repay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9). On the contrary, when we endure what is unjust, we should bless God and ask Him to forgive our enemies.

Forgive the mistakes that others have made before us. We then accomplish this work of mercy, when the insults inflicted on us, of whatever nature, are forgiven by our enemies. Pray for the forgiveness of our offender, as mentioned above. We are to forgive not only once a day, but every day seven and seventy times, as our Savior answered Peter's question. I say not unto you, Up to seventy times, but Up to seventy times in seven dimensions (Matthew 18:22).

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Forgive your neighbor for the will of God 🙏

The meaning of mercy is no longer a mystery to you. You are now an expert on this subject. You will be able to share the definition of the word to all Christians who have doubts about the meaning of mercy.

If we were to summarize the definition of mercy, we can say that mercy is forgiving , loving, and doing works of charity. This expression is used to describe the love that God has for his children. He is a merciful God because he is love and forgives the one who sincerely repents.