Pause and Pray in Mercy

Lisa Simmons demonstrates how 'mercy' can be an action word.

My parish has begun using the Pause & Pray effort to help everyone calm down and take a breath during their day. But stopping to Pause and Pray isn't only a method of calming ourselves while waiting in traffic or standing in line. It is also a way to show mercy to other people and even to ourselves.

Pope Francis uses the word mercy not only as a noun, but also as a verb, mercify, because in order for there to be mercy in our lives, we must first show mercy and receive mercy. Mercy is not a stagnant word. It is an action word, it is something we must do in order to understand and it is also something we must receive in order to be able to give it to others.

If you have ever offended someone whether on purpose or by accident and you have asked for their forgiveness and they give it to you, you understand what mercy is. Their forgiveness of your sin, your offense to them is like having a wave wash over you. You feel free of the hurt you caused. Likewise when we go to Confession and confess our sins.

Have you ever approached the confessional with a very burdened heart? For a days or weeks the need to go to confession has been growing in your heart. You know you really need to go. You walk into church and begin to pray, or maybe you've been praying the entire drive to church: "Please, Holy Spirit, help me make a good confession so I don't feel this guilt any longer." You continue praying as you kneel down in the pew, and then as you stand in line for confession. You walk through the confessional door and close it behind you and begin.

Suddenly the rush of sins comes out and you are asking forgiveness and the priest speaks with you and asks you to make an act of contrition and then says, "Go for your sins have been forgiven." Do you remember the emotional release you have at that moment? Sometimes it brings tears but it always brings relief, a heavy sigh, and thankfulness to your heart.

small child running with outstretched arms toward adult at sunset

That is mercy in action. That is how the word mercy becomes a verb in our life! Do you remember at that moment how you feel going out the doors of the church and everything is brighter, lighter and wonderful again?

In the same way, when we apologize to someone we have hurt, the act of mercy is the same as when we are forgiven in Confession. We are forgiven and we can forgive others. That act of mercy, that mercifying has brought life back to you and to others.

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In order for there to be mercy in our lives, we must first show mercy and receive mercy. #catholicmom

When you pause and pray, you are mercifying. You are acting forgiving of what is going on around you. Of course it doesn't solve the world's problems, or even make other people behave, but it changes our approach to the world. We are able to mercify, we can share that feeling of love that God has for every single person in this world, good or bad, angry or calm. Just us displaying that mercy can help others learn to mercify too.

But we can't understand that mercy unless we have had to ask for it ourselves from God in confession and from others. Pope Francis describes it as being a dignified sinner. We know we are sinners, yet we also have such a beautiful merciful God who has forgiven us, totally! Our sin slate is wiped clean! We are ashamed of our sin yet we can run to God our Father and ask forgiveness!