Lavishing mercy and grace
In today’s first reading, the Prophet Hosea shocked his audience by describing temple sacrifice as secondary to knowledge of God, at a time when sacrificial temple offerings were the hilt of religious expression. The Psalmist echoes mercy as God’s preference from the faithful, even before sacrifice. Finally, Saint Luke describes the familiar story of the Pharisee and the tax collector who have each gone to the temple to pray. While the Pharisee described his many just and sacrificial deeds, he missed the opportunity to be merciful in his estimation of the tax collector. Conversely, the tax collector, having profited unjustly, rightly appeals to God’s deep and abiding mercy and received grace.
Fresh out of my social work program I went to work in an emergency food bank. Overall, it was a smooth transition, but there were some unbending rules around times that services were available, without exception. When a single father approached me at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon asking for baby formula, I begrudgingly recited the organization’s policy: He’d have to come back Monday. I remember the bus ride home, a pit in my stomach, wrestling with my role as a follower of Christ, and deeply aware that while my action was just, it felt like anything but mercy.
Navigating the nuances of justice, mercy, and grace are at the heart of the Lenten season, and certainly the Christian life. Since that day, I have sat a long while with Cathleen Falsani’s distinction between the three responses: “Justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is not getting what you deserve; grace is getting what you don’t deserve.”
While I have grown in my appreciation of justice, mercy, and grace, I still find myself awed when they unfold, unbidden.
At Catholic Charities of Wyoming, we have an unparalleled vantage point from which to observe so much of what is described in today’s readings. We hear first-hand stories of sacrifice by way of multiple jobs held and creativity demonstrated by individuals and families trying to stay afloat, or the generosity of donors who selflessly give. We are entrusted with examples of injustices that have been inflicted upon our community members, alongside the opportunity to advocate for justice. On our best days, whether as recipients or conduits, we bear witness to the way the Lord continues to lavishly offer mercy and grace.
Katie Cassady is a wife, mom, writer, and the Communications Manager for Catholic Charities of Wyoming.