Show Us, O Lord, Your Mercy: Invoking the Mercy of God in the Order of Mass (2015)

"Show Us, O Lord, Your Mercy": Invoking the Mercy of God in the Order of Mass

With the forthcoming Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, beginning December 8, 2015 through November 20, 2016, Pope Francis has invited the Church to rediscover and to celebrate the centrality of God’s mercy in our world and our lives.  In his announcement of the Holy Year of Mercy the Holy Father declared, “I am confident that the whole Church, which is in such need of mercy for we are sinners, will be able to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscovering and rendering fruitful God’s mercy, with which we are all called to give comfort to every man and every woman of our time.… Let us henceforth entrust this Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she turn her gaze upon us and watch over our journey” (Homily at the Celebration of Penance, March 13, 2015). 

In the celebration of the Mass, the critical role of God’s mercy frequently comes to the fore.  As imperfect human beings, we encounter in the Mass God’s merciful offer to raise us up and to give us hope and strength despite our weaknesses.  In order to prepare for the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy, as well as to assist delving deeper into the content of the Mass itself, there follows a concise list of moments in the Order of Mass when the mercy of God is explicitly acknowledged or sought.  Those who preach on the theme of mercy might wish to draw their hearers’ attention to some of these passages, both to help strengthen their appreciation for God’s mercy and to help them pray the Mass with greater devotion. 

In addition to the texts from the Order of Mass, there are innumerable references to God’s mercy which are encountered both in the proper prayer texts for the various Masses, as well as in the Scripture passages proclaimed in the Liturgy of the Word.  Furthermore, there are numerous other moments in the Mass when mercy is sought, even if not mentioned explicitly by name.  For example, the silent prayer of the deacon or priest who has just read the Gospel is clearly reliant on God’s mercy: “Through the words of the Gospel, may our sins be wiped away” (Order of Mass, no. 16).  Whether or not the very word is used, God’s mercy is truly never far from the many liturgical elements of the Mass. 

JofM-Show-Us-O-Lord-Your-Mercy-Invoking-the-Mercy-of-God-in-the-Order-of-Mass.pdf