I was inspired to share this reflection on Mary as Mother of Mercy by the brave words of Bishop Mariann Budde speaking truth to power:
Holy Mary, mother of us all,
we see a world filled with violence toward one another,
we ask for mercy.
We see children and the elderly dwelling in poverty,
we ask for mercy.
We see the earth being slowly choked and poisoned,
we ask for mercy.
We live in a culture that values people only
for what they produce and achieve,
we ask for mercy.
We recognize the ways our own
moment by moment choices contribute
to the above realities, we ask for mercy
In your gracious mercy help to transform us.
Strengthen our resolve to live as a witness to another way of being,
one rooted in kindness, compassion, rest, delight, and nourishment.
May this birthing of new possibilities be our most sacred work.
Mother of Mercy: She Who Lavishes Tenderness
2016 was celebrated as a Year of Divine Mercy in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis wanted the whole Church to be reawakened to Mercy, which in the context of Christian teachings, refers to concepts such as forgiveness, healing, hope, and compassion for all fellow human beings. He called for a “revolution of tenderness” in the Church through a renewed focus on these values. I love that image of a revolution of tenderness, and Mary seems to be a perfect ally on that journey. What might the world look like if we embraced tenderness as a primary quality? What if being tender were at the heart of our spiritual journeys?
Divine mercy is that completely gratuitous and abundant, unearned grace. When we pray the Hail Mary, we describe her as “full of grace.” Mary is the embodiment of divine mercy, that lavish gift of kindness and care.
Mercy is defined as “compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” Many of the biblical stories point us toward mercy, to show a generosity of heart and spirit especially toward those who are poor, marginalized, and living on the rough edges of society.
Mary as Mother of Mercy, like the Mirror of Justice and Mother of Sorrows, extends her reach out to all those who are on the edges. She also calls us to extend this mercy within ourselves to all those places within that we have abandoned or exiled. She invites us to consider those tender and fragile places within which we have rejected for so long. At the heart of mercy is a radical hospitality where the stranger is welcomed in with abundant care and compassion.
We live in a world where terrible things happen every day, sometimes to people far away, and sometimes in our own homes and hearts. We are prompted to call out “How long O God?” in heartfelt lament. Mary is the one who hears these cries and meets us in our grief and anguish. Mary as Mother of Mercy is the one we long for, especially when we encounter our own frayed edges.
It is in the humbling journey toward embracing our vulnerability and perpetual journeying that we may meet ourselves in new ways. We learn to welcome in the vulnerable places. It is this revolution of tenderness that will move us to a new way of being in the world that relies less on force and power and more on love and kindness.
Calling on Mary, Mother of Mercy
In Hebrew, the word mercy means “womb.” Calling on God’s mercy is to connect with the sacred feminine in a very intimate and powerful way. In this final reflection, I invite you to make space for everything that feels tender and everything that shimmers from within. Ask Mary to hold it all in her merciful and loving gaze.
Over these pages we have been deepening into archetypal womb we all possess, whether we identify as male or female or somewhere on a spectrum. My deepest conviction in this book is that we are all called to the journey of holy birthing. We are each called in a unique way to bring new possibilities into the world. In the process we learn how the journey of descent and gestation, of sacred darkness can be a companion to us. Mary is with us in all of our moments of uncertainty, and she reveals that this too is part of the holiness of our human way.
Our world is so hungry for the mercy Mary offers. We can call upon her to infuse all of our action in the world with loving kindness, to become a sign of compassion, to point the way to a new way of being. Ask Mary to especially bless our holy birthing with extravagant mercy. See how Mary wants to partner with us to bring more compassion into our communities.
—excerpted from Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal by Christine Valters Paintner
Blockprint by Kreg Yingst
