Mercy Is Love in Action

Father Chris Alar, MIC, defines mercy as love of God put into action through love of neighbor. This simple yet profound teaching brings together the two greatest commandments: loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. When these commandments unite, obeying the law becomes something wonderful — love.

The works of mercy flow naturally from this dual commandment. Mercy is not merely feeling compassion but actively demonstrating it through concrete actions toward others. This aligns with the teaching of the Bible and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church" that faith without works is dead, and that true discipleship requires both interior devotion and exterior charity.

Father Chris emphasizes that mercy beautifully bridges the apparent gap between vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationship with neighbor. Saint John the Evangelist wrote that whoever says they love God but hates their neighbor is a liar. Mercy proves the authenticity of our love for God.

This message resonates deeply during Lent, a season dedicated to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The works of mercy — feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and so on — are tangible expressions of divine love. Through these acts, believers participate in Christ's redemptive work and reflect His heart to a broken world.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation prepares souls to practice mercy by cleansing them of sin and restoring their capacity to love authentically. Frequent Confession strengthens our resolve to forgive others as God forgives us.