Pope Francis has been emphatic during his Pontificate to help Christians re-focus on the Gospel message of mercy. “The Name of Our God,” he says, “is mercy.” The coming of Our Saviour Jesus Christ is God’s great gift of mercy to sinful humanity.

Now I would like you to think for a moment about one of Jesus’ starkest parables. There was a man who owed his boss ten million dollars. Being unable to pay, he begged for time. Out of compassion, the master forgave the debt. Immediately afterwards this man encounters a fellow employee who owes him a thousand dollars. Despite a plea for patience, the man shows no compassion and takes him to court. We all know the rest of the parable when the master hears about the lack of compassion from the one that he had forgiven.

Jesus Christ is the ten million dollars that has become our freedom. Those who recognize this compassion and gift are now called to pay it forward, to be compassionate and forgiving to those indebted to us. That sounds simple, but it is amazing how tight-fisted we become with what we consider ours. St. John Chrysostom in the 5th century told his fellow Christians that not only does your excess wealth belong to the poor, but everything you call your own is really on loan to you from your Father in heaven.

So, what I would like to point out today is that we need to stretch our understanding of compassion to those we often do not see or pay attention to. And I will use the example of refugees and migrants. Recently in a conversation with a mother of two young children, all of whom had been accepted into Canada, she said to me that I could never imagine what it was like to have no food, no money, no home, no country. She was unbelievably grateful to be in Canada and to have the opportunities of Canadians, especially for her children. But as I listened to her story, I could not help but think of another of Jesus’ parables, that of Lazarus who sat on the dung heap outside the estate of the rich man, asking for help. 

After the death of both men, the rich man found himself in hell while the beggar was given a seat of honor next to Abraham. The rich man asked for mercy but Abraham replied that his path of singularly indulging in earthly pleasures without a concern for a person like Lazarus had led him to this ending. The rich man then begged Abraham to send someone back to the world of the living to warn his five still living brothers of what the consequences of their attitudes would bring. 

But, Abraham says, if they will not obey Moses and the prophets, who pleaded and threatened about justice, they will not even listen to somebody who rises from the dead.

Well, our Jesus has risen from the dead. And his message is abundantly clear about caring for our brothers and sisters in need. I know that the first reactions of those who hear this message will be that we cannot solve the problem of poverty for the whole world or, further, there seems to be so little that I or we can do.  But this is exactly where I wish to challenge you in the name of Jesus.  I have met people chased from their homes and even their country by war, others by vicious gangs, some Christians and others who have been persecuted to the point of fleeing their homeland. They look at the estate of the rich man and ask for a crust of bread. Do we turn our back and close our eyes? Or do we look for ways to help?

I have been impressed with many of the dioceses of Canada which have established Offices for Refugees. They help parishes and even groups of like-minded Christians to sponsor and support people who otherwise would have no hope.  I have been impressed by many religious orders of women who have done two things:  First, some of their active Sisters have become daily mentors and guides to integrate newcomers into Canadian society with all its bureaucratic complexities; and, second, the oldest Sisters have volunteered to pray each day for a chosen refugee family. Now there is of course a cost of money and of time. But I recall one Sister telling me how a wonderful friendship had developed between the refugee family and herself.  And then one of the senior Sisters, when she received a thank you card from a family who felt that her prayers had guided their entire journey, she told me that the family had given her new life when she thought she was no longer useful.

We may not use these words, but caring for those who literally come to our borders with nothing, is mercy in action. It is an imitation of God, who is Mercy to each of us. Do you remember the command of Jesus, a command that seems discouraging in its absoluteness: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”?  Well, a better translation would be “Be merciful as your Father in Heaven is merciful.” That we can do by paying attention to our brothers and sisters in need and then joining with others to welcome them to new life.