– Composed of two words from Latin ( misereor , to have compassion on someone, and cor , cordis , heart), it means to take pity on someone who suffers a personal tragedy. God loves his people and is always willing to forgive them:
Ex 34,6 : Lord, Lord, God compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, rich in goodness and faithfulness.
2 Kings 13:23 : But the Lord had compassion on them and showed them mercy.
Ps 50:2-3 : Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to your goodness. And according to the immensity of your mercy.
Ps 102,4.8 : It is he who saves your life from death, and crowns you with goodness and mercy.
Is 30,18 : This is why the Lord is willing to forgive you; that is why he rises to spare you.
Jer 12:15 : When they are plucked up, I will have mercy on them again.
Jer 30:18 : I will restore the tents of Jacob, and I will have mercy on his dwellings.
– It is also used for the concrete act of obtaining an indulgence, clemency on the part of God:
Gen 32:10 : Lord, that you would say to me, Return to your country, to the midst of your kindred, and I will benefit you.
Job 9:15 : Even if I were right, I could not answer. I would ask my judge for clemency.
Ps 24:6 : Remember, Lord, your mercies and your goodness, which are eternal.
Ps 56,10-11 : Lord, I will praise you; I will praise you among the nations, for your mercy reaches the heavens.
Ps 91,2-3 : It is good to praise the Lord and sing psalms to your name, O Most High; proclaim your mercy in the morning.
Ps 99,5 : For the Lord is good, his mercy is eternal and his faithfulness extends from generation to generation.
Ps 102 : 17 : But the Lord’s mercy is everlasting to those who fear him.
Ps 106:1.43 : Praise the Lord, for he is good. Because eternal is his mercy.
Ps 107,4-5 : Lord, I will praise you; I will sing praises to you among the nations, because your mercy is high above the heavens.
Ps 115,1 : I kept my confidence even when I could say: “In truth I am extremely unhappy”.
Ps 116 :2: For boundless is his mercy towards us, and eternal is the faithfulness of the Lord.
Ps 117,1 : Praise the Lord, for he is good; because eternal is his mercy.
Ps 118,41,88,156 : Let your mercies come to me, Lord, and your salvation, according to your promise.
Psalm 135 : Praise the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
Dn 9,9 : To the Lord our God, mercies and forgiveness, because we rebelled against him.
Hos 14:3 : The Assyrian will not save us, we will no longer ride our horses, and we will no longer have any work like God.
– It is a condition for God to hear our prayers:
Ex 22,26 : If he called on me, I would hear him, because I am merciful.
2Mk 2,7 : He told them that this place would remain unknown until God gathered his people and used mercy on them.
2Mc 7,29 : Be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that on the day of mercy I may find you among them.
Ps 85,15 : But you, Lord, are a kind and compassionate God; slow to anger, full of mercy and faithfulness.
Wis 3,9 : Those who are faithful will dwell with him in love: for his elect are worthy of favor and mercy.
Wis 4:15 : That the favor of God and his mercy are upon his elect, and his assistance is in the midst of his faithful ones.
Hos 2:21 : I will betroth her to her forever in justice and right, in loving-kindness and tenderness.
Os 6,6 : Because I want love more than sacrifices, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Hos 14 : 4: I will cure their unfaithfulness, I will love them with all my heart, because my anger is turned away from them.
Mic 6,8 : What does the Lord require of you: that you practice justice, that you love kindness, and that you walk humbly.
Zc 1,12-16 : Lord of armies! How long will you remain insensitive to the fate of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah?
– In the NT, Jesus has mercy and compassion on sinners and those who suffer:
Mt 9,36 : Seeing the crowd, he was moved with compassion, because they were weakened and slaughtered like sheep without a shepherd.
Mt 14:14 : When he went ashore, seeing the large crowd, he had compassion for them.
Mt 15:32 : I have pity on this crowd: behold, they have been near me for three days and have nothing to eat.
Mt 20:34 : Jesus, full of compassion, touched their eyes. Instantly they regained their sight and began to follow him.
Mk 1,41 : Jesus felt sorry for him, stretched out his hand, touched him and said: “I want, be healed”.
Mk 6:34 : Jesus saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Mk 10,47-48 : Knowing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out: “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!”.
Lc 7,13 : Seeing her the Lord, moved with compassion towards her, said to her: “Do not cry!”.
Luke 15 : Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness?
Phil 2:27 : But God had compassion on him, and not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not be afflicted.
– Jesus demands mercy so that prayers are heard:
Mt 5:7: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!
Mt 9,13 : Go and learn what these words mean: I want mercy and not sacrifice.
Mt 12,7 : If you understood the meaning of these words: “I want mercy and not sacrifice…”.
Mt 18:33 : Should n’t you have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?
Eph 2 :4 : But God, who is rich in mercy, moved by the great love with which he loved us.
1Sam 15:22 : Does the Lord take as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying his voice?
Lk 19:10 : For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
1Tm 1,15 : Here is a truth absolutely […] worthy of faith: Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners.
Jas 2:13 : There will be judgment without mercy for the one who showed no mercy.
