Day 4 · The Jesus Prayer
Have Mercy on Me
“Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!””Matthew 15:22
Reflection
“Have mercy” can sound grim, as if we were begging a stern judge. But in the Gospels the people who cry “have mercy” are people in need who are sure that Jesus is kind: blind men, lepers, a mother whose daughter is suffering. They are not grovelling; they are trusting. Mercy is God's steady, healing love toward those who cannot heal themselves. And “a sinner” is not self-hatred either. It is simply the truth, the same truth the tax collector told, and Christ said he went home justified (Luke 18:14). We say it so that we stop pretending, and let God be the Physician he is. If those words ever begin to feel like a weight of shame rather than a doorway to mercy, talk to your priest.
A prayer
Lord Jesus, I do not ask for mercy because I think you are harsh, but because I know you are kind. Like the mother who would not stop asking, I keep coming to you. Heal what I cannot heal, forgive what I cannot undo, and teach me to see myself truthfully and without fear. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.
Carry this with you
Where do you most need God's mercy today: in your body, your relationships, your past, or your heart?