Our Holy Father has declared this year as a year of God’s mercy in this world. What a wonderful virtue, the virtue of mercy. And as you can well imagine, that very word of mercy means so much to me personally, and to all of the young people entrusted to our care here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. I think we are so grateful, and I know we’re so grateful to our Lady of Mercy, who is the patroness of this home for 128 years. God’s mercy in the world.

The Holy Father calls us to be people of God’s mercy in the world. You pull apart the word “mercy,” and what do you find in it? Mercy is about understanding others. Mercy is about being compassionate. The word “compassion” means “to journey with those who suffer in life.” Mercy is about love, a love that is understanding, a love that is forgiving, a love that is reconciling. The Holy Father in His great wisdom has called this year a year of mercy, God’s mercy.

And we certainly see that in the Gospel today — Jesus’ mercy, his compassion, his forgiveness, and his love for the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. It is a fascinating Gospel, and there are so many intriguing parts of this Gospel. Jesus is teaching in the temple area. The scribes and the Pharisees are really there to put Jesus on the spot, to test him, to get something that they can place against him.

And Jesus doesn’t fall into the trap. They try to put him into a double bind. Does he follow the law or not? Jesus is beyond the law. What Jesus shows is the mercy, the compassion, the love and the forgiveness of God. When he has said what he has to say, he says a beautiful line, “Let you who is without sin cast the first stone.” And isn’t it interesting, it’s the elderly who walked away first. All of us who have lived life know of our own faults, of our own failings, of our own need for God’s compassion and mercy and love in this life. And so they walked away, shamefaced in so many ways.

Then Jesus does what Jesus does. He becomes God’s mercy for this woman who has been caught in sin. “Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir.” “Nor do I condemn you. I just ask that you sin no more. Receive freely the mercy, the compassion, the forgiveness and the love of God.” The Holy Father has called this a year of mercy. He invites us to be people of mercy to one another.