Reflection: Mercy and Faithfulness (Br Simon Anand)

Mercy and Faithfulness have met,
Righteousness and Peace have embraced.

(An alternative translation substitutes “Faithfulness” with “Truth”. I have adopted it to be more apt for my sharing.)

This phrase in the psalmist’s romantic writing presents a necessary and sound amalgamation of the two major faculties of a human person: the Head and the Heart. Many theologians term the head as the Intellect and the heart as the Will in most of their works.

There is an important parellism in God’s creation. Everything comes in pairs to complement each other, eventually resulting in completion or fullness. In the Old Testament, we see the pillar of cloud in the day and the pillar of fire at night signifying the presence of God throughout the whole 24 hours. Another ideal example to expound this value of parallelism is our respiratory system. It is complete because we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. They are two extremes possessing two different substantial natures yet they always remain complementing each other. Amongst all these, man and woman are viewed as two great extremes complementing each other which is vividly manifested in the Sacrament of the church - Holy Matrimony.

“They are no longer two but one....what God unites, man must not divide.”

Thus, the first line of the above psalm speaks of the two different extremes coming together. Mercy is a property of the heart. It means to be affectionate over a person especially for one who is suffering; to be compassionate, merciful, caring and empathetic. In psychology, a man is incomplete without a woman (anima) within him. The woman (anima) within him makes him a more poised person. Likewise, heart of mercy is incomplete if the truth of the head is ignored. Every emotion has to be integrated with the Truth. This is where the faculty of reason comes into the picture in order to seek that Truth. Imagine the consequence of being excessively merciful to those who are on their deathbed. We might hold on to their lives at all cost which would perpetuate their suffering in this corporeal world. However, if our feelings could be integrated with the head (Truth), we will begin to understand the meaning of suffering that it is not an end by itself but a means to a greater beginning in another “Greater World”.


As when a man meets his “significant other”, he can’t but express his love in gestures which could involve hugs and kisses. Likewise, the meeting of Mercy and Faithfulness certainly results in Righteousness (justice) and Peace. One whose merciful heart, that has been integrated with the Truth will never but live justly and righteously. The man, who has been recently elevated to blessedness, late Pope John Paul II has advocated this virtue by his own life on earth. Incontrovertibly, he was a man with a heart of gold; merciful and compassionate particularly towards woman and youth. The inauguration of the World Youth Day and promotion of moral values in emancipating woman in the society precisely by canonizing many female saints during his papacy communicate the depth of his passion for these groups. Nevertheless, he was not driven by mere emotions until he had to close an eye to the increasing contemporary evil. Many extreme feminists fought for equal rights between man and woman which effectuated in promoting pro-choice, abortion and contraception. On another extreme, the newer generation emerged in neo-philosophical tenets to view life differently from the traditional viewpoint. Pre-marital sex, atheism and agnosticism, substance abuses were all perceived as compulsory aspects of human formation process. He, John Paul II, never condoned but attacked it with the Truth the church teaches, the Truth in his head. Being a philosopher himself, he preached the gospel of Human Life and its dignity loud and clear. In no way has he ever promoted evil that sometimes arise from nowhere but within our pseudo-feelings. His heroic life on earth was the product of harmony between being a man of feelings and a man of knowledge which has now led him to a greater life in the other world. It goes without saying, that he was the image of Righteousness and Peace for whomsoever had encountered him.

Let us pray that we too will never fail to thirst for the knowledge of Him in our lives while our hearts are forever drawn to those who are merciful and in special need of mercy. May we always treasure and appreciate the two faculties in us that distinguish us from all other creation and never cease to praise Him for sharing His life with us. Alleluia!!!!

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Nicholas Lye on 5th May 2011.