Justice & Mercy Unite

A Reflection on the First Reading for January 10th, 2021:
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

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ISAIAH
42:1-4, 6-7

1Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 6"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

I take great comfort in knowing that through Jesus, mercy is an indispensable part of God’s quest to bring about justice. Today’s excerpt from Isaiah moves gracefully back and forth between these two characteristics in its prophecy of the Lord’s love — as if to illustrate their interplay. Highlighting one, the Spirit gestures back toward the other, inviting us to witness their integration in God Made Flesh.

He shall bring forth justice to the nations.
Not crying out, not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.
He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth.

Jesus is merciful. Failures do not rouse harsh words from Him. He is gentle with our weakness and tender in forgiveness. He does not discourage the broken-hearted and lifts up the repentant with dignity.

But Jesus was ordained by God to bring forth justice. No darkness or sin can hide from Him in any corner of the world or in any crevice of the heart. The cross was necessary to satisfy what justice requires. How then are mercy and justice reconciled?

The cross unites mercy and justice by perfect love. In a way, both are subject to love in order to be efficacious: “Although justice is an authentic virtue in man, and in God signifies transcendent perfection, nevertheless love is "greater" than justice: greater in the sense that it is primary and fundamental. Love, so to speak, conditions justice and, in the final analysis, justice serves love. The primacy and superiority of love vis-a-vis justice [...] are revealed precisely through mercy.” (III, 4, 52-53 Dives in Misericordia) 

It is a full circle that starts and ends with perfect love: Love prepares justice for its reception in the heart through mercy. Love led Jesus to mercy on the cross so the victory of justice could be established. From the other end, Pope Francis explains that justice and mercy unite “two dimensions of a single reality that unfolds progressively until it culminates in the fullness of love.” (Pope Francis on mercy and justice) 

For whatever reason, sometimes we falsely perceive the Lord’s desire for justice as taking precedence over love and mercy, or mercy as having taken precedence over justice and love. This lends to an experience of God as either harsh and punitive, or unmoved and unconcerned with our plight. Yet the Lord always starts and ends with Love so that both mercy and justice can flourish.


Take a moment with the Lord to consider:

God, what prevents me from experiencing Your love? 

How might Your love help me be more merciful or just toward others?




Michelynne Gomez
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