Pope: God wants his ministers to be merciful

Pope Francis urged people not to put their own convictions or a list of commandments before the Lord's mercy, in his homily at morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta, today, before joining the Synod. Reflecting on the first reading of the Book of Jonah, the Pope pointed out that Jonah is initially resistant to God's will, but eventually learns that he must obey the Lord. Eventually, the city of Nineveh converts thanks to Jonah's preaching, Pope Francis said: "it really was a miracle, because in this case he abandons his stubbornness, his rigidity, to obey the will of God, and he did what the Lord commanded him."

And after the conversion of Nineveh, Jonah, "who was not a man who was docile to the Spirit of God, was angry." The Pope said he even rebuked the Lord.

So, Pope Francis observed, the story of Jonah and Nineveh unfolds in three chapters: the first "is Jonah's resistance to the mission the Lord entrusts him with"; the second "is his obedience" and the ensuing miracle; in the third chapter, "there is resistance to God's mercy".

The Pope went on to say that Jesus too was misunderstood because of his mercy. He recalled that Jesus lived with the Doctors of the Law who did not understand why he did not let the adulteress be stoned, they did not understand why he dined with publicans and sinners, "they did not understand. They did not understand mercy".

Pope Francis said that the Psalm that we prayed today tells us to "wait for the Lord because with the Lord there is mercy, and redemption."

"Where the Lord is, there is mercy", the Pope concluded, and, he added, as Ambrose said: "Where his ministers are there is rigidity. The rigidity that defies mission, which challenges mercy."

"As we approach the Year of Mercy, let us pray the Lord to help us understand his heart, to understand what 'mercy' means, what it means when He says: 'I want mercy, not sacrifice!'" he said.