{"id":7871,"date":"2012-04-15T22:30:27","date_gmt":"2012-04-16T03:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/?p=7871"},"modified":"2017-01-24T17:56:20","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T22:56:20","slug":"on-divine-mercy-sunday-shakespeare-and-a-song","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/2012\/04\/on-divine-mercy-sunday-shakespeare-and-a-song.html","title":{"rendered":"On Divine Mercy Sunday, Shakespeare and a Song"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>
\nA truth about us as human beings is that we desire justice and not mercy. Yet we have been taught that God desires mercy. He said so himself<\/a>. And today, Divine Mercy Sunday, we are reminded that Our Lord\u2019s mercy is larger than not only all of our sins, but of all of the sins of the entire world. Past, present, and future.<\/p>\n

About a year ago, I wrote that I had decided to break my fast from being merciful<\/a>. I\u2019m not about to claim that I was successful in that endeavor completely. I\u2019m nowhere near merciful enough. But I keep walking down that road. I haven\u2019t fled it, assuming I was in a dead-end. Instead, I walk through it purposefully, as if it were the valley of the shadow of death.<\/p>\n

Which leads me to Shakespeare\u2019s play The Merchant of Venice<\/em>, Scene One, Act Four. I never memorized this speech of Portia\u2019s, but I may give it a go now. Here are the lines given by her, disguised as a barrister, \u00a0addressing Shylock, who desires the pound of flesh promised by his debtor Antonio.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The quality of mercy is not strained.
\nIt droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
\nUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
\nIt blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
\nTis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
\nThe throned monarch better than his crown.
\nHis scepter shows the force of temporal power,
\nThe attribute to awe and majesty,
\nWherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
\nBut mercy is above this sceptered sway;
\nIt is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
\nIt is an attribute of God himself;
\nAnd earthly power doth then show like God\u2019s
\nWhen mercy seasons justice.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Once again, ol\u2019 William proves that he understood more than we thought he knew of the Divine Mercy.\u00a0Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors? Or do we instead lust for the proverbial, if not the actual, pound of flesh? As we measure, so shall we be measured.<\/a><\/p>\n

And how about another take on mercy, both of God\u2019s and Shakespeare\u2019s version, from the stylings of Michelle Shocked? Shockingly good stuff, indeed.<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8u4dmbu1jlE<\/a>\n

Lord, help me to remember your teaching: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A truth about us as human beings is that we desire justice and not mercy. Yet we have been taught that God desires mercy. He said so himself. And today, Divine Mercy Sunday, we are reminded that Our Lord\u2019s mercy is larger than not only all of our sins, but of all of the sins […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,232,36,41],"tags":[49,82,193,21,22,11,284,12],"class_list":["post-7871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-learning","category-living","category-praying","tag-art","tag-clarity","tag-mercy","tag-music","tag-poetry","tag-prayer","tag-shakespeare","tag-truth"],"yoast_head":"\nOn Divine Mercy Sunday, Shakespeare and a Song<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A truth about us as human beings is that we desire justice and not mercy. 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