The Power of Mercy

Reflection Date: July 18, 2026 | Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Micah 2:1-5; Matthew 12:14-21

Children of God:
Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s nonviolent independence movement, was deeply influenced by the teachings of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew. 

He admired the teachings on love, forgiveness, and turning away from violence, often saying that if only Christians lived fully by the words of Christ, the world would be transformed. 

Gandhi also frequently read and reflected on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text composed of 700 verses that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. 

The Bhagavad Gita speaks about duty, righteousness, and the inner struggle between good and evil, urging a life of discipline and devotion to God. 

For Gandhi, the message of Jesus and the wisdom of the Gita both pointed toward truth lived in humility and nonviolence. 

He believed that spiritual truth must be shown not through domination but through self-sacrifice and love. 

His life became a living example of peaceful resistance against injustice. 

He showed that change does not always come through force but through moral courage. 

This kind of peaceful witness connects deeply with the way Jesus lived and taught. 

In the gospel story of Matthew, Jesus withdrew when the Pharisees plotted against Him, choosing not confrontation but faithful fulfillment of God’s mission.

What are our inspirations for today? 

First, God’s mission continues even when there are oppositions.  

The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might destroy Jesus after He healed on the Sabbath. 

Instead of responding with public confrontation, Jesus withdrew from that place, showing wisdom in avoiding unnecessary conflict. 

He continued to heal many people, but He instructed them not to make Him known. 

This revealed a Messiah who did not seek attention or political dominance. 

His mission moved forward quietly, yet powerfully, in acts of mercy and healing. 

It teaches us that not all battles are fought with noise, but many are won through steady faithfulness.

God’s mission continues even when there are oppositions.  

Second, Jesus brings justice through gentleness, and not through domination. 

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, where the chosen servant would not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick. 

He carried out His mission with tenderness toward the weak and patience toward the broken. 

Even when surrounded by hostility, He chose compassion and not retaliation. 

His justice was not destructive but restorative, lifting those who were wounded by life. 

This invites us to examine how we respond when we are misunderstood or opposed. 

We are called to become instruments of healing rather than sources of division.

Jesus brings justice through gentleness, and not through domination.

As we reflect, we ask ourselves: How do we respond when we are misunderstood for doing what is right? 

Do we choose silence rooted in wisdom or anger that deepens conflict? In what ways are we called today to be healers in a divided world?

Children of God:
We are reminded that the path of Christ is not always loud or triumphant in human terms. 

Jesus chose withdrawal when confrontation was not necessary, showing that wisdom can sometimes mean stepping back. 

This challenges us to rethink how we exercise influence in our families and communities. 

True strength is found in patience, not aggression. 

And in following Christ, we learn that gentleness is not weakness but the highest form of courage.