Our God Is Kind and Merciful
In the hymn (Psalm 103) for this Sunday, the speaker praises the God whose graciousness has been shown in all moments of personal life – in actions of forgiveness and protection from life-threatening forces. This is the same God who acts on behalf of the needy. The psalm centers us back to the kind of person the gospel calls us to be: kind and merciful recognizing God’s favor and compassionate forgiveness. When we immerse ourselves in the infinite mercy of God, then we will be able to share it with others.
My soul, bless God’s holy name!
My soul, bless the Most High, hold dear all God’s gifts!
Bless God, who forgives your sin and heals every illness,
who snatches you from death and enfolds you with tender care.
God is tender and caring, slow to anger, rich in love.
God will not accuse us long, nor bring our sins to trial,
nor exact from us in kind what our sins deserve.
As far as east from west, so God removes our sins.
As tender as parent to child, so gentle is God to believers.
[verses adapted from The Psalter © 1995, Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications.]