Dives in Misericordia
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
Written in 1980, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy) was Pope John Paul II's second encyclical. The letter focuses on the mercy of God, an attribute, the pope argues, that is stronger than all evil. What's more, God's mercy does not humiliate man, but rather elevates his dignity. As the manifestation of God's love in the world, mercy is the central message of Christ's preaching. The letter as a whole is an exploration of the role of God the Father's mercy throughout salvation history and within the mystery of redemption. It follows this theme through eight sections: "He Who Sees Me Sees the Father," "The Messianic Message," "The Old Testament," "The Parable of the Prodigal Son," "The Paschal Mystery," "Mercy . . . From Generation to Generation," "The Mercy of God in the Mission of the Church," and "The Prayer of the Church in Our Times."
Top Highlights
“We read in the Constitution Gaudium et spes: ‘Christ the new Adam … fully reveals man to himself and brings to light his lofty calling,’ and does it ‘in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love.’6 The words that I have quoted are clear testimony to the fact that man cannot be manifested in the full dignity of his nature without reference—not only on the level of concepts but also in an integrally existential way—to God. Man and man’s lofty calling are revealed in Christ through the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love.” (source)
“Especially through His lifestyle and through His actions, Jesus revealed that love is present in the world in which we live—an effective love, a love that addresses itself to man and embraces everything that makes up his humanity. This love makes itself particularly noticed in contact with suffering, injustice and poverty—in contact with the whole historical ‘human condition,’ which in various ways manifests man’s limitation and frailty, both physical and moral. It is precisely the mode and sphere in which love manifests itself that in biblical language is called ‘mercy.’” (source)
“mercy is the content of intimacy with their Lord, the content of their dialogue with Him” (source)
“Luke, whose Gospel has earned the title of ‘the Gospel of mercy.’” (source)
“love is transformed into mercy when it is necessary to go beyond the precise norm of justice” (source)