"Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews, 4:16
About one hundred years ago there lived in Italy a priest by the name of Father Don Bosco, now known as St. John Don Bosco. He was the Father Flanagan of his day. He trained and cared for thousands of boys.
One day he was called to attend a dying, fallen away Catholic, who absolutely had refused to see a priest. As Bosco entered the room the sick man cried:
"Do you come as a friend or as a priest?"
"As a friend," answered Bosco.
"Well, see to it that you do not even so much as mention the word confession."
The dying man drew two pistols from under his pillow, with this threat: "If you do, I shall fire one of my guns at you, and the other at myself, for I have only a short time to live."
Calmly Don Bosco promised not to speak of confession. He talked about the man's illness, what doctor he had, how he was feeling. Cleverly he turned the conversation to the recent death of Voltaire, the French unbeliever. Don Bosco remarked:
"Some say Voltaire is damned, but I do not think so, for I know the mercy of God is infinite."
"Do you mean to tell me," the sick man interrupted, "that there is hope for a man like Voltaire?"
"Certainly there is," replied the saint.
"Then please hear my confession, Father; if there is a chance for him, there is no need for me to despair."
He made a complete and contrite confession.
Never need anyone despair, for the mercy of God is truly without limit. It is to that mercy we appeal when we pray in the Mass the
Kyrie Eleison (Lord, have mercy on us).
1. Right after the Introit, as the priest returns to the center of the altar, he prays, "Lord, have mercy on us." This humble, simple prayer comes right from the heart. It is a plea for pity offered officially by God's representative, the priest.
2. Nine times that prayer is offered. First the priest says, "Lord, have mercy;" then the servers, in your name, answer, "Lord, have mercy." The priest again, "Lord, have mercy;" the servers follow with, "Christ, have mercy." The priest, "Christ, have mercy." The servers again, "Christ, have mercy." Then priest and servers again repeat, "Lord, have mercy," three times. Why is this cry for mercy repeated so often?
A. To show the ardor, the perseverance, the urgency of our prayer for pity and pardon. To show that we really need mercy and want mercy.
B. To appeal to the three Divine Persons of the Holy Trinity. The first three prayers are offered, as it were, to God the Father. Then we say, "Christ, have mercy," because Christ has two natures, the divine and the human. The last three prayers are directed especially to the Holy Spirit.
C. Some see in this nine-fold petition a comparison with the nine principal kinds of sin.
D. Still others see a figure of the nine choirs of angels, who are continually honoring God, and asking for mercy for man.
3. The Kyrie Eleison is Greek. These Greek words are kept in the Latin Mass from the earliest ages when they passed from the East to the West, to show how ancient and venerable the Holy Sacrifice is.
As you should know, we also have a few Hebrew words in the Mass, for example, "Amen, Alleluia, Hosanna, Sabaoth." These Greek and Hebrew words are kept in the Mass to show how old it is, and to show that in the unbloody Sacrifice are still united the three languages which proclaimed to the world in the glorious title upon the cross that Christ's kingdom is for everyone:
"And Pilate also wrote an inscription and had it put on the cross. And there was written, 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews' . . . and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek and in Latin." St. John, 19:19, 20.
Keeping the Greek Kyrie is another method of showing the universality and the oneness of the Catholic Church among all nations and tongues. Today, this very hour, these words, Kyrie Eleison, are being sung by all the tongues of the earth.
4. The Kyrie is said in every Mass because ever there is need for mercy and ever there is mercy offered. As St. John Don Bosco pointed out to the despairing sinner, the mercy of God is infinite. It is boundless; it is limitless. God will forgive every sin and all sin.
5. Nevertheless, there are millions of people in this world who never ask God for mercy. Why? Because they do not know what sin means, they do not know what sin is. Some never think of it because they never heard of it. Others try to reason sin away. Others break the law of God and then try to convince themselves that there is no law, or that the law does not hold for them, or that no one but themselves has been injured. They do not realize, they will not admit that there is a law of God and that we are bound to obey it. For some such reason they have lost their sense of sin.
Don't do such wishy-washy thinking. If you break the law of God, admit it. Try not to break it, but, if you do, be honest enough to acknowledge it. And then get down humbly and contritely on your knees, preferably here in church and at Mass, and ask God for mercy. Do it in the official words of the Church: "Lord, have mercy." Do that during this Mass. Do it in every Mass. Cry out with Mother Church throughout the world: "Lord, have mercy."
And may the Lord hear our prayer. Amen.
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Adapted from Talks on the Mass
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (© 1950)
