Tender Mercy

Perhaps one of the best examples of tender mercy is the father in yesterday's gospel story of the Prodigal Son.  This son thought he knew better than his dad and couldn't wait to get his inheritance from his father.  Graciously, the father did not interfere and gave him all that he was due.  The son soon found out that the experience of living out in the world was not as wonderful as he thought it would be.  And so, he decided to return home.  That was a huge concession for him-to admit he was wrong.  But his father, showed him nothing but mercy, tender mercy, and welcomed him home with great joy and threw him a huge party.

We all know what mercy is but to extend mercy to tender mercy is extraordinary.

It is the look on a parent's face when caressing a child or an elderly parent.

Can we show that tender mercy, that extraordinary mercy, to those we met each day?