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“Show Us, O Lord, Your Mercy”: Invoking the Mercy of God in the Order of Mass
With the forthcoming Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, beginning December 8, 2015 through November 20,
2016, Pope Francis has invited the Church to rediscover and to celebrate the centrality of God’s mercy in our
world and our lives. In his announcement of the Holy Year of Mercy the Holy Father declared, “I am confident
that the whole Church, which is in such need of mercy for we are sinners, will be able to find in this Jubilee the
joy of rediscovering and rendering fruitful God’s mercy, with which we are all called to give comfort to every
man and every woman of our time.… Let us henceforth entrust this Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she turn her
gaze upon us and watch over our journey” (Homily at the Celebration of Penance, March 13, 2015).
In the celebration of the Mass, the critical role of God’s mercy frequently comes to the fore. As imperfect human
beings, we encounter in the Mass God’s merciful offer to raise us up and to give us hope and strength despite our
weaknesses. In order to prepare for the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy, as well as to assist delving deeper into the
content of the Mass itself, there follows a concise list of moments in the Order of Mass when the mercy of God is
explicitly acknowledged or sought. Those who preach on the theme of mercy might wish to draw their hearers’
attention to some of these passages, both to help strengthen their appreciation for God’s mercy and to help them
pray the Mass with greater devotion.
In addition to the texts from the Order of Mass, there are innumerable references to God’s mercy which are
encountered both in the proper prayer texts for the various Masses, as well as in the Scripture passages proclaimed
in the Liturgy of the Word. Furthermore, there are numerous other moments in the Mass when mercy is sought,
even if not mentioned explicitly by name. For example, the silent prayer of the deacon or priest who has just read
the Gospel is clearly reliant on God’s mercy: “Through the words of the Gospel, may our sins be wiped away”
(Order of Mass, no. 16). Whether or not the very word is used, God’s mercy is truly never far from the many
liturgical elements of the Mass.
Penitential Act
“Have mercy on us, O Lord. / For we have sinned against you.
Show us, O Lord, your mercy. / And grant us your salvation” (Form B, no. 5).
“[invocation], Lord, have mercy. / Lord, have mercy.
[invocation], Christ, have mercy. / Christ, have mercy.
[invocation], Lord, have mercy. / Christ, have mercy” (Form C, no. 6).
“May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life” (Priest’s concluding
prayer, nos. 4-6).
Kyrie eleison
“Lord, have mercy. / Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. / Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. / Christ, have mercy.”
or “Kyrie, eleison. / Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, eleison. / Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison. / Kyrie, eleison” (no. 7).
Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water
“Grant, O Lord, in your mercy, that living waters may always spring up for our salvation, and so we may
approach you with a pure heart and avoid all danger to body and soul” (Appendix II, no. 2 [second option]).
“Lord our God, in your mercy be present to your people’s prayers… You also made water the instrument of your
mercy: for through water you freed your people from slavery and quenched their thirst in the desert…” (no. 2
[third option]).
