Blessed are the Merciful; Luke 10:25-37

The words "mother" and "mercy" seem to go together naturally. I see the connection as I watch my daughter hold my granddaughter; I see it as I watch Trish get Connor ready for school in the mornings. For many, mothers are their first experience of the blessing of mercy. But, in a parable where Jesus explained what mercy looks like, he didn't choose a mother as the merciful one but a complete stranger. Jesus reminds us that we don't only show mercy to family members or those we have a relationship with. Instead, mercy is a gift given to the one in need of it.