Series of Reflections on Divine Mercy (1)

Near the dawn of the Church, while the memory of the Apostles still warmed the air, St. Clement of Rome wrote to a troubled community in Corinth. His letter was meant to correct disorder, to restore peace, to steady hearts. Yet in the middle of practical correction, Clement does something luminous and transformative. He stops to contemplate divine mercy.

It is as if he cannot speak about the Church without first gazing at the heart of God.

He invites the Corinthians, and us, to lift our eyes:

“Let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ, and understand how precious it is to His Father, because, poured out for our salvation, it has brought the grace of repentance to the whole world. Let us look steadfastly to the Father and Creator of the universe, and hold fast to His magnificent and surpassing gifts of peace and mercy. Let us consider how free from anger He is toward all His creation.” (1 Clement 7–8)

Clement does not describe mercy as a soft feeling or a passing divine mood. Mercy, for him, is something seen in the blood of Christ. It is something given in the grace of repentance. It is something revealed in the Father who is slow to anger toward all He has made.

Before theology had formal language, before councils and creeds, Clement already knows where mercy lives. It lives in the Cross. It flows into repentance. It reflects the very character of God.

Then he turns the mirror toward us:

“Be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven to you; as ye do, so shall it be done unto you; as ye give, so shall it be given unto you; as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; as ye are kind, so shall kindness be shown to you; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.”(1 Clement 13:2)

Here is one of the earliest Christian insights after the New Testament. Divine mercy is not just to be admired. It is to be imitated. The Church is meant to resemble the God she worships.

Clement writes only decades after the Resurrection. The memory of Christ is still fresh. And already the Church understands this: if we want to know who God is, we look at mercy. If we want to know who we are meant to be, we practice mercy.

In a time of conflict and correction, Clement does not begin with discipline. He begins with contemplation of the merciful God. Because only hearts that have looked upon mercy can become merciful themselves.

Reflective Prayer

Lord God, you revealed your mercy in the Precious Blood of Christ and opened for the world the gentle door of repentance. Teach us to keep our eyes fixed on your compassionate heart, slow to anger and rich in peace. As You are merciful, make us merciful. As You are compassionate, make us compassionate. Let our lives echo the mercy we have received, so that others may glimpse Your kindness through us. Amen. Fr Jude Mukoro, MBACP, FHEA (30/01/2026)