English is a difficult language. There are many words that sound the same but are spelled differently. For instance, the word "see" or "sea", the word "reel" or "real" etc.
In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, unlike English, it has words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. For instance in today's first reading Azariah speaks of God's mercy, "Do not take away your mercy from us."
The word for "Mercy" is spelled mhr (right to left), but the word for "buzzard" also is spelled mhr (right to left); the word for "mercy" is pronounced "rach-am" and the word for "buzzard" is pronounced "raw-khawm."
If you mispronounce the word, you go from giving mercy to giving a buzzard.
The word for mercy in Hebrew literally means "womb", which suggest that to give mercy means to bear life, to bring life forth, to give life to the other, for the womb is the seat of life.
A buzzard is an animal that feast on death in order to give itself life. It also begins to take upon itself the stench of death.
Interesting to note that true mercy gives life, brings forth a sweet fragrance of hope and love, allowing life to blossom, where as, a buzzard only is concern for itself.
How do we judge true mercy and forgiveness? If it gives life and is concerned for the life of the other than it is mercy. The way of the cross is Christ giving us life through mercy.
If it is selfish, then a stench of death lingers and the buzzards circle above and life is killed.
What do we give? Is it life for the other, a true gift of mercy? Or do we seek death of the other so that we might live for ourselves?
Is is Mercy or a Buzzard?
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