“Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prv 13:12). So it can be challenging to wait for “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 21). Sometimes it can seem that the wait is endless. Yet the ability to receive God’s mercy is enhanced by the waiting. We don’t just wait for the Lord, we wait on the Lord. We wait for God’s mercy by waiting on the Lord and doing works of mercy for His people. This means that the time of waiting is “pregnant” with mercy.

A woman conceives her child and becomes pregnant. Now she must wait nine months for the baby to be born. Those nine months can be a time of active preparation, a time of growing in love, “a time to love…a time of peace” (Eccl 3:8). Alternatively, those nine months can be “a time of war” (Eccl 3:8), impatience, anxiety, and strife.

How do we wait for the mercy of Jesus? Remind yourself daily of these truths:

• “God is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4).
• We wait by making our home in His mercy and living in His love (Jn 15:9).
• “His mercy endures forever” (Ps 136:1).
• His love is “renewed each morning” (Lam 3:23).

Do not despair if the wait is long. With the psalmist, pray: “Hope in God; I will praise Him, my Savior and my God” (see Ps 42:6, 12).

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2026, through May 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 22, 2025"

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