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Dear Parish Faithful,
Having mercy is God’s most distinguishing characteristic. Pouring out his mercy, his steadfast love, upon his covenanted people is his main occupation. Mercy is at the heart of everything that God is and does and gives to his people. It is the people’s most treasured possession. The psalms, for example, describe the steadfast love of the Lord, which is the mercy of our prayer, in numberless ways. The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting and endures forever. It is higher and greater than the heavens, yet the earth is full of this steadfast love, and it extends to the heavens.
—Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, The Lenten Spring
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In his inimitable style, Fr. Hopko is commenting on and expanding the meaning of the Hebrew word hesed. We certainly depend on it! And this is the background for our innumerable petitions: "Lord, have mercy!"
