“0 eternal Mercy, You who cover over Your creatures’ faults! By Your mercy we were created. And by Your mercy we were created anew in Your Son’s blood. It is Your mercy that preserves us. Your mercy made Your Son play death against life and life against death on the wood of the cross. In him life confounded the death that is our sin.

“I see Your mercy pressing You to give us even more when You leave Yourself with us as food to strengthen our weakness, so that we forgetful fools should be reminded forever of Your goodness.

“Who was conquered? Death! And how? By Your mercy! You temper Your justice with mercy. In mercy You cleansed us in the blood; in mercy You kept company with Your creatures.

“O mad lover! It was not enough for You to take on our humanity, You had to die as well! Nor was death enough: You descended to the depths to summon our holy ancestors and fulfill Your truth and mercy in them. I see Your mercy pressing You to give us even more when You leave Yourself with us as food to strengthen our weakness, so that we forgetful fools should be reminded forever of Your goodness.

“And what has done this? Your mercy. O mercy! My heart is engulfed with the thought of You! For wherever I turn my thoughts, I find nothing but mercy!”  

–St Catherine of Siena