by Michael Podrebarac
Is there a heart o’erbound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross, each burden bearing;
All your anxiety—leave it there.
All your anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there,
Never a burden he cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus!
In the Old Testament, the mercy seat was the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant. As the high priest spilled blood upon it, God himself was mystically seated there, dispensing his mercy on the people of Israel.
For Christians, the mercy seat of the ark is fulfilled by a new mercy seat: the cross of Our Lord. It became our definitive mercy seat as his precious blood spilled upon it. Jesus sits upon the mercy seat of his cross, helping us in all our needs. We are called to cast all our cares upon him, for he cares for us, in both our spiritual as well as temporal needs (1 Pt 5:7).
No other friend so keen to help you,
No other friend so quick to hear,
No other place to leave your burden,
No other one to hear your prayer.
As Catholics, the mercy seat is revealed and made present to us each time holy Mass is offered. At Calvary, Jesus took upon himself not only our sins, but all our burdens, and for all time. Upon the altar, the mercy of Calvary is made sacramentally present to us in the consecration of the bread and wine into the Lord’s body and blood. How keen he is indeed to help us!
Come then at once; delay no longer!
Heed his entreaty kind and sweet,
You need not fear a disappointment;
You shall find peace at the mercy seat. (Edward Henry Joy)
The Mass is our greatest joy as disciples and friends of Jesus. Through it, we are able to offer the Lord all our anxieties, burdens and cares. Jesus receives them — and receives us — and through his cross, places us before the merciful gaze of the Father.
He lovingly bids us to come to him in the liturgy, to place our very selves upon the altar with him, and through his sacrifice, offered to the Father, to receive that peace which alone comes from God.
As we find ourselves living in most anxious times, let us allow this beautiful poetry to enrich our understanding of the power of Calvary, the power of Jesus on the cross and the power of his eucharistic sacrifice and its banquet of promise.
