Are we aware of the depth and breadth of meaning in the words "Lord, have mercy" as we recite or sing them in the Mass? Studying the use of the word "mercy" in the Old and New Testaments, in Church Tradition, and in the great Liturgical traditions of the East, opens up new vistas in which we see that this not only a plea for the forgiveness of our sins, but also for God's gracious help in all dimensions of our lives and in the the lives of all people.