misericordia

But mercy (misericordia) is so called from a wretched heart (miserum cor), in that each one, beholding some wretched person, and having compassion on him, while he is touched with grief of soul, himself makes his heart wretched, that he may deliver from misery the one to whom he attends. He is said to foreknow who sees each thing before it comes, and foresees that which is to be before it becomes present. How then is God zealous, who in guarding our chastity is touched by no torment of the one who feels it? How is He angry, who in avenging our vices is moved by no perturbation of soul? How is He one who repents, who in no way grieves at having done that which He once did? How does He have mercy, who never has a wretched heart?

Luscus (one-eyed) means one who knows the light only in part, just as luscitiosus (dim-sighted) means one who sees nothing in the evening. The ancients called the one-eyed 'coclites,' whence we read that the Cyclopes too are called Coclites, because they are reported to have had a single eye. Lotus (washed) means lautus (cleansed), that is, clean. Lupa (a she-wolf, a harlot) means a prostitute, so named from rapacity, because she seizes wretched men to herself and lays hold of them. Misericors (merciful) has obtained its name from suffering-with (conpatiendo) another's misery; and hence mercy (misericordia) is so named, because it makes the heart wretched (miserum cor) at another's misery, as one who grieves. But this etymology does not hold everywhere; for in God there is mercy without any misery of heart. Mactus (glorified, honoured) means the more increased in glory; and it is a name derived from sacred rites. For as often as incense or wine was poured over the victim, they used to say:

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich.