“Today we begin a series of catechesis on mercy from a Biblical perspective, so that we may learn mercy by listening to what God Himself teaches us through His Word”, Pope Francis told the faithful gathered in the Paul VI hall for the General Audience. “We will begin with the Old Testament which prepares us and leads us to the full revelation of Jesus Christ in whom the mercy of the Father is fully revealed”, Pope Francis continued, recalling that “in Sacred Scripture, the Lord is presented as the merciful God. This is His name, the name by which He reveals to us, so to speak, His face and His heart”. The Pope then quoted from the Book of Exodus in which God “reveals Himself to Moses as: ‘the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity’”. “We find this formula in other texts too; there might be some variations, but the focus is always on the mercy and love of God who never tires of forgiving”, the Pope explained, before analysing, “one by one, these words in Sacred Scripture that tell us about God”.