Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
The Father of mercies. A Hebraism for "most merciful." See note to Rom. xv5.
S. Bernard says learnedly and piously (Serm5 de Natali.Dom.): "He is rightly called the Father of mercies, not the Father of judgments or vengeances, not only because it is more the nature of a father to pity than to be angry, even as a father pitieth his children that fear him, but rather because it is from Himself that He draws the cause and origin of His mercy, but from us, that Isaiah , from our sins, draws the cause and origin of His judgment and vengeance. But if it is because of this that He is the Father of mercy, why is He called the Father of mercies? The Apostle in one Word, in one Song of Solomon , brings before us a double mercy in the words "Father of mercies," not merely Father of a single mercy, in speaking of the God not of comfort merely, but "of all comfort," who comforteth us, not in this or that tribulation, but in all. "Many are one mercies of the Lord," say a certain person, meaning that many are the tribulations of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver them out of all. There is one Son of God, one Word; but our manifold misery calls for, not only great pity, but a multitude of mercies. Perhaps, however, because of the double substance which is to be found in our human nature, both of which are miserable, the misery of man may not unsuitably be said to be twofold, although in both it be of manifold forms. Truly the tribulations of our body and soul are increased exceedingly, but He who saves man wholly rescues him from the troubles of both."
Notice that S. Bernard seems to refer the phrase "Father of mercies" to the Song of Solomon , and rightly enough, but it is not the intention of the Apostle to do so. S. Paul plainly means the same Person by "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of mercies."
