Mercy at a distance?

In one of his meaningful reflections on God’s Mercy there is one which says, “Christ is the visible face of God’s Mercy”.

The Holy Father, who understands our need of human intimacy in a loving relationship, emphasizes that God’s Mercy is an intimate presence, and not just a distant idea and reality.

As a result, to be humanly and intimately merciful like Jesus, we have to behave and relate at a close and touching distance to offer our act of loving mercy. Literally? Not always.

But today’s pandemic situation prohibits it as dangerous. But we have to be like Jesus to the people of His day. His human touch was a healing touch, a gesture of loving mercy. But not always physically close. Jesus did several healings from a long and far distance as the gospels tell us in the healing of the centurion’s son (Mt 8, 13, etc). Prayer, blessing, etc. as an expression of merciful love has no physical measurement. So does Christ’s mercy. This is the basis for the Vatican Circular on the omission of physical touches among liturgical signs and symbols to avoid infection.