When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree, it was with a gaze of mercy-and that gaze filled him with, extraordinary joy. That look of mercy caused Matthew the tax collector to become Matthew the apostle and evangelist. And even as Peter was betraying him, he was cut to the heart by Jesus' look of kindness and forgiveness. In The Gaze of Mercy, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household, invites us to take a plunge into the pool of God's mercy. Reflecting on Gospel passages as well as the sacraments and the liturgy, Fr. Cantalamessa helps us to see Jesus as "the mercy of God who became flesh" and ourselves as the "paraclete" or comforter of others. Full of deep insight and inspiration, this book is a gift to the Church for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Book jacket.