Commentary of the day Blessed John-Paul II Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful Jesus Christ taught that man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but that he is also called to practice mercy towards others: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Mt 5,7)... In reciprocal relationships between persons merciful love is never a unilateral act or process. Even in the cases in which everything would seem to indicate that only one party is giving and offering, and the other only receiving and taking... in reality the one who gives is always also a beneficiary... In this sense Christ crucified is for us the loftiest model, inspiration and encouragement. When we base ourselves on this disquieting model, we are able with all humility to show mercy to others, knowing that Christ accepts it as if it were shown to Himself (Mt 25,34f.)... For an act of merciful love is only really such when we are deeply convinced at the moment that we perform it that we are at the same time receiving mercy from the people who are accepting it from us. If this... reciprocal quality is absent, our actions are not yet true acts of mercy, nor has there yet been fully completed in us that conversion to which Christ has shown us the way by His words and example, even to the cross, nor are we yet sharing fully in the magnificent source of merciful love that has been revealed to us by Him... Mercy that is truly Christian is also, in a certain sense, the most perfect incarnation of equality between people, and therefore also the most perfect incarnation of justice as well... However, the equality brought by justice [alone] is limited to the realm of objective and extrinsic goods, while love and mercy bring it about that people meet one another in that value which is man himself, with the dignity that is proper to him... Thus, mercy becomes an indispensable element for shaping mutual relationships between people, in a spirit of deepest respect for what is human, and in a spirit of mutual brotherhood... Consequently, merciful love is supremely indispensable between those who are closest to one another: between husbands and wives, between parents and children, between friends; and it is indispensable in education and in pastoral work.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 04:22:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015