Does the Mercy received equal the Mercy you give?

Does the Mercy received equal the Mercy you give?

You may say that we can never equal the strength and generosity we receive from God; how much mercy are we able to give to another human being?  But that is exactly what is expected of us.  Sure we cannot even compare ourselves with anything God does for us; but mercy is the tenacious ability to completely forgive everyone whom we believe is our enemy and seek to destroy the human soul of another person.

Watching the scenes of Christ on the Cross because of our sins cannot be the same example that you or I are expected to copy.  Look again; that is exactly what the grace given demands of us when our strength of feeling superior to someone who hurts us means.  I mentioned the time a grade school buddy hit my nose and broke the cartilage which never completely healed.  Most of the classmates expected me to retain my attitude of being superior to his size and obnoxious manner and teach him a lesson.  The next morning as I walked past him in our classroom he held out his hand and said  “I’m sorry.”  My response was; “that’s ok.”   A lesson of mercy already from a 12 year old.

The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion:  (CCC 1829)

Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works.  There is the goal;  that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.  (St. Augustine).

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.  Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently.  The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.  Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.   (CCC 2447).

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  (taken from a sermon by St. Caesarius of Arles, bishop) My brothers and sisters, sweet is the thought of mercy, but even more so is mercy itself.  It is what all men hope for, but unfortunately, not what all men deserve.  For while all men wish to receive it, only a few are willing to give it.  How can a man ask for himself what he refuses to give to another?  If he expects to receive any mercy in heaven, he should give mercy on earth.  Do we all desire to receive mercy?  There is, therefore, an earthly as well as heavenly mercy, that is to say, a human and a divine mercy.  Human mercy has compassion on the miseries of the poor.  Divine mercy grants forgiveness of sins.  Whatever human mercy bestows here on earth, divine mercy will return to us in our homeland.  In this life God feels cold and hunger in all who are stricken with poverty: for remember, he once said: What you have done to the least of my brothers you have done to me.  Yes, God who sees fit to give his mercy in heaven wishes it to be a reality here on earth.  (Taken from the readings of the 17th week in Ordinary Time).

We may never think or verbally announce that forgiveness will not be uttered from our mouths.  If we have hurt someone else and then ask for mercy from them, will you also do the same for someone who hurt you intentionally and asks you for mercy?  Do not carry that evil content into eternity.  It will not be pleasant to hear the words from Christ who forgave you from the Cross.

Ralph B. Hathaway