11th June

He who despises his neighbour sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.Proverbs 14, 21

Blessed are the merciful

Jesus was very often moved by compassion: towards a famished crowd, a blind man, a leprous, a mother in mourning of her only son. His compassion towards misery was not only expressed by words, but also by acts. Jesus lived the mercy, he gave himself. He illustrated it by the story of the good Samaritan whichm he concluded by: "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10, 37).

How often are we egoistic and even hard towards those who do wrong to us! We forget the word of Jesus: "If yu forgive men their faults, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" (Matthew 6, 14). Not that we deserve the forgiveness of God by forgiving ourselves, but the spirit of forgiveness is necessary to practically enter into the grace of God.

Never let us forget the greatness of the forgiveness of God and his mercy towards us. We need them so much. Then we will share the feelings which Jesus experienced towards misery and distress of others. Then we will be able to answer by acts of friendly, humble and true kindness.

Let us open our eyes a little then we will see many occasions to show our sympathy. A service, a gift, a visit, a simple smile perhaps. Mercy, is an art of living, something of heaven on earth.