МИЛОСЕРДИЕ

Where there is mercy and love for mankind, a strict account of sins is not required, since the Judge, by His great mercy and disposition to love mankind, forgives a lot. Such a judge is God, ready and willing to constantly show mercy and forgiveness. If God is like this, if His great love for mankind exudes everywhere, then there is no doubt that He will save His people and deliver them not only from punishment, but also from sins. Knowing this, let us also call and ask Him, and never give up, whether we receive or not. If it is in His power to give, then it is in His power when to give; He Himself knows exactly the time for this. So, let us ask, pray, trust in His mercy and love for mankind and never despair of our salvation, but let us do what is due on our part, and then what is necessary on His part will undoubtedly follow, since He has ineffable goodness and boundless mercy (2). Along with punishment, God also promises mercy. “But I will not take My mercy away from them and will not change My truth” (Ps. 89:34) God promises to show us great love: first He punishes us for our sins, “for the Lord punishes whomever He loves; he beats every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6), but then he does not at all recognize those who have sinned as worthy of rejection, which is why he does not deprive us of mercy. How? So that after punishment everyone has mercy. But, he says, He will not violate His truth. But what does His truth desire? So that the one who believes in Him, even if he dies, will live, that is, even if he sins, he will be saved by repentance (3). We know that those who often found pardon found it this way: “he fell at his feet, begged him and said: have patience with me, and I will give you everything” (Matthew 18:29); and the one who, having come at night, asked his friend: “If, I tell you, he does not get up and give to him because of his friendship with him, then, because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he asks” (Luke 11:8); and the lost sheep among the ninety-nine was sought and found, and there was a way for the shepherd. However, it must be investigated. If God has mercy, then why doesn’t he have mercy on everyone? Where there is mercy, they do not ask about honor, valor and morality. If this is the case, everyone should have mercy, and if everything comes from the mercy of God, then do not say: this one is worthy, and that one is very little. When questioned by God, these words must be eliminated; when mercy is present, it brings salvation, regardless of dignity or unworthiness. So, how does God say: “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion” (Ex. 33:19)? This is to make it clear that He does not have mercy on anyone in vain, because there are worthy and unworthy. All are worthy of salvation who desire it, but not all are worthy of mercy because they do not desire it. Through this, the worthy and the unworthy are known. How, someone else will say, is this consistent? I speak from Scripture, and not from my own mind: one owed ten thousand talents, another a hundred denarii, but both were debtors. Should mercy have been found for both of them or not? Of course, I will say, and there was no question about dignity, because both were debtors, but one of the two, as we know, lost mercy even after forgiveness. The Son of God came, showing mercy to some, and calling others to it; some came close, others did not. Thus, it is clear that He did not pardon those by force or out of necessity, and did not force anyone who did not want to cry out for mercy to do so. The one asking for mercy must have a desire and willingness to follow it, so that in this way he can be aware of the actions of mercy; but if he neglects this, how can he receive salvation, the superiority of water and grace? But who, they will say, is so pitiful, worthless and insane that, having committed countless iniquities, he does not desire God’s mercy and desire salvation? There are countless of them. When Christ came, intending to give remission of sins, why did the Jews not want to follow salvation, to whom He even said: “How often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings” (Matthew 23:37)? Do you see that they also did not want? What is easier than prayer? But when you did not want to pray, how do you want to find mercy? So, whoever did not want to ask for mercy, how will he desire it? Are virtues required or is prayer difficult for you, does it require labor, sweat or vigil? Just, he says, ask; but you do not want this either and follow the mind of Simon, who says: “Pray to the Lord for me” (Acts 8:24). Moreover, you do not know that no one, even someone superior to you and more pious, can pray for you better than you could do it yourself. Even when you are unclean and lack confidence in God, your prayers are more pleasing to Him than the prayers for you of any saint and believer - because God does not care about His honor, pushing you away and accepting the prayers of that one, but only God wants you to be in friendly relations with Him. So why did He reject the prayers of the prophet Jeremiah, who often prayed for the Jews? Is it not because the prophet exhorted them to pour out their prayers to God themselves? “You... don’t offer prayers for them,” he says, “for this people,” and then he adds: “Don’t you see what they are doing?” ( Jer. 7:16, 17 ). They, he says, do not care about anything, but you desire, cry, scream and cry. We also pray with the saints, but let our hope be great in our prayers. The publican asked God not through anyone superior, but he himself could do as much as a thousand righteous contemplators, if they prayed to God for him. Don’t say: I don’t know how to pray, I’m unworthy, I have no faith; By presenting the reasons for unworthiness and silence, you show the great need to pray. Are you unworthy and have no faith? When you are like this, then use prayers as a medicine against evil. Listen to what the three youths said: “And now we cannot open our mouths; we have become a shame and a reproach to Your servants and to those who honor You” (Dan. 3:33). How did they not open their mouths? However, their mouths were open, they prayed and received. And we, like them, will begin to pray. What you tell me, that you are unworthy and have no faith, tell the Lord of all and you will soon acquire faith. Does your conscience not allow you to look at the sky with confidence? But this even served the publican to his advantage. What you consider an obstacle to your prayers sanctifies your prayers. These words and this meaning befit not only criminals, but also those who worship virtues. Abraham, when he intended to ask God for something, said: “I am dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27); recognizing his unworthiness, he descended to such an imperfection of nature that he could put aside the pride of the mind. And David said: “I am a worm, and not a man” (Ps. 21:7). You have often shied away from God. Is it for this reason that you will remain in sin? By not approaching God and not praying to Him, you add [other] sins to your sins... Is God’s mercy really not enough? Can your sins really exceed the measure of His goodness? Like a small spark in a vast sea, so or even less are the guilt and sins of man before the mercy of God. Do you want to know His power? Only by His will did He make the rejected of this world, the condemned, the enemies, the alienated, the hopeless, the godless, sons and joint heirs of His Only Begotten (see Eph. 2:12). Do you want to know His power to eradicate sins? “Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:18). In another place it is said more clearly: “Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean” (Ps. 50:9): this [hyssop] is a flower that was immersed in blood, and sinners among the people were sprinkled with it. “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Ps. 50:9). If from His goodness comes the existence of souls, then much more their purity and sanctification. So, let no one despair, considering change impossible, because when you are a sinner, then this is something unnatural. Sin is nothing other than an action against the will of God, and failure to return to repentance is also contrary to His will. He is the Lord of all - and of free creatures. He willed, and the heavens were made. If He wills it, you will immediately emerge as a saint. “Who will accuse God’s elect? God justifies them" (Rom. 8:33)? Do not think about the multitude of your sins, but look at the infinite goodness of God. Diseases are great, but the Physician is greater; the storm is strong, but the pilot is wise; souls are driven to despair, but medicines are ready even after despair. There is nothing that can overcome and overcome His mercy. He says: today, if you hear His voice (Ps. 94:7; Heb. 3:7). What's worse than a robber? However, with one word, in the blink of an eye, he entered heaven before many saints. Thinking about sins and fear are characteristic of those who come and resort to God’s mercy. If we are on friendly terms with Him, then even though we have sinned a lot against Him, we are not afraid of anything out of love for our faithful Friend. If we hesitate to rely on His love, then this lack of faith will depend on ourselves (4). Without requiring help from other arts, it [charity] builds houses, prepares clothes, delivers unexpectable treasures, makes people conquerors over death, overcomes the devil, makes them like God... Ask any of the people - what do they desire more: to have among them many wise men and orators, or people who are merciful and philanthropic? And you will hear that they will choose the latter. And quite fair. Life will not suffer any harm from the destruction of eloquence; it existed for a long time before him. But if mercy is destroyed, then everything will perish and be destroyed. Just as one cannot sail further than the shores at sea, so earthly life cannot exist without mercy, condescension and philanthropy. That is why God not only gave reason to motivate us to mercy, but in many cases gave our very nature the power to incline us to the latter. Thus, fathers and mothers show mercy to children, and children to parents; and this happens not only among people, but also among all dumb people. Thus brother shows mercy to brother, relative to relative, neighbor to neighbor, man to man. We by our very nature have some inclination towards mercy. That is why we grieve for the offended, we get sick when we look at those who are being killed, we cry when we look at those who cry. God greatly desires that we perform works of mercy, and therefore He commanded nature to more strongly encourage us to them, showing that mercy is very kind to Him. So, thinking about this, let us go ourselves and lead our children and our neighbors to the school of mercy. A person must learn mercy most of all, because this is what makes him human. A great man and a precious man is a merciful man. He who does not have mercy ceases to be a man. It makes you wise. And why are you surprised that mercy is the hallmark of humanity? It is a sign of deity. “Be merciful,” it says, “just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). So, for all these reasons, let us learn to be merciful, and especially because we ourselves have a great need for mercy. And we will not even honor with life the time spent without mercy. I am talking about mercy, alien to all covetousness. If a person who is content with his own condition and does not give anything to others is not merciful, then can he who steals someone else’s property be called merciful, even if he makes countless alms? If it is inhuman to enjoy one’s own benefits, then it is even more inhuman to take them away from others. If people who have not caused any offense to others are punished only for not sharing their property with them, then those who stole someone else's property will be punished even more. Do not justify yourself by saying that by harming one, you are showing mercy to another. It's unfair to do this. You must show mercy to those whom you have offended; and you, inflicting wounds on some, heal those to whom you did not inflict any wounds, whereas you should have healed them or, better yet, should not have inflicted them at all. He who loves humanity is not the one who strikes and heals those struck by him, but the one who heals the wounds inflicted by others. So, heal those wounds that you yourself have suffered, and not those that are inflicted by others; or better, do not defeat or depose another - that would mean mocking others - but raise up those who are defeated. It is impossible to heal with alms to the appropriate extent the evil caused by covetousness. If you have taken away an obol from someone, then an obol is not enough for you to heal the wound caused by covetousness through alms, but you need talent. That is why a thief who is caught returns four times what he stole. But a predator is worse than a thief. If a thief must return four times what he stole, then a predator must return ten times more or even more; it is good if even under this condition he can receive remission of his unrighteousness: even then he will not receive the fruit of alms. That is why Zacchaeus said: “If I have offended anyone, I will repay him fourfold,” and: “I will give half of my property to the poor” (Luke 19:8). If during the time of the law the reward was to be fourfold, then how much more in the kingdom of grace. If a thief is obliged to do this, then even more so is he a predator; this latter, in addition to loss, also causes insult, so that even if you gave a hundred times more, you will not be able to repay everything. Do you see that it was not in vain that I said that if you steal an obol and give away the talent, even then you will barely be rewarded? If, even by doing this, you can barely compensate for the harm of another, then when you do the opposite, that is, having stolen all the property from your neighbor, you distribute only a small part of it, and, moreover, not to those from whom you stole, but to others - what excuse will you have then? What kind of forgiveness? What hope of salvation? Do you want to know how great evil he does who shows such mercy? Listen to what the Scripture says: “As he who sacrifices a son before his father, so he who sacrifices from the property of the poor” (Sir. 34:20). So, before we leave this church, let us inscribe this threat in our minds; Let's write it on the walls, on our hands, in our conscience and everywhere, so that at least fear, intensifying in our minds, will keep our hands from daily murders. Stealing is worse than murder because it kills the poor slowly. In order for us to free ourselves from this illness, let us reflect on more things, both with ourselves and with others. Thus, we will be more inclined to mercy and will receive the glorious rewards bestowed for it, and will be rewarded with eternal blessings (7). Let us repay our enemies, even if they have caused us countless evils. We will repay them with all that good we have; Let us not fail to provide benefits to them. After all, if by enduring evil one can satisfy their rage, then much more by doing good to them. The first is less than the last, because it is not the same - to do good to the enemy and wish or be ready to endure [from him] greater evil. From the latter we will move on to the first, which [is] the advantage of the disciples of Christ. They [the Jews] crucified Him, who came to do good to them, scourged His disciples, and after all this He honors them with the same honor as His disciples, imparting to them His benefits on an equal basis with these. Let us, I exhort you, imitate Christ; in this we must imitate Him; this makes [man] equal to God; this is a transcendental matter. Let us love mercy: it is the guide and teacher of philosophy. He who has learned to be merciful to the unfortunate will learn not to bear grudges; and, having learned this, he will be able to do good to his enemies. Let us learn to sympathize with the misfortunes of our neighbors - then we will learn to endure evil from them (10). You might be interested in: