HAPPY THE MERCIFUL; THEY SHALL HAVE MERCY SHOWN THEM! ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Monday, 6th June 2016,

Tenth Week of Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 17: 1-6;

Ps 120: 1-8;

Mt 5: 1-12

HAPPY THE MERCIFUL; THEY SHALL HAVE MERCY SHOWN THEM!

Jesus begins the discourse with the wonderful words of the Beatitudes. There are eight of them, each one beginning with the words, “Happy are those…” ‘Happy’ is a translation of the Greek adjective makarios which includes not only the idea of happiness but also of good fortune, of being specially blessed. So we can translate it as “Blessed indeed are those…” or “Fortunate indeed are those…”

The Kingdom is a world full of mercy and forgiveness. And just as we will be ready to forgive others we will find that others will be ready to forgive us when we fail in our responsibilities towards others. In the Lord’s Prayer, which is a prayer of the Kingdom, this is what we ask for: “Forgive us our sins because we forgive the sins of those who have offended us.” In fact, it is impossible for those who belong to the Kingdom to be offended and forgiveness comes easily to them. That does not mean, of course, that we condone every wrong. The question of justice always remains. But condemning wrong does not exclude healing wounds caused by the hurt which wrongdoing causes.

And mercy understood as compassion is a particularly desirable quality in a Kingdom person. Such a person not only experiences pity for those who suffer but knows how to enter into and empathize with what they are going through. This was a quality found again and again in Jesus himsel1f.

Prayer: O Lord, In this year of Mercy, May we be active witnesses to the Mercy of God, by becoming messengers of Mercy to all.. Amen.