Blessed are the merciful

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“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy”. — Matthew 5:7

The first beatitudes led us inward, inviting us to look at our hearts — at our needs and human frailties — and to acknowledge that without God, we are nothing.

Now, Jesus begins to teach us how this inner transformation expresses itself in our relationships with others. Those who recognized their own spiritual poverty, who wept over the absence of God, who surrendered in meekness and hungered for righteousness — are now called to live as Christ lived: with a compassionate heart. Those touched by God’s mercy begin to extend that mercy to others.

The word mercy comes from the Latin expressions miseratio (compassion) + cordis(heart). To be merciful, then, is to have a heart that is moved by another’s pain.True mercy stands in opposition to indifference. To be merciful is to not look away, to not ignore needs while hoping someone else will meet them — but to take responsibility and become the hands and feet of Christ on earth.

At its core, to be merciful is to learn to love the way God loves:“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” — Psalm 86:15

And how does God act? He is not indifferent to our pain. Since the garden of Eden, God has shown mercy in action — to reach and restore fallen humanity. In the garden, God clothed the man and woman with animal skins, foreshadowing Jesus’ sacrifice and the restoration of human dignity through the cross. With Noah, God established a covenant of mercy, symbolized by the rainbow.

That same rainbow that shone after the flood still radiates before the throne:“… A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne …” (Revelation 4:3).It is an eternal reminder: God chose to love us even when we deserved judgment.

The pinnacle of divine mercy is revealed at the cross. While sin pointed to our guilt and led us to eternal condemnation, God’s love reached us with the gift of salvation. While the law declared us guilty, grace gave us what we didn’t deserve: Jesus.

Mercy is personified in the person of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us — not to condemn us, but to save us. Because of Him, we receive the gift of forgiveness, the miracle of redemption, the grace of new birth, and the unchanging reality of peace with God.It was divine mercy that spared us from the punishment we deserved: death.“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail. They are new every morning.” — Lamentations 3:22-23

Receiving God’s mercy calls us to live differently. The reality that our sins are forgiven must lead us to repentance. Mercy is a gift of God’s kindness, but it is accessed through genuine repentance. Just as only the poor in spirit enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only the repentant experience mercy:“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” — Proverbs 28:13

When we are touched by this compassion, we can no longer live the same way. We are compelled to become more like Jesus — the Merciful One:“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” — Luke 6:36

Mercy takes on a concrete form through forgiveness. Forgiveness is the visible expression of mercy. Because we have been forgiven, we must also forgive (Luke 6:27-37). Forgiving one another is God’s will for our relationships (Matthew 6:14-15).

Forgiveness is the face of mercy revealed.

Extending mercy through forgiveness is what frees us from the contamination of offense taking root in our hearts and bearing fruits of bitterness, hatred, and discord. To forgive is not to forget the wrongs done to us, nor to deny the pain. Forgiveness is a rational decision to choose the path of peace:“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” — Romans 12:18.

We renounce revenge, entrusting each person to God’s justice. We do not repay evil with evil, because we choose to obey God and become who He wants us to be: people of mercy: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:20-21.

Forgiveness is the first step toward restoring a relationship — but restoration doesn’t always happen. It requires both sides to take responsibility for their mistakes, to renounce offense and pride, and to change the behaviors that damaged the relationship in the first place. Even when restoration is pursued, it is a process of rebuilding.On the other hand, mercy is always a calling. It is an invitation to become more like Jesus each day, allowing love to expand our heart’s capacity to forgive — until Christ’s compassionate character is fully formed in us.

A good sign of this mercy is seen when we look at others with grace — when we recognize our own spiritual poverty, walk in meekness and humility like Jesus, and have no desire to condemn — because we know we’ve been forgiven. And those who have been forgiven much… love much.Are you living as someone who has received mercy? Or are you demanding from others what God never demanded from you?

Today’s Prayer:Merciful God, thank You for not treating me as my sins deserve.Teach me to live with a heart like Yours — compassionate, gentle, and patient.Give me strength to forgive, grace to love, and courage to respond to evil with good.May Your mercy not only reach me… but overflow through me. Amen.