Mercy

“…the Lord Jesus Christ warns us quite clearly that mercy will be the fundamental criterion when we are judged at the Last Judgment, when it will be asked whether we fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, and visited the sick and the imprisoned (cf. Matt. 25:31–46)…This is not a sprint. It is a long race. A long run. And the race does not end until we meet the Lord on the Final Judgment. It is then that we will be held accountable for everything we have said, thought, done. And it is then that we long to hear the words: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’ This brings to mind, ‘His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ (Matthew 25:23).” (Rev. Dr. Oliver Subotic, Jackie Morfesis)

“ ‘So likewise shall My Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses’ (Mt. 18:35). Here is the key! From your hearts. God does not require formal, external forgiveness from us. He waits for our hearts to change and become like His—forgiving and merciful. When we deny mercy to our neighbor, it is as if we were saying to God through our actions, which are louder and more eloquent than any words: “I don’t accept Thy law of love—instead I want to live by my own law of judgment and revenge.” And then we cut ourselves off from the flow of the mercy of God. We close the doors of our hearts to forgiveness. The Holy Fathers teach that at the Last Judgment we will be judged not so much by the list of sins and good works we have, but by what we have become in our hearts. What is the state of our souls? Do we have merciful hearts? If so, they will be recognized by God as His kind. But if our hearts are hardened, filled with condemnation, rancor and hatred, how can we enter the Kingdom of Love, even if formally we “did nothing wrong.” (Priest Tarasiy Borozenets)

“At the Last Judgment, our lives will be judged by the criterion of service to others. It’s impossible to share in someone’s pain unless you have a kind and compassionate heart. Such a state of the heart is attained, among other things, through serving others. Because the more we give ourselves to serving others and the more we do good, the more love we have inside us. Serving our neighbors means always being with them, helping them where they need it, praying for them, and advising them on the path to goodness.” (Metropolitan Serafim)

“In the Gospels there are seven different occasions on which people approach Jesus and beg mercy from Him. He grants their requests for mercy every time. This is contrasted with the fact that Jesus does refuse some other requests. For example, the Pharisees wanted Christ to give them a heavenly sign to prove who He was. Jesus refused their request – miracles as signs were for those seeking mercy, not for those just wanting to dispute. Even the disciples experienced disappointment in their requests. Remember in Mark 10:35-40 two disciples wanted Jesus to grant them glory to sit at His right hand? Jesus declined to grant their request. He does however answer the plea for mercy from lepers, the blind, a mother seeking mercy for her daughter and a father seeking mercy for his son.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)

“Mercy is a must. We are all in need of mercy and I cannot say this enough. And mercy is more than a token act. It needs to be embedded into our being so that it is as natural as breathing…mercy does not have to be a grand act. It can be a powerful act in response to all the small moments of our lives. Mercy is silent prayer. A pat on the shoulder. A look. A knowing glance.” (Jackie Morfesis)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). In Matthew’s Gospel, four times people approached Jesus with the petition, “Have mercy on me” or “mercy on us – they include two blind men, the Canaanite mother, and a father of a sick boy. Each time Jesus grants their requests for mercy…Mercy is standing in the shoes of the other and deciding what to do based on how the other feels. Compassion allows us to see things from their point of view. This is exactly what Jesus did in the incarnation in becoming human. He sees us humans from our own point of view and chooses to show us mercy which is the very reason for His coming into the world.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)

“The Lord showed mercy throughout His earthly ministry to suffering people who responded to Him with faith, regardless of whether they were considered righteous or unclean Jews. He praised the spiritual understanding of a Gentile woman and cast a demon out of her daughter. (Mk 7:24-30) He said that no one in Israel had greater faith than the Roman centurion whose servant He healed. (Lk 7: 1-10) He restored the broken life of St. Photini, the Samaritan woman, by disregarding the prejudices of the time through His shocking conversation with her. (Jn 4:1-42) The Savior did not treat these people as members of various factions or nations, but according to His love for all Who bear His image and likeness. And they all opened themselves to receive His mercy by entrusting themselves to Him in faith, not by inflaming their passions as they condemned others who were not part of their group.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)

“The mercy of the Heavenly Father is selfless, therefore, emulating Him, you should try to make your mercy the same, without the contamination of any kind of calculation; that is, not because you should show mercy in order to then be praised for it or to receive such kindness in return, but solely out of love, according to the sincere calling of the heart.” (St. Gabriel of Imereti)

“…the mercy we receive from God is meant to encourage us to ministry on behalf others (2 Cor 4:1)…We pray that Christ will reveal to us the needs of others as He sees them. Just as God loves us, although we are sinners, He loves everyone. He calls us to love as He does! Let us heed Christ’s mandate and pray for the Lord to show us how to extend His love by offering mercy to others. Only then will His ministry begin to take root in us. Strive to love others! God can ignite our love for the unlovable, showing us how to extend care to the hateful, to give even when we are being used, and to go that extra mile (see Mt 5:41). Such love may seem impossible to our fleshly mind, but God mercifully equips us to extend Christ’s ministry without wavering or becoming discouraged by abuses we encounter.” (Dynamis 9/2/2021)

“God’s love is perfect because God is perfect. It’s perfect because it doesn’t manifest itself in palaces and at feasts, but on the Cross; it reveals itself to us in suffering. We love God and others only in peaceful times and in satiety; and even then, mostly with our mouths. But God loves us always—especially in times of adversity and temptation. He loves us when we pray and when we sleep; when we go to church and when we go to the tavern; when we repent, and when we sin. He always loves us as a kind and merciful Father. In times of danger, in times of temptation, we run, we hide, we betray our brother, we lie, we even kill, just to survive. But God loves us to the end (cf. Jn. 13:1). In times of danger, He doesn’t abandon us, but goes ahead, carries our cross for us, is the first to ascend upon it, is the first to endure blows, and the first to die in the flesh so that we might live.” (Archimandrite Iachint Unciuleac)

“In the Gospels, there are seven instances of someone calling on Jesus for mercy (Mt 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30, 31; Mk 10:47, 48; Lk 17:13; 18:38, 39). In every case, they receive it.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 3 Maccabees 5:50-51)

“…we are struck by the ceaseless care that the Lord Jesus offers to wounded humanity. This essential truth – the truth of God’s mercy – can be easily overlooked amidst the many details of the Gospel. Mercy is priceless! We are to hold it close to our hearts, letting it soothe our minds and reassure us in the midst of this troubled life. Our Lord sympathized with the troubles that befell men while He was on earth, and He persists in His concern for us even now. We must not permit the woes of this life to turn us away from Him, for His mercy is unwavering.” (Dynamis 7/27/2020)

“This spiritual mercy is the criterion of our genuine love for our neighbor. It’s easy to throw a coin to a beggar, but it’s much harder to forgive someone who has wronged you. It’s easy to donate to charity, but it’s much harder to spend your time listening to a lonely person and sharing in his sorrow. A truly merciful person does not show mercy for his own advantage, or for appearances’ sake, or to be praised, but because he cannot do otherwise. His heart becomes like the heart of Christ, and He pours out love and compassion on everyone around…The Lord will never leave the merciful and generous without sustenance. There’s a wonderful principle, even a law, in the spiritual life: “The hand of the giver won’t be impoverished.” The Lord always abundantly rewards those who help others, even in earthly life. But this requires faith and determination, of course.” (Priest Tarasiy Borozenets, Archpriest Pavel Gumerov)

“We may touch the hem of Christ’s garment, like the woman in the Gospel in the hopes of receiving God’s mercy, but then we are not to withdraw into the safety of our homes, but rather to go into the dangerous world to share the experience of the blessings we have received. We come to the Church infirm…but then we are not supposed to want to remain as an invalid to be constantly ministered to. Rather, we are to become ministers of the Gospel and go into the world to share the light, the healing, the love and the truth which we have received. We don’t go to the hospital to be taken care of and pampered for the rest of our lives. We go there to be healed and then head back to our homes in order to live now healed. In any case hospitals kick us out pretty quickly as they are not trying to make us dependent on their care. They are aiming to heal us so we can go on with life. That is what should happen in our churches as well – we assemble together to be one with those united to Christ, but then strengthened and healed we go back to the world to do the work of the Lord by ministering to others still in need.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)

“A Prayer for All - Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on each of us; have mercy on the world; have mercy on those who have fallen asleep and their families; have mercy on those who are sick and their loved ones; have mercy on all health care workers, and protect and keep them safe; have mercy on those who are not sick and keep them well; have mercy on those who are fearful, anxious, depressed and given to panic, may they find peace in their spirit in You; have mercy on those who hoard and give them a spirit of sharing; have mercy on our clergy and grant them wisdom to lead us spiritually according to Your will; have mercy on the laity and guide them to find ways to connect deeper with you and each other; have mercy on our world leaders and governments and bless them with wisdom to guide us rightly; and bless us all according to Your good and perfect will. Amen.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)

“ ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy, (Mt. 5:7). At first glance, this Beatitude seems so simple and clear. Who doesn’t know that mercy is a virtue? Who wouldn’t agree that helping others is good and right? But is this Gospel word really that simple? Let’s look at it more closely to see at least a part of the ocean of spiritual meaning that it contains. What Is True Mercy? In the everyday sense, mercy is giving alms to a beggar, donating to church, or helping an old woman who can’t cross the street on her own. Undoubtedly, these are good works. But Christ spoke about something greater. The Greek word “ἐλεήμων”, translated as “merciful”, has the root “ἕλεος”—”mercy”, “pity”, “compassionate love”. This is not just a single act, but a state of the heart, a property of the soul that becomes natural to you…Every act of mercy that we do for our neighbor we do for Christ personally.” (Priest Tarasiy Borozenets)

“Mercy is rendering assistance to our suffering brethren who have little, and it is most pleasing to God. Mercy is the fruit that testifies that a man also possesses the virtues of faith, hope, and love. Our mercy pleases the Savior, but we must try to keep our deeds hidden. Helping the poor and the suffering is equivalent to serving Christ Himself. Mercy is given as a loan to Christ. Christian mercy is the heartfelt feeling of a kind man awakened and strengthened by faith. If a man’s heart isn’t hardened, if he hasn’t fallen morally, then at the sight of the suffering and destitute, he himself involuntarily begins to grieve; his soul also suffers, and he tries to alleviate the condition of this unfortunate man. A Christian must be merciful to all, regardless of their religion or nearness to him. There should only be one distinction: First help him who needs it more.” (St. Gabriel of Imereti)

“Mercy is one of God’s attributes; it is a fundamental aspect of His being. Any mercy therefore shown by man to man is a replica or reflection of God’s mercy. When a person shows mercy, he is reflexively speaking of God. Creation is the work of His hands, and the mercy He shows completes His creative work. When God commands man to be merciful, then, He is allowing man to participate in finishing His handiwork. Christ here reveals how far superior mercy is to law and sacrifice: ‘Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance’ (Matt. 9:13).” (Matthew the Poor)

“We pray often for mercy before the dread judgment seat of Christ, but we must not think of mercy as a kind of legal decree. To ask for His mercy is to ask for His gracious purposes for us to be fulfilled. It is to ask that we experience His gracious divine energies for the healing of every aspect of our brokenness from the very depths of our souls. The Savior provides us with opportunities to open our hearts to receive Him every day as we serve our neighbors, especially those we are inclined to overlook, disregard, fear, and condemn as our enemies for any reason. We participate more fully in the life of the Savior as we share His mercy with others and become more like Him in holiness.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)

“And what is a merciful heart? It is the heart burning for the sake of all creation, for men, for birds, for animals, for demons, and for every created thing; and by the recollection of them the eyes of a merciful man pour forth abundant tears. By the strong and vehement mercy which grips his heart and by his great compassion, his heart is humbled and he cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in creation…he offers up tearful prayer continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm him, that they may be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner he even prays for the family of reptiles because of the great compassion that burns without measure in his heart in the likeness of God.” (St. Isaac the Syrian)

“Who hasn’t experienced that indescribable sweet inner pleasure that our heart feels when we manage, with God’s aid, to help another get out of grief, gain confidence, and experience joy at least once in his life? Mercy is, generally speaking, inherent to human nature. But from Christians is demanded mercy of a special kind and quality. The Gospel teaches: Be merciful, like Your Heavenly Father (Lk. 6:36). God is the highest Mercy and Love…if you want to amend and improve your nature, expel anger and envy from your heart…acquire such love that your very nature might arouse you to show pity and mercy to others.” (St. Gabriel of Imereti)

“Although we might not automatically link the two, Proverbs inseparably conjoins mercy and compassion with righteousness, while simultaneously opposing them to evil. We might think of ourselves as righteous because we follow Church rules regarding fasting and liturgical rubrics or because we strictly observe all the 10 Commandments, but Proverbs says it is mercy and compassion which are the true signs of righteousness, an idea reflected in Christ’s parable of the Last Judgment. Additionally, note that Proverbs says the righteous person “shows mercy and compassion unsparingly.” Unsparingly! We are not to withhold mercy and compassion for others, rather we are always to offer them to the maximum of our abilities. God loves the cheerful giver! (2 Corinthians 9:7)” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)

“If we are truly in Christ, we must struggle to do what we can each day to treat those we are most inclined to disregard and condemn as we would like them to treat us. We must take every opportunity to convey the mercy we have received from Christ to our neighbors, especially those we consider our enemies. When we fail to do so, we must use our weakness to fuel our humility before the Lord and our sense of unworthiness to judge anyone else. We must pray, fast, give to the needy, and mindfully reject the nonsense in our own minds, and in all factions of our culture today, that would encourage us to treat anyone as anything less than a living icon of God. As hard as it is to accept, whether we are sharing in the life of Christ is most clearly revealed in how we treat those we find it hardest to love. This is not a matter of being conventionally religious or moral, but of whether we are acquiring the purity of heart necessary to see God, especially as He is present to us each day of our lives in those we are least inclined to see as beloved neighbors. That is the ultimate test of whether we are becoming radiant with the gracious divine mercy of the Lord as His sons and daughters.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)

“The word “mercy” is incredibly meaningful and has a broad meaning. Mercy mustn’t be confused with the meaning of the words “kind,” “benefit,” “charity”—it’s similar only to the word “love.” Christ taught that mercy consists in activities such as feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, comforting the grieving, visiting the sick or imprisoned, and instructing the lost. In all this, the Lord requires personal labor as proof of our love for our neighbor. That mercy is a virtue possible for man, Christ testified by the commandment given to us: Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful (Lk. 6:36). Merciful is the man who does good to the unworthy, for the worthy deserve not mercy, but recompense for their labor. Not only those who do merciful deeds are merciful, but also those who want to do good but can’t; who want to help those who ask but have nothing with which to help. Mercy is a fruit of love, is inherent to it, just as warmth is inseparable from fire.” (St. Seraphim Chichagov)

“The God of Providence cares for His Creation for no other reason than mercy. When we give to those in need with the sole intention of benefiting them, we sow kindness in the same way that God sows His benevolence.” (Fr. Basil)

“Human effort is of no effect in the face of God’s actions (Romans 9:16). Events occur according to the mercy of God, whether or not they appear merciful to us (vss. 17-24). “ (Dynamis 6/15/2018) 

“Paul writes, "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not. He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion" (Romans 8:14-15). From this insight into God's Almighty rule, we learn that our place as human beings is not to question the sovereignty of Almighty God. We should rather trust that He has His own good and just purposes…God's sovereignty must be framed within faith in His goodness, justice, and righteousness. Seen in that light, submission to God's wisdom and rule is a blessing.” (Fr. Basil)

“And I, when I lived in the world, knew not the Lord and His Holy Spirit, nor how the Lord loves us—I relied on my own understanding; but when by the Holy Spirit I came to know our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, my soul submitted to God, and now I accept every affliction that befalls me and say: 'The Lord looks down on me. What is there to fear?' But before, I could not live in this manner"…"Life is much easier for the man who is given over to the will of God, since in illness, in poverty, in persecution he reflects thus: 'Such is God's pleasure, and I must endure on account of my sins'"…This acceptance of God's will, even in the face of adversity, is not a sign of resignation but faith and hope in the Lord.” (St. Silouan of Mt. Athos)

“The problem of belief, faith, and trust in God’s mercy when His mercy is not apparent has much to do which the ancient sin of wanting to be in complete control of our lives outside of communion with God, and often, though not all of time, refusal to take full accountability for our choices that result in consequences. Sometimes it takes time and retrospection to understand this. I can now look back on some of the darkest times of my life and see how God was at work mercifully in those events for all concerned (I can also see how my choices played a part). It sure didn’t feel that way at time but now with the wisdom of experience and it is easier for me to trust and experience God as love and, more importantly, be compassionate to people whom, like we all do at times, question God’s love and mercy when bad things happen.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)

“The purpose of God’s justice is to set things right, to put them back into the order that He created. In some cases, this will mean the downfall of the wicked, but God’s justice also can involve repentance both for the wicked and for the holy who desire to advance even further in holiness…The God who in anguish visits judgment upon the people does not thereby sever the relationship. God immediately turns from the role of judge to the role of fellow sufferer; God even anticipates the latter role in the language used to consider the distressful future. Judgment is thus clearly not intended to be the end of the relationship as far as God is concerned. God will be present among those who are suffering. God does not wait until the suffering has had its full effect before God works in the situation to bring about good. God is at work in death to bring about life. And God works in the situation, not as someone who stands on the outside, working upon it externally like some welfare administrator signing vouchers for food stamps. God enters into the mournful situation, working for good from within.” (Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Terence Fretheim)

“The word mercy in English is the translation of the Greek word eleos. This word has the same ultimate root as the old Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; a substance which was used extensively as a soothing agent for bruises and minor wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting and making whole the injured part. The Hebrew word which is also translated as eleos and mercy is hesed, and means steadfast love. The Greek words for 'Lord, have mercy,' are 'Kyrie, eleison’ that is to say, 'Lord, soothe me, comfort me, take away my pain, show me your steadfast love.' Thus mercy does not refer so much to justice or acquittal a very Western interpretation but to the infinite loving-kindness of God, and his compassion for his suffering children!” (Father Anthony M. Coniaris)

“Mercy is the highest art and the shield of those who practice it. It is the friend of God, standing always next to him and freely blessing whatever he wishes. It must not be despised by us. For in its purity it grants great liberty to those who respond to it in kind. It must be shown to those who have quarreled with us, as well as to those who have sinned against us, so great is its power. It breaks chains, dispels darkness, extinguishes fire, kills the worm and takes away the gnashing of teeth. By it the gates of heaven open with the greatest of ease. In short, mercy is a queen which makes men like God.” (St. John Chrysostom)

“Thus, stated simply, to have communion with God means to have a share in His Divine Life. He lives in me and I in Him. I come to know God even as I know myself. I come to love even as God loves because it is His love that dwells in me. I come to forgive as God forgives because it His mercy that dwells within me. Without such an understanding of communion, many vitally important parts of the Christian life are reduced to mere moralisms….The disease of broken communion that was so long at work in us is difficult to cure. It takes time and we must be patient with ourselves and our broken humanity – though never using this as an excuse not to seek the healing that God gives.” (Father Stephen Freeman)

“This is an age of ideology. People divide themselves according to their allegiance to sets of dogmas and doctrines that dominate their thinking and their relationships. Many define themselves by the categories of left or right, red or blue, conservative or liberal, etc. In such an age, these social, political, and cultural theories set people against each other. But the Gospel is not an ideology. It is not a set of truths, or tenets that come from the human mind. As we see in today’s reading, the Gospel is the revelation of God’s mercy, the disclosure of His mighty acts to redeem us. It is not the teaching of some principles for living well. It is the story of our salvation, the narrative how the Son of God came to earth to redeem us from sin and death, to give us eternal life and to restore the image of God in us.” (Fr. Basil)

“Saint James was right: “Faith without works is dead.” Repentance is not a matter of merely feeling sorry for our sins, but of turning away from them as we become so open to our Lord’s mercy that His holiness permeates our lives.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)

“The Lord Himself said: “Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father also is merciful” [Luke 6: 36]. He did not say: “Fast as your heavenly Father fasts,” neither did He say: “Give away your possessions as your heavenly Father is without possessions”; but he did say: “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” This is because this virtue—above all—emulates God and is a characteristic of Him.” (Abba Dorotheos)

“Compassion for others and sympathy for their failings will bring the heart closer to the heart of God than any form of judging…Always let mercy outweigh everything else in you.” (St. Hesychius the Presbyter, St. Isaac the Syrian)

“Since Christ is the incarnate display of the wealth of the mercies of God, it is not surprising that his life on earth was a lavish exhibit of mercies to all kinds of people. Every kind of need and pain was touched by the mercies of Jesus in his few years on earth.” (John Piper)

“Asking God for mercy means asking Him for His Kingdom, which Christ had promised to grant those who ask for it and that He will add everything else that we are in need of. That is why the faithful are contented with this supplication (Lord have mercy) for it can be applied to everything.” (St. Nicholas Cabasilas)

“The standard by which we judge is that by which we will be judged; the mercy we give will be the mercy we receive.” (Orthodox Study Bible, James 2:8-13)

“God shows Himself to be a God of love and mercy in the beginning. After Adam and Eve and are ashamed of their nakedness He clothes them (Genesis 3:21). He sends them from the Garden before they can eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in a sinful state (Genesis 3:22-23). After Cain brings his offering with the wrong heart, God seeks to move him to repentance not punish him (Genesis 4:7). Yet many, familiar with these stories, still think of God as a punishing God.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)

"Again and again we sing of God’s mercy in our services. We speak of His mercy in the Jesus Prayer, our faith rests on God’s love for us. But despite this there has entered into the minds of too many people the image of God as vengeful and harsh." (Father Spyridon Baily)

"The Greek word for “mercy” (eleos) means much more than some external “withholding of punishment” (which is what we usually understand it to mean in English). It is a divine energy; that is to say, its source is God –so we constantly ask Him for it. In our terms it is an internal disposition; an overflowing of the heart with compassionate, self-giving love. So, when I ask God for “mercy,” I am asking not only to receive it, but to carry it on; to be a vessel of His “mercy” in this world." (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin)

“…no service is as pleasing to God as mercy. This is because mercy is most similar to God Himself who is merciful.” (St. Gregory the Theologian)

“…if mercy is to be sought from God, then mercy must be extended to others.” (Foundation Study Bible. Luke 11:4)

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