Pope at Audience: Make mercy the
air you breathe
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| Pope Francis during his General Audience (AFP) |
During his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis
re-calls “Mercy” as the first theme he chose to discuss as Pope, adding that as
the new Bishop of Rome, he felt its message had to be transmitted.
By Francesca Merlo
The fifth beatitude, began Pope Francis, is different than
the others: it is the only one “in which the cause and effect of happiness
coincide”. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”, he read.
Those who exercise mercy, explained the Pope, “will be shown mercy”.
The theme of reciprocity we see here is not only a
characteristic of this beatitude, continued the Pope. It is repeated throughout
the entire Gospel. “How could it be otherwise? Mercy is the very heart of God!”
he said.
The Pope then went on to mention a few examples of this
reciprocity. In Luke’s Gospel, for example, Jesus teaches us that if we do not
judge, we shall not be judged.
This theme is also very clear in the Lord’s Prayer,
continued the Pope, when we say “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against us”. Then, picking up on the Gospel of Matthew, the Pope
explained: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others
their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”.
The forgiveness that we give and we receive are two things
which cannot be separated, said Pope Francis. But there are many people who
find themselves unable to forgive. Often the evil we have received is so great
that forgiveness appears as arduous as climbing a mountain, he said.
Alone, he continued, we cannot mirror God’s mercy. “We need
the grace of God”, he said, and we must ask for it. “If the Fifth Beatitude
promises that we will find mercy, and in the Lord's Prayer we ask for our
trespasses to be forgiven, it means that we are in debt, and in need of mercy!”
said the Pope.
In fact, continued Pope Francis, we are all in debt to God,
Pope Francis said, and it is this weakness that becomes the strength we need to
forgive.
“Where does our mercy come from?” asked the Pope. Mercy is
not one of many realities, “There is no Christianity without mercy. If
all our Christianity does not lead us to mercy, we are on the wrong path,
because mercy is the only true goal of every spiritual journey. It is one of
the most beautiful fruits of charity.”
Finally, Pope Francis reminded the faithful following his
catechesis that “God's mercy is our liberation and our happiness”, emphasising,
“it is the air that we must breathe”.
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