Hunger, Thirst, and Mercy

Today we meditate on the 4th and 5th Beatitude – Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and the Merciful because there is profound interconnection between the two.

one

Jesus said: Blessed are they who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Righteousness may have a negative connotation if you think of someone who is self-righteous.  

What does righteousness truly mean?

·       To be Righteous means to do the will of God

·       Righteousness is to live a life of virtue and holiness that results in true lasting Happiness.

Therefore, when Jesus says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, He means those who hunger to do the will of God. They have a burning desire for transforming union with God.

Remember Peter’s words at the Last Supper, “Lord I am ready to go to prison and to die for you.”

That was no boast, it was the desire of a man who loved Jesus. Yes, Peter was weak, and he fell many times – but it was His desire coupled with the Mercy of Jesus that carried him to the finish line. That is why this beatitude – to hunger must go with the next – the Merciful – those full of Mercy.

St. Thomas Aquinas was asked what it took to become a saint. He said, “To will it.” To desire it. Do you hunger for God to transform your life? In this decade let’s ask Jesus and Mary to give us the desire to become a saint and a great saint.

two

To become righteous, that is, to do the will of God and become a saint we not only need the right desire, but we must also persevere and the actions that lead to a deeper friendship with Jesus and not quit.

In John 15:1-10, Jesus said: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser…As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away - he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

Did you hear the word that repeats? 10 times Jesus tells us to remain. Pope Benedict says that the word remain in the original Greek text means to Persevere. We must Persevere in:

·       Daily meditation and a Resolution

·       Persevere in the practice of virtue

·       Persevere in your marriage

·       Persevere in the duties of your life

·       Persevere in trust during suffering

·       And when you fall, just persevere in going back to the Mercy of Jesus – its unconditional and unlimited!

·       Persevere! Keep going! Don’t Quit!

three

However, it does not take long before we realize we are powerless to change ourselves.

We will never be transformed until we admit we are powerless over our dominant vices, powerless over our Pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust. We are powerless over our boredom, Fear, anxiety, and the worry that drive us to escape from our lives

At some point, if we want to become truly free and happy we must admit that we are powerless to save ourselves and our lives have become unmanageable. 

But there is Someone greater than ourselves. Someone who can restore us to sanity. Someone who can set us free and transform us. He is Jesus and He is the Mercy of God. And only Jesus can do in us what we cannot do on our own.

So I invite you to make the decision to turn your life over to Jesus. Beg Him to take total control of your life. He is the Good Shepherd.

Then make a searching and fearless examination of conscience 

Admit to God, to yourself and to a priest the exact nature of your sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation – for it is the sacrament of Mercy where we encounter the Mercy of Jesus – the excessive unconditional healing love of Jesus.

The Mercy of Jesus will raise us above and beyond our powerlessness to the power of God.

four

Once we receive the Mercy of God, then we can give mercy to others

That is why the next Beatitude is “Blessed are the Merciful.”

Now, what is difference between Justice and Mercy?

·       Justice is the virtue to give others what is rightfully theirs

·       Mercy gives to others what is rightfully ours

·       Mercy is the Love that goes past strict justice and gives a generous gift of self

Jesus said to Faustyna: If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment.  Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy. (Diary 1317)

Later he said to her: I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me.  You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere.  You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:  the first- by deed, the second – by word, the third – by prayer.  In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me…Diary 742

five

If we want the Mercy of God then we must give mercy to others by deeds, by words and by prayer.

If we are to give mercy to others first by our deeds, then what do people need most? In our affluent western society, there are certainly people who need food and shelter, but what our wealthy culture suffers most from is from friendship deficit. It has become a world of unfriending.

Justice is the virtue by which we give others what is rightfully theirs.

Mercy goes past strict just and gives to others what is rightfully ours.

That which is most rightfully ours is our time and our freedom to do whatever we want.

Therefore, maybe the most important way we can be merciful is to give to people who do not have a right to it, our time and attention in friendship.

Isolated embers from a fire quickly grow cold. On the other hand, Embers heaped in a pile can start a large fire. Everyone needs a small group of family and friends with whom to share life and integrate their faith. We all need our team with whom we can live life, talk about our faith and pray. And this builds the best friends, conquers isolation and loneliness and is a powerful way to live mercy.

So how long do I have to keep harping on this until you pick your team and start getting together with them regularly?