Thursday, March 20 : Saint Gregory Nazianzen

“Blessed are the merciful, says the Lord, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5:7). Mercy is high in the list of the beatitudes. “Blessed is he who shows pity to the needy and the poor.” And again: “It is good for the man gracious in lending.” We read elsewhere: “All day long he is gracious and lends.” (Ps 71[72]:13; 111[112]:5; 36[37]:26). Let us lay hold of this blessing and earn a name for understanding; let us be kind. Even the night must not interrupt your works of mercy. Do not say: “Go, come back tomorrow and I will give it to you” (Prv 3:28). Nothing must come between your intention and your carrying out your act of kindness… “Share your bread with the hungry; bring the afflicted and the homeless into your house” (Is 58:7) and do so with joy and alacrity. “One who does acts of mercy, says Saint Paul, let him do so with cheerfulness” (Rom 12:8). Then your good deed is doubled by your readiness. On the other hand, what is offered reluctantly and under constraint is unwelcome and unadorned. Good deeds must be cheerful, not doleful… “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your wound shall be quickly healed” (Is 58:8). No who is there who does not long for light and healing?… If you are willing to listen to me, then, servants of Christ, his brothers and co-heirs (cf. Gal 4:7) I say that we should visit Christ while there is opportunity, take care of him and feed him. We should clothe Christ, welcome Christ, honor Christ (cf. Mt 25:31f.). Not only at our table, like some; not only with ointments, like Mary… nor with things that have to do with his burial, like Nicodemus… nor finally with gold, incense and myrrh, like the Magi… But, as the Lord of all “desires mercy and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13), and as compassion is better than “thousands of rams” (Mi 6:7), let us offer him this mercy through the needy and those who are at present cast down on the ground. Let us do this so that, when we depart hence, they may “welcome us into eternal dwellings” (Lk 16:9) in the same Christ our Lord.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team