48- Mercy To Those Who Do not Deserve It

It was said that a woman stood in front of Napoleon Bonaparte pleading with tears for her son who committed an awful crime that deserved a severe punishment.

“I know you’re a merciful person. I beg you to forgive my son this time.”

“I love mercy and I forgave him last time.”

“Forgive him this time as well.”

“He doesn’t deserve mercy. He depreciated my mercy before.”

“I know he doesn’t deserve any mercy but you’re merciful enough to forgive him.”

“How can I have mercy upon those who don’t deserve it?”

“Well, you can’t consider it true mercy if you’re merciful to those who deserve it. The real mercy is to be kindhearted to those who don’t deserve it.”

Napoleon kept silent for a while, then he said to her, “You know what! I think you’re right. This is the true mercy. I’ve decided to forgive him.”

This is the feeling of St. Paul as he has said,

“For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”

(Rom. 5.10).

Jesus Christ manifested His mercy to us when He forgave us our sins and reconciled us with God. Although we resisted God and turned our back to Him, God turned His face to us and poured His mercy upon us. Although we resisted Him with all our power, He gave us His life. He loved us first and in His love He invites us to taste His mercy and accept Him in us. With such mercy, our hearts would then be filled with love and kindness for God and for all mankind. We would then be merciful to those who do not deserve mercy. We would then love all those who do not deserve love.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الرحمة لمن لا يستحق الرحمة.

Thank You God for You are truly merciful.

You had mercy on me, the one who does not deserve any mercy.

You open to me the gate of love so that I could reach Your bosom,

I, the one who escapes from Your face.

Your love attracted me to Your viscera which is inflamed with the fire of love.

You smolder my harsh nature and renew it.

 I am now sharing the Divine nature in my mercy to others.

Mercy streams from my depth to those who do not deserve mercy,

And love pours from inside of me towards those who do not deserve my love.

Overwhelm my depth with unlimited mercy,

And inflame my nature with fiery love that all of the water of the world cannot put out.

You are the whole love. Make me loving and merciful.

Don‘t Withdraw Your Friendship From Me

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

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