Giving Mercy, Receiving Mercy, & Becoming Mercy

In the Gospel of St. Luke 6, our Lord commands us, "Be merciful as your Father is merciful. Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned." He also teaches us that as you forgive and give mercy, in the same way God will forgive and grant His great mercy to you. Today we consider how to live as vessels of His Divine mercy toward one another and to this world. And as we do, we consider the Jesus Prayer; the great gift and weapon of God's grace given to us to protect us from having a spirit of condemnation toward others, a blessed gift that opens our soul to experience the mercy of Christ our God. For only those who experience His mercy can become mercy toward others.