Holy Resurrection
YouTube
St. Nikolaj Velimirović on Mercy as Initiative and Loving Enemies
7:22
What the video says
The speaker teaches that mercy is a virtue that takes initiative rather than waiting, rooted in God's mercy which awakened mercy in humanity. Without God's mercy the world would not even know the word, and mercy surpasses pity, forgiveness, and earthly justice because it brings forth new life while justice alone would cause all to perish.
Christ's commandment to love enemies is raised to the most prominent place in the gospel, expressed in the Golden Rule: do to others as you would have them do to you. The speaker urges listeners to uproot enmity from their own hearts first, because being no one's enemy matters more for salvation than having no enemies. When people practice this commandment universally, as individuals, nations, and states, malice, hatred, and wars cease, and there is no other remedy.
Key moments
- If people remembered God's mercy toward them every day, they would be merciful toward one another; the belief that no one shows mercy makes a person merciless.
- God's mercy is more important than the mercy of men; people become merciless while waiting for others to show mercy first, but mercy takes the initiative.
- God's mercy awakened mercy in men; without God's mercy the world would not even have known the word mercy.
- Mercy is a stroke that kindles a spark; both giver and receiver feel God between them, fulfilling 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.'
- Mercy is greater than pity (which may pass by), greater than forgiving offenses (forgiveness is the first half, mercy the second), and greater than earthly justice (without mercy all would perish).
- Today's gospel speaks of the highest mercy: love for enemies as a commandment, not advice, raised to the most prominent place in the gospel.
- If you do not want enemies, do not be an enemy; uproot enmity from your own heart first, and the fewer enemies you will count.
- Christ's command to do to others as you would have them do to you applies to individuals, nations, and states; if universally adopted, malice, hatred, and wars would cease.
The post presents an excerpt from St. Nikolaj Velimirović's homily for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost, based on Luke 6:31-36 (Pericope 26). The homily, from Homilies Volume 5 published by "Glas Crkve" in Valjevo in 1996 and later posted at Svetosavlje.org in 2006, teaches that mercy is not passive but takes initiative, rooted in God's mercy which first awakened mercy in humanity.
Without divine mercy, the world would not even know the concept. Velimirović distinguishes mercy from pity, forgiveness, and earthly justice: pity may pass by, forgiveness covers only the first half of the response, while justice alone would condemn all. Mercy brings new life. The Gospel places the command to love enemies at its most prominent position, expressed in the Golden Rule.
The saint urges that enmity must be uprooted from one's own heart first, because being no one's enemy matters more for salvation than having no enemies. If individuals, nations, and states practiced this command universally, malice, hatred, and wars would cease, and there is no other remedy. The homily emphasizes that remembering God's daily mercy toward us would make us merciful toward one another, while the belief that no one shows mercy renders a person merciless.
God's mercy moves first; people become merciless when they wait for others to act. Mercy is described as a stroke that kindles a spark, where both giver and receiver sense God between them, fulfilling the beatitude that the merciful shall obtain mercy.
Main points
- Mercy takes initiative rather than waiting, rooted in God's mercy which first awakened mercy in humanity.
- Without God's mercy the world would not know the word; remembering divine mercy daily makes us merciful toward others.
- Mercy surpasses pity, forgiveness, and earthly justice, pity may pass by, forgiveness covers only half, justice without mercy condemns all.
- The Gospel raises love for enemies to a commandment at its most prominent place, expressed in the Golden Rule.
- Enmity must be uprooted from one's own heart first; if individuals, nations, and states practiced this universally, malice and war would cease.