Luke 6,36-38 – Monday of the Second Week of Lent
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” It is a demanding request that the Gospel of Luke gives us. Jesus invites us to resemble God precisely in the trait that most defines him: mercy. Not a generic feeling, but a concrete way of looking, of judging, of acting. Yet the question arises spontaneously: God is God, we are fragile and limited creatures. How is it possible for us to be merciful like Him?
The answer lies not in our natural abilities, but in the redemption brought about by Christ. By saving us, He did not limit himself to forgiving us but made us participants in a new life. It has put us in the position of living in a way that, relying only on our own strength, would not be possible. When we let ourselves be loved by Christ, something really changes. His mercy does not remain external to us, but becomes an internal principle of transformation. We’re starting to look like him. Our life becomes a reflection of the Father’s mercy. And this translates into very concrete choices: do not judge, do not condemn, forgive, donate. They are simple, but demanding verbs.
Each of them is a sign that Easter is working in our hearts. When, however, we obscure Easter – that is, when we forget the grace received – instead of mercy, a desire for revenge takes place. Revenge may seem understandable, especially when the harm suffered is real. But it remains a sterile path, because it is the attempt to take justice into account on one’s own. Where a person always judges, always condemns, constantly underlines the error of others, a heart is manifested that does not allow itself to be fully reached by grace. It is not the logic of Easter that guides him, but that of closure. And a life closed in condemnation inevitably becomes an unhappy life.
Mercy it is not weakness, but redeemed strength. It is proof that Christ did not pass through our existence in vain. Being merciful like the Father means allowing his grace to become style, criterion, daily breathing. This is the most authentic sign that Easter is truly working in us.
Monday 2 March 2026 – (Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
