We may have a preconceived notion that blessings are only for the righteous. To receive a blessing, one must prove worthy to be blessed. These biases can prevent us from seeing, receiving, and understanding the truth of the gospel. It is true, there are certain blessings bestowed on the virtuous, as we learn in the beatitudes, blessed are the poor… blessed are the those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, the righteous … (Mat 5:3-12). God loves everyone and God blesses everyone. His grace reaches not only to those who are virtuous, but also to sinners. God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8, NRSV). God didn’t wait for us to be perfect before giving us His infinite mercy. While we were sinners, He loved us. While we were sinners, He blessed us.

Our fears, anxieties, and confusion arises from our disbelief in God’s infinite mercy and in His unconditional love. In Luke, chapter 15, the parable of the prodigal son, we see the mercy of God depicted in embracing the prodigal son, who returned repented; however, the brother was angry and refused to go in because all those years he was obedient and did not get appreciated. However, the prodigal son, who disobeyed all those years, was now blessed and having a feast. Dear brothers and sisters do not harden your hearts. Do not be jealous when others get blessed. They too are our sisters and brothers. Were we not baptised in the same baptism in Jesus Christ? There should be no division in the Body of Christ. Are we all not members of the same body? The tragedy of the brother was that he refused to go in the feast and celebrate the return of the prodigal son. Do not let bitterness take over, that you refuse to enter eternal life, just because others are blessed. 

The word of God says that sinners will enter the kingdom of God ahead of those who think they are righteous (Mat 21:31). We must be careful that our righteousness does not end up as self-righteousness, whereby we forget that it was God who made us righteous and not just our good works. God showed us His great mercy and saved us. This same mercy is available to others so they too can be saved and become righteous. Denying mercy to those who need mercy is injustice. We need to pray for discernment, to know the truth, otherwise, we will be like those that Isaiah mentioned, “They say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter”.

Pope Francis, in many ways, imitates Christ not just in words but in action and mercy. He reaches to the marginalised. Like Jesus, he teaches with power, like Jesus, in humility, he shows mercy instead of judgment. When the Pharisees brought to Jesus the sinful woman, Jesus said to them, “Let the one who has no sin throw the first stone”. Mercy comes before justice. When we reject God’s mercy, we face justice. However, now is the hour of mercy, because “where sin abounded, grace increased all the more”.

The blessings of God have the power to lead us to repentance, conversion, and eternal life. Blessings have the power to do good and restrain the power of evil. Blessings are a gift from God. Our goal is to go to heaven and lead others to heaven. In the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans (2023), Pope Francis states that this world needs blessings, and we can give blessings and receive blessings. In this way, every brother and sister will be able to feel that, in the Church, they are always pilgrims, always beggars, always loved, and, despite everything, always blessed (Pope Francis, 2023).

Reference

Pope Francis (2023) Declaration Fiducia Supplicans on the pastoral meaning of blessings (18 December 2023). Available at: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html

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