Love is the most fundamental gift

“Goodness flows in the milieu of love, thus we should strive to live in God’s love, goodness, and mercy!”

“So we must both speak and act in every respect like those who are destined to be tried by the perfect law of freedom, and remember that judgement is merciless for the one who judges others without mercy. So by showing mercy, you take dominion over judgement!” – the letter of Apostle St. James (2:1213) was quoted by András Veres, Bishop of the Győr Diocese, President of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the morning Laudes on the opening day of the Congress.

Of the mercy

Regarding the mercy, Bishop Veres underlined the concept of mercy, which he described as “the feature of God’s love.” He cited his former professor: God is merciful, since “He is scandalously good.” András Veres also raised Jesus’s parable on the heartless servant: “he, who is not merciful cannot call himself a child of God.”

The road to salvation

As for the operation of God’s grace, Bishop Veres recalled the teaching of Saint Paul, underlying that the Apostle applies equally the concepts of mercy, love and goodness. Therefore, it must be understood that “mercy focuses on compassion of God’s love, while goodness emphasizes the gratuitousness of His love.” – said the Bishop. Consequently, we all should strive to develop the divine mercy and goodness that we have got to know in Jesus, as the basic behaviour of our Christian life.” He noted that mercy and goodness are closely intertwined even in the Old Testament, to be more precise, this path leads us to salvation – concluded András Veres.

Goodness flows in the milieu of love

There is a difference between the gifts and fruits of the Soul, while love is the most fundamental gift – outlined the Bishop, reminding us to what Jesus told to the young man approaching Him: “no one is good, except for God himself”, and this is so since He, himself is the love, the totality of goodness.” We, humans are good partially only, depending on how God’s love lives in ourselves – pointed out András Veres. Goodness flows in the milieu of love, thus we should strive to live in God’s love, goodness, and mercy – concluded his reflection the Bishop of the Győr Diocese.

Photo: Marcsi Ambrus