St Peter of Damascus | The greater our devotion to the practice of the virtues...

What health and sickness are to the body, virtue and wickedness are to the soul, and knowledge and ignorance to the intellect.

The greater our devotion to the practice of the virtues, the more our intellect is illumined by knowledge. It is in this way that we are accounted worthy of mercy, that is, through the fifth commandment: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy’ (Matt. 5:7).

The merciful person is he who gives to others what he has himself received from God, whether it be money, or food, or strength, a helpful word, a prayer, or anything else that he has through which he can express his compassion for those in need. At the same time he considers himself a debtor, since he has received more than he is asked to give.

By Christ’s grace, both in the present world and in the world to come, before the whole of creation he is called merciful, just as God is called merciful (cf. Luke 6:36). Through his brother, it is God Himself who has need of him, and in this way God has become his debtor.

Although his needy brother can live without him giving what he is asked for, he himself can neither live nor be saved if he does not do what he can to show mercy.

If he is not willing to show mercy to his own kind, how can he ask God to show mercy to him?
Bearing these and many other things in mind, the person to whom it is granted to keep the commandments gives not only his possessions but even his very life for his neighbor.

This is perfect mercy; for just as Christ endured death on our behalf, giving to all an example and a model, so we should die for one another, and not only for our friends, but for our enemies as well, should the occasion call for it.


St Peter of Damascus 
Book1 A Treasury of Divine Knowledge: 
The Seven Commandments