I Desire Mercy

Putting up with annoying people: this too is a work of mercy, and we don’t always recognise it as such.

Living side by side, we Christians certainly try to love one another according to Jesus’ example and commandment. But despite everyone’s good will, occasionally people with very different personalities end up living together. Thus it is comforting to know that to put up with others is a work of mercy: to endure their behaviour, their awkward manner, their nagging; basically to lovingly disregard what are really minor shortcomings. Similar to feeding the hungry and visiting the sick, this is one of the works that will be asked of us at our ­final examination.

Servant of God Chiara Lubich