Tag: Mercy

Visiting the Sick Makes You Better!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

visiting_hours

As promised, each month this year, I will cover an act, or acts of mercy. This month we will focus on visiting the sick as part of the Year of Mercy series, where we explore the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Have you ever had to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time? Or, have you ever been homebound while convalescing to better health? I have, and I can attest to the fact that it gets very lonely and scary, while lying in a hospital bed. Because of my clubbed feet, I spent almost half of my childhood either in the hospital, or recuperating at home. The nights in the hospital were the worst. Especially for a child, it gets scary being in a strange place at night. I just wanted to be at home, surrounded by my family, in my own bed. Therefore, anyone who would come to visit me, especially at night, made my day!

Visits help… Read more…

Pope Francis: The Church of Mercy

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

pope francis 2

The Church of Mercy, by Pope Francis: Book Review

For the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, I decided to learn more about the virtue of Mercy. What better book to read than Pope Francis’ The Church of Mercy?

I found this book very insightful. In this book, Pope Francis provides a selection of his 2013 speeches and homilies. Taking into consideration his election as Pope occurred in March 2013, these speeches and homilies were some of his first. Mercy, a hallmark of Pope Francis’ papacy, remains a priority for moving the church forward, as evidenced by his declaration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Throughout the book, Pope Francis… Read more…

Clothe the Naked. Shelter the Homeless.

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Homeless Child

Clothing those in need and sheltering the homeless are considered “corporal” acts of mercy because they physically impact the human body. Everyone has a need to be physically clothed and sheltered from the weather. They have a human right to these things; to act otherwise, would be disrespecting the dignity of the human person. Expressing such indifference towards the naked and homeless indicates that we do not live up to Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

In this Year of Mercy we are given ample opportunity to extend acts of mercy to those in need of clothes and shelter; ample opportunity to “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

What Can You Do to Help the Homeless?

Read to learn how you can help…

Mercy in the City – Book Review

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Mercy in the City

Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber:

 

Mercy flows in abundance during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good time to share with you my review of Kerry Weber’s book, Mercy in the City. Kerry is a young, single woman living in New York City. This book tells her true life story of her attempt to perform all of the Corporal Acts of Mercy within one Lenten season.

 

In this book, we traverse through the season of Lent with Kerry chronicling her adventures. She shows us how to… Read more…

Year of Mercy Has Begun!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

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Year of Mercy: What is it all about? What can we expect? Pope Francis ushered in the Year of Mercy yesterday. This Jubilee Year of Mercy extends to the Feast of Christ the King on November 20, 2016. From now until then, anyone who enters through the “Door of Mercy…will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope.” 1

 

What is this “Year of Mercy” all about?

 

Pope Francis declared the Jubilee Year of Mercy “so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives” 2. Our world has become so fractured and broken with much hatred. We see it in the… Read more…

No Good Deed Goes Unrewarded!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Corporal Works

No good deed goes unrewarded! I know, I know – the real and often quoted phrase is “no good deed goes unpunished!” How cynical is that? I’m glad God doesn’t think like that. Rather, He rewards us for good and merciful deeds. We may not see the rewards instantaneously in this life, but the rewards for our good and merciful deeds will be received, if not on earth, then in Heaven.  It is in the performance of good deeds, especially via the extension of mercy that we get where we need to be: virtuous and holy in God’s eyes! That’s where I want to be! So, how do we get there?

Read more…

Why Be Merciful? What’s in It for Me?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

 

Unmerciful Servant 2

Merciful – me – why should I be merciful? Isn’t it enough that I forgive, I now need to be merciful? Serious gut check here – how many times have you secretly had these thoughts? If you are like me, you have had these thoughts more often than you would like to admit. Mercy is a tough virtue to “want” to grasp, from a “giving mercy” perspective because we naturally think it’s a one way proposition – the other guy gets the mercy, but “What’s in it for me?” As human beings, we always want a quid-pro-quo (I do something for you, you do something for me). However, that is contrary to how mercy works. When we provide that softer attitude toward a repentant sinner rather than the deserved punishment, we are in essence, giving a person a second chance. That is why many of us find it difficult to be merciful.

So, let me shed some light on what’s in it for you to be merciful:

Read more… 

Mercy – Is It Only for Christ to Give?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

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Mercy – How elusive is this virtue from one’s grasp? Is it something only Christ can give, or can we give mercy to others? Are we expected to give mercy?

Mercy is as elusive as you want it to be – it’s that simple! Christ is at the ready, waiting to bestow His Mercy upon you. All you need to do is acknowledge that you need His Mercy, and that means acknowledging your sinfulness. For some, that is difficult to do; for others it is easy. Therein lays the answer to the elusiveness of Christ’s Mercy. The choice is yours.

Mercy is defined as a preference to provide a softer attitude toward a repentant sinner rather than the deserved punishment. Mercy was Jesus’ calling card throughout His ministry. He was…Read more…

Be Merciful not Fearful

Posted: by Melanie Jean Juneau
Christians do not have a choice; we must exercise mercy because we have been shown mercy.  Mercy is at the crux of both the Gospels and the teaching of the Church. The Holy Father, during a talk given on Sept.10 explained,“God has sent His Son! God has made Himself man to save us, that is, to give us his mercy. Jesus says it clearly, summing up his teaching to the disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Lk.6, 36).

Pope Francis challenged us to come out of our comfort zone, to ignore our fear and embrace even prisoners as brothers and sisters in Christ, “‘But Father,’ some will say, ‘This is dangerous. These are bad people.’ Listen carefully: any one of us is capable of doing what these men and women in prison have done   continue reading> 

Melanie Jean Juneau is wife and mother of nine children. The very existence of a joyful mother of nine children seems to confound people. Her writing is humorous and heart warming; thoughtful and thought provoking with a strong current of spirituality running through it. Part of her call and her witness is to write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacredness of life.She blogs at joy of nine9 and mother of nine9

Are your fears, doubts, and frustrations keeping you from intimacy with God?

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network

Afraid

How is your spiritual life going? Are you feeling frustrated with yourself? Are you distraught over your lack of progress? Do you keep falling into the same sins repeatedly?
Welcome to the human race!

No, I’m not trying to dismiss your concerns flippantly. Sometimes we just need a reminder that we are, after all, fallen. Adam’s sin affects us all. But here’s something you may not have realized:

Your sins do not shock God!

God is used to sinners. He has centuries of experience with them. He even came down from Heaven to live among them. Then people criticized Him for eating with sinners instead of the “righteous.” Yes, He loved to hang out with people like you and me.

God delights in showing mercy. He delights in lifting our burdens. He delights in carrying our yoke with us, comforting our sorrows, calming our fears.

Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.