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Building a Foundation of Mercy Quotes from Pope Francis’ Miserere Vultus Reflections from the Staff of Stewardship & Pastoral Services Diocese of Green Bay a personal journal MERCY: WHY NOW? WHY ALWAYS? Pope Francis felt so deeply that the world was in need of mercy that he proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy for December 8, 2015 – November 20, 2016. The Jubilee Year of Mercy is extraordinary because the ordinary cycle calls for a Jubilee every 25 years, so the next one was not anticipated until 2025. He explained the urgency in his Papal Indiction, Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy): Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life. All of her pastoral activity should be caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy. The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love. The Church “has an endless desire to show mercy”. Perhaps we have long since forgotten how to show and live the way of mercy (10). The Year of Mercy is meant to recall the characteristic of mercy as foundational to disciples of Jesus, rather than to serve as a fad or a new buzz-word. It is meant to remind us to lead with mercy at all times, not just during this Jubilee. BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF MERCY Constructing a brick foundation for a building is hard work! It can be messy! It requires methodical, time consuming step-by-step stacking of one brick at a time! As disciples of Jesus, we cultivate mercy through habitual practice of works of mercy and everyday decisions to show mercy to others. This will take commitment and time. Honoring the biblical tradition of forty-day-long periods of time being set aside for waiting, preparing, and refining, we are pleased to offer a forty-day booklet so that you can focus on Building a Foundation of Mercy. Each day includes: 1.) An excerpt of the words of Pope Francis found in Misericordiae Vultus. 2.) A reflection relating the quote to the some of our everyday experiences of mercy at home, at work, and in the world. 3.) Space to journal on questions relating to your own spiritual life. 4.) A new brick added to your Foundation of Mercy at the bottom of each page. It is our hope and prayer that this resource will help readers to move from reflecting on mercy to forming a habit of mercy, and ultimately, to continual deepening of the characteristic of mercy that is foundational. Through mercy, may we be drawn together to experience the Kingdom of God. THE MEANING OF MERCY M is for Misery: Mercy realizes that people who are in need suffer in misery. Mercy is derived from the Latin word miserere. E is for Empathy: Mercy reaches out with the love of God that is inside us that causes us to think about and care about how others feel. R is for Respect: Mercy understands that every person is made in the image of God, with a dignity that cannot be taken away. C is for Caring: Mercy acts, following the example of Jesus, who told us & showed us how to care for others. Y is for You: Mercy, when practiced regularly, becomes a habit, then a fundamental characteristic of your personality. How to Bring Mercy to Others The Corporal Works of Mercy The Spiritual Works of Mercy - Feed the hungry - Admonish the sinner - Give drink to the thirsty - Instruct the ignorant - Clothe the naked - Counsel the doubtful - Shelter the homeless - Comfort the sorrowful - Visit the sick - Bear wrongs patiently - Visit the imprisoned - Forgive all injuries - Bury the dead - Pray for the living and the dead Jesus, the face of the Father’s Mercy Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. (MV 1) I have always loved the words found in the Gospel of Matthew (7: 7-11), in which we are told that everyone who ask, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. If you ask God to see His face, it will be revealed to you; if you seek God’s mercy, you will be found by Jesus, who is the face of the Father’s mercy; if you knock; the heart and love of Jesus will be revealed for you in a definitive way, because it shall be granted to you by the merciful Father. Have you asked Jesus into your heart? Have you sought to learn as a disciple? Have you knocked on the doors of heaven, believing that God’s mercy is waiting for you whenever you are in need? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ MERCY - DAY 1 Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God. (MV 1) Have you ever known someone who was able to imitate Jesus so completely that they epitomized being a Christian? MaryAnn Finn was exactly that kind of person in my life. She was a Sunday School Teacher at the church of my elderly neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Petersen. The Petersens would often invite the unchurched children of our family to go with them to Bethel Baptist Church, where Mrs. Finn taught the seventh-grade class. She freely and generously shared her beaming smile, love of Jesus, knowledge of the Bible, and was as likely to be found playing the organ as serving her potato salad at a church meal. When I missed Sunday School for months at a time she never scolded; rather, she would flood the room with her warmth and proclaim: “Honey, I am so glad you came!” Her words, actions, and her entire person revealed the mercy and love of God. I came to trust that she would always treat me with mercy. Your words, actions, and sense of self are able to reveal the mercy of God. Looking back on your life, are there significant moments when you were aware of God’s love being revealed by you or by another through words, actions, or by recognition of mercy as a quality trait? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ MERCY - DAY 2 We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. (MV 2) Many people struggle with “constantly” worrying about the past and the future. They may replay conversations over and over again in their minds, swirling up anxiety about how they may have been perceived or overanalyzing what they should have said, instead. They may borrow on sorrows from the future that might never come to be. Constantly thinking about some things can give a person a sense of discontent and stress. That is not the case with constantly thinking about mercy. Focusing on this beautiful gift from God and how we might share it with others gives us “a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace.” There is a lightness and freedom experienced when mercy becomes a foundational posture within our relationships. Recall how individuals responded when Jesus showed them mercy. Think about how many times in your
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