September 24 Our Lady of Mercy

[cappie]

In Misericordiae Vultus (“The Face of Mercy”), Pope Francis announced a Jubilee Year of Mercy extending from the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 to the feast of Christ the King on Nov. 20, 2016. In the document, Pope Francis recommends that we consider “the saints and blessed ones who made divine mercy their mission in life” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 24). By their example, they help us in our own efforts to yield to the same grace.

Our Lady of Mercy was the inspiration of Catherine McAuley.

First of all, we say that Mary is Mother of Mercy because, through her Immaculate Conception, God made her the created masterpiece of His Mercy in the world.

Second, we can call her Mother of Mercy because she was the one chosen by God to be the Mother of our merciful Saviour, Mercy Incarnate; she literally brought Divine Mercy Himself to birth in our world.

Third, we can call her Mother of Mercy because she showed us the way to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Through living her "evangelical virtues," she set the shining example for us of true Christian discipleship, and this was a great work of mercy she did for us all.

Finally, we said that Mary is our Mother of Mercy because, from heaven, she continues to come to our aid with her intercessory prayers, nurturing and caring for all of our needs, both of body and of soul, from now until the hour of our death.

In the end, the merciful motherhood of Mary is one of those topics for meditation that can never be exhausted. Until we join her one day in heaven, we shall never know all the ways in which Mary has been, and always will be, our Mother of Mercy! 

One of the beautiful and glorious things about the Christian God is that He chooses to make His glory known in and through the lives of people.

On September 24, 1827, Mother Mary Catherine McCauley opened her House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland. The Religious Sisters of Mercy, vowed to the service of the poor, the sick, and the ignorant, placed themselves under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Mercy.

Catherine McCauley’s concept of mercy was not one of condescending consolation, but one which saw mercy as building up thorough education and health care so that the men and women of her time would reach human maturity knowing that they enjoyed the support of the love of God who sustains them even in difficult moments.  Your task is to carry on the tradition of that charism, not through simply recycling it, but through resurrecting it today to respond to the trauma and suffering of those who seek a sense of meaning which they will only find in God, but who once they find it can rejoice like the women who had lost the coin, and radiate joy in our lives and share it with others. Let us commend to Our Lady the work we have been entrusted to do; let us join her in thanking God for the great things he has done, and for the great things he will continue to do in us and in those whom we have the privilege to serve. To be able to love Mary and Christ and your neighbour as yourself, all at the same time, is the mark of mature discipleship.

The Faces of Mercy is why Mercy is Mercy.

Sisters of Mercy put their faith into action in 1827 and kept going. Because of their strength, vision and stamina, today we have Faces of Mercy all around us. In celebration of Mercy Day look around and recognize and give thanks for the vast number of Saints Among Us! These are people who, in the ordinary course of the day, exhibit extraordinary acts of generosity and kindness to others! In her day, Catherine McAuley relied heavily on the openness of hearts and hands from her family and friends. Without their acts of selflessness, the House of Mercy would have never had the chance to help the thousands of women and children in Dublin, and the
millions around the world! We all have our Saints Among Us!

“Since God’s power is not limited to time or space, we have the same means as the greatest saints had. God can effect in us what he accomplished in them. In fact, to arrive at their sanctity requires no more than to simply perform our daily actions perseveringly and regularly for this is what constitutes a saint.” -Catherine McAuley
 

Edited September 24, 2016 by cappie

[Guest]

Another prop.