Inbox Inspiration: Mercy 1-3: October 31, 2018 - November 14, 2018

October 31, 2018

Mercy – 1 

Dear Friends,
In the celebration of Mass, we use the “mercy” rather often.
For example, in the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass, we pray:
“Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” 
Prior to receiving Communion, we pray:
“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.” 
Mercy is God’s love for us.
We can also say that God is Mercy because, as Saint John tells us, “God is love.”
So, God, God’s love, or God’s mercy is at the very core of our life.
God, Love, Mercy abides with us.
So, yes, we do sin.
However, the moment we feel sorrow for our sinfulness, God’s mercy is there.
In fact, God, Love, Mercy has never left us.
We simply block God at times with our self-centeredness.
And so, we ask God for mercy.
Let your love and mercy heal us and make us whole and holy.

“Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule: ‘In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you’” (7:12).
From Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad), an Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis. (1936-. Elected as 266^th Pope in 2013.)

[This is the first in a series of three reflections on Mercy. See the Inbox Inspirations for the next two weeks, November 7 and 14, 2018.]

May God give us the gift of trust that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Father Michael Schleupner

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November 7, 2018

Mercy – 2 

Dear Friends,
Pope Francis speaks of God’s mercy as having two dimensions:
giving and forgiving.
My reflection last week was on forgiving – God forgiving us.
Today my focus is on giving – God giving to us.
The manner of God’s giving is very clear in Jesus.
Jesus consistently reaches out and cares for anyone in need:
those who are physically sick or emotionally burdened,
those who are spiritually troubled or socially excluded,
those who are grieving or hungry,
those who are looking for a home or even a new homeland.
To use Jesus’ own words, he cares and gives to
the last, the least, the little and the lost.
This is Mercy – Divine Love, God.
It is who God is and what God does.

“Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God’s perfection, which gives and forgives superabundantly. For this reason, in the Gospel of Luke we do not hear the words, ‘Be perfect’ (Mt. 5:48), but rather, ‘Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful’” (6:36).   
From Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad), an Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis. (1936-. Elected as 266^th Pope in 2013.)

[This is the second in a series of three reflections on Mercy. See also the Inbox Inspirations of October 31 and for next week, November 14, 2018.]

May God give us the gift of trust that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Father Michael Schleupner

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November 14, 2018

Mercy – 3

Dear Friends, 
There are two dimensions to God’s mercy: giving and forgiving.
We hear in Saint Luke’s Gospel: “Be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful” (6:36).
So, if we are to be like God, to be merciful, we are to be both giving and forgiving.
Earlier this year I did a series of seven Inbox Inspirations on forgiving.
If you wish, you may read or review them through this link: FORGIVING SERIES.
Here, today, I am making one comment about giving.
I believe that giving, first and foremost, has to do with our inner spirit.
What is in our heart?
What is our inner disposition?
So, deep down, do we want to do whatever we can for the good of our loved ones?
Beyond them, do we feel moved by the plight of the poor in our own country or in other parts of the world?
Do we want to seek solutions to human suffering, wherever it is found?
If this is our inner spirit, then I think we will be giving or merciful persons.
We will be fulfilling Jesus’ direction: “Be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful” (6:36).

“…the best way to discern if our prayer is authentic is to judge to what extent our life is being transformed in the light of mercy. For ‘mercy is not only an action of the Father; it becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are.’” 
From Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad), and Misericordiae Vultus(The Face of Mercy) by Pope Francis. (1936-. Elected as 266^thPope in 2013.)

[This is the third in a series of three reflections on Mercy.  See also theInbox Inspirations of October 31 and November 7, 2018.]

May God give us the gift of trust that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen. 
Father Michael Schleupner