Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Beginning of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, 2015-2016
Jubilee of Mercy While listening to my Amazon Prime play list, I came across a Live recording of the Peter Gabriel song "Mercy Street." It made me think about the start of the of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Here are a few of the lyrics:
Dreaming of Mercy Street
Wear your inside out
Dreaming of mercy
In your daddy's arms again
Dreaming of Mercy Street
'Swear they moved that sign
Looking for mercy
In your daddy's arms
"Looking for mercy in your daddy's arms" - The greatest source of mercy is through God, the Father.
We can dream and look for mercy in all the wrong places. Help a friend in need but with an ulterior motive in mind. "Hopefully he will pay me back later when I need it! " Give money to the poor but secretly desire to be praised for it. "I'll help this charity and it will make me look like a Saint!" Broadcast on social media all of the wonderful volunteer efforts we do in defense of the marginalized. "Maybe my contributions will be recognized by the President and I'll become a social media sensation!"
Mercy is kind, tender and honest. It is meek, humble and truthful. It is not pompous or arrogant. It should not be used as a weapon to fuel pride, haughtiness, and a conceited spirit. Mercy is authentic love for another human being with a willingness to care for that person without contingencies attached.
Trash Trolls Today was an irritating day; one of those days when I wasn't in the mood to associate with anyone. I just wanted to stew in my anger over a nice glass of vino. (It's right here by my laptop as I type this meditation.) I am making an honest attempt to be more patient and merciful, but I failed badly....
This morning I woke up to discover that my apartment trash had not been taken out by the Valet Waste company. A note was taped on the lid informing me that I needed to "tie a knot in all trash bags" before they will remove them. For weeks now, I have noticed residents just throwing trash outside their apartments. Very few use the waste receptacles. So when I saw this note I raged inside. How dare these Trash Trolls not take my trash out! Ridiculous! I've been putting out my trash like this - neat and orderly - for two months and they just NOW tell me to stop? They can kiss my you know what! Grr...
I wrote a scathing note that I prepared to lay on top of my soggy garbage for the Trash Trolls to read. However, I axed the foolish move. I certainly didn't want to start a trash war and possibly incur fines! I am sure trash picker-upper work is not the most pleasant in the world, and I am not the only resident who didn't do exactly what protocol spells out. I know the rules now, so hopefully the incident will never happen again.
Interesting, when I opened up my mail this afternoon I received a donation solicitation from CRS. I normally never respond to such mailings, but what fell out of the envelope took me by surprise. It was a prayer card with a picture of Pope Francis holding a white peace dove with the following quote:
"We all have to think if we can become a little poorer, all of us have to do this. How can I become a little poorer in order to be more like Jesus, who was the poor Teacher?"
Also, included in the envelope, was a second prayer card with an angel coin attached to it. The prayer read, "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen"
Wow, the Holy Spirit just sent me two powerful messages! Why stew over silly trash? Why remain angry at a mistake I made? Why not just accept that I got called out on doing something wrong? Correct the mistake and let it go! Life is too short to worry about rotting garbage!
Walking Along Mercy Street During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, I like the image of walking along Mercy Street thinking about how I can be a better Christian witness to others. How can I be more merciful without being prideful and vain? How can I open my heart to those who experience difficulties and minister to them? What can I learn about mercy in my own faith experiences?
I'd like to end with this great quote from Magnificat's Year of Mercy Companion:
"God knows us as he intends us to be; his sons, his daughters, his friends. He knows that he has fitted us for himself and that no other destiny for us will do. When he knows us as sinners and as unable to secure our own deliverance from our sins, he knows us as needing his mercy. But this mercy is, in a way, called for, not by reason of our own merits, but because of his own fatherly affection for us and because he sees the change in us that his father's love will produce. His mercy reflects God's true judgment on us as being not his "undeserving poor" but his own beloved children." -Father John Dominic Corbett, O.P.
Saint Dominic de Guzman, Pray for Us!
-J.
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