Vol.5 No.20 DoM E Message
Spiritual Gift of the Week
We ask for the grace to have “certainty of the teachings” that we have received.
And that this certainty would lead to conviction, and that conviction lead to courage!
As Daughters of Mary, may we follow the courage of our Blessed Mother as she responds,
“Be it done to me according to thy Word!”
Spiritual Instruction of the Week—Presented by Rev. W. Bry Shields
“Team Up for Mercy”
Corporal Works of Mercy Spiritual Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry Counsel the doubtful
Give Drink to the thirsty Instruct the ignorant
Clothe the naked Admonish sinners
Shelter the homeless Comfort the afflicted
Visit the sick Forgive offenses
Visit the imprisoned Bear wrongs patiently
Bury the dead Pray for the living & dead
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Dear Beautiful Daughters of Mary,
Thank you to our Pastor, Rev W. Bry Shields for joining us Tuesday to explain the details of the Team Up for Mercy Lenten Campaign. We are looking forward to this “fun and meaningful way for households to live out the Jubilee Year of Mercy. “ The following is a synopsis of Fr. Shields’ presentation:
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“We begin this Extraordinary Year of Mercy during the second year of Pope Francis’ Pontificate. Also, in ‘Misericordiae Vultus,’ the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis himself tells us that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Our Holy Father writes that it is fruitful for us to contemplate mercy. First, “Our salvation depends upon mercy.” Secondly, to contemplate mercy is to become “a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.” The Year of Mercy marks the importance of good prayer and good works. We want others to listen to our words, and also, listen to our witness! We want to be merciful.
Many thanks to Melinda Seiter, Lindsay Hutchison, Rob Moreland, Ashleigh Riis and all the St. Ignatius staff . In response to the questions: “How can we become better—How can we become more merciful?”—they came up with the idea of ‘Team Up For Mercy!’ In teams, we will more likely accomplish the task we set out to accomplish. In teams, we are held accountable.
What is a Mercy Team? A group of 3 or more households who voluntarily join together to pray and preform Works of Mercy throughout the Jubilee Year. One individual (or couple) will serve as a Team Captain. For households of all ages, shapes and sizes. The specific service projects, activities or prayers will be determined by each team, according to the unique abilities, interests and resources of the group. There are 14 in the traditional list of Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC., however captures the spirit of the 14—understanding and offering works of mercy in a more succinct list, quoting the scriptural admonitions found in Matthew 25:34-36:
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
Take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Team captains will be given Fr. Gaitley’s book, ‘You Did It for Me.’ It would be helpful however for each household to order its own book. Details for ordering will be available at the Church office. It is available in pdf. for print at www.formed.org.
We will kick off our ‘Team Up for Mercy’ campaign in Lent on Ash Wednesday, February 10! The official Year of Mercy ends on the Feast of Christ the King, November 20. Our teams are an opportunity for us use our imagination and innovation. It is a time to pray and contemplate mercy and to talk about mercy with our friends and family. We encourage you to form teams. There will be a short captains meeting in the Marian center after the 10:00AM Mass to give out packets of information. “Thank you for your willingness to Team Up for Mercy! Enjoy this time with friends and family.”
Rev. W. Bry Shields.
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Dear Beautiful Daughters of Mary, Fr. Shields hopes for100% Team up for Mercy DoM participation —and so does our own Coeur group. If anyone needs help putting together a team, please let me know. This is an opportunity for us to enrich our hearts and souls, as we learn to fully live the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy during the Lenten Season. Let us pray and ask for God’s mercy. Let us pray to become more merciful…
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“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…Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God.” (#1 Misericordiae Vultus)
Vieni, Spirito Santo, la misericordia di Dio ci salva—Come Holy Spirit, it is by God’s mercy that we are saved,
Deb
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