Merciful like the Father - experiencing the compassion of ......Merciful like the Father – Personal Prayer and Reflection 3 From Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy ‘It is

Merciful like the Father

- experiencing the compassion of Jesus Christ

A six week reflection programme

Merciful like the Father – Personal Prayer and Reflection

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Indulgences The Holy Father has instructed that special indulgences be available for the faithful through the duration of the year. Here’s how to get one. For able-bodied Catholics:

Take a pilgrimage. Make a journey to your local Holy Door (a physical portal in your local cathedral, shrine or other designated Church) or to one of the Holy Doors in the four papal basilicas in Rome. Crossing through a Holy Door is a spiritual journey that signals, as the Holy Father said, “the deep desire for true conversion.”

Go to confession.

Receive the Eucharist “with a reflection of mercy.”

Make a profession of faith.

Pray for the pope and for his intentions.

For the elderly, confined and the ill:

Pope Francis said that they may obtain the indulgence by “living with faith and

joyful hope this moment of trial,”

Receiving the Eucharist or by attending Mass and community prayer, “even through the various means of communication.”

For those in prison:

The incarcerated may obtain the indulgence in their prison chapels. Said Pope Francis: “May the gesture of directing their thought and prayer to the Father each time they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their passage through the Holy Door, because the mercy of God is able to transform hearts, and is also able to transform bars into an experience of freedom.” For the deceased:

Through the prayers of the faithful, indulgences may be obtained for the dead For all Catholics:

Perform a spiritual or corporal work of mercy. Pope Francis said that an indulgence may be obtained when a member of the “faithful personally performs” one of these merciful acts. “The experience of mercy, indeed, becomes visible in the witness of concrete signs as Jesus himself taught us,” he said.


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From Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy

‘It is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be a living experience of the

closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almost tangible, so that

the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to

it be ever more effective.’

‘We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of God’s mercy.

Mercy: the bridge that connects God and [humankind], opening our

hearts to a hope of being loved forever. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity

and peace. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes

to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of

every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and

sisters on the path of life’.

How much I long that the year to come will be steeped in mercy, so

that we can go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness

and tenderness of God! May the balm of mercy reach everyone, both

believers and those far away, as a sign that the Kingdom of God is

already present in our midst’.


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Contents

Introduction 5

Session 1 God waits for us 8

Session 2 God reaches out 13

Session 3 Jesus sees our need 17

Session 4 Jesus calls us to love 22

Session 5 Jesus calls us to reach out 26

Session 6 Jesus never gives up on any person 30

Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy 34

Prayer for the Year of Mercy 35


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Introduction

Welcome to this booklet for prayer and reflection, Merciful like the Father. In the gospel,

Jesus responds in a life-giving way to the people he meets in all sorts of circumstances.

And so we find that people searched him out and hoped in him and felt themselves

healed and soothed by him. This way of Jesus we might name ‘Mercy’ as Pope Francis

tells us, ‘Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks

sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life’. Jesus Christ is the

face of God’s mercy.

This Year of Mercy reflection booklet offers you an opportunity to come and see each

week, what Good News Jesus has for our lives. It is a time for you to pause and to hear

again what joy and mercy Jesus is offering us. It is a quiet space in the midst of your

week giving you the time to find the mercy of the gospels for your life. It is a chance to

tussle with what Jesus' Good News could mean for our world today.

There are 6 sessions in all, each consisting of a gospel story, an excerpt from a modern

spiritual writer, and a short prayer service drawing the time of prayer and reflection to

a close.

Each session focuses on an aspect of Jesus’ understanding of mercy, on how God is

merciful and how we are called to be merciful to others:

God waits for us;

God reaches out;

Jesus sees our need;

Jesus calls us to love;

Jesus calls us to reach out;

Jesus never gives up on any person.


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Where do you start?

Start where you are…as in any conversation, start as you are…take your time to

move into talking to God, just as you would take your time getting to know

another person. God awaits you…there is no hurry.

Start now – so often we think we must wait until we have this or that sorted,

worked out, thought out, before we can pray. Imagine a good friendship you have

– you can talk to this friend without wondering if they will judge you. So too with

God – talk to God without reserve, talk to God today.

How do you start?

Start with yourself – just like in going to meet a friend you get ready, take a few

moments to ready yourself to meet God.

Small things help! Choose a time that suits you…it might be early in the morning

or late in the evening. Generally it is easier to pray sometime after you have eaten,

rather than just immediately after the meal. Often it helps to choose a similar time

every day because then it becomes a habit.

Choose a place that suits you…it might be a chair in the room…it might be on a

cushion….it might be sitting on the floor – find a comfortable position so that you

don’t spend your time of prayer focussed on your discomfort.

Choose a way that tunes you into this time of prayer. Some people choose to focus

on a lit candle, or on the rhythm of their breathing, in order to become less

conscious of the thoughts flying around their minds, and to focus themselves to

pray. St. Ignatius used to suggest that you pause before you sit or kneel to pray,

just to be conscious of God being conscious of you. Prayer is a time to sit in the

gaze of God, sit in the loving look of God and listen to God.

What do you start with?

Yourself….take a few moments just to tell the Lord what is happening in your life

at the moment....


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The Word of God….take the Gospels, and read a small section. Reading it aloud

can be helpful. After reading, become conscious of what word or phrase caught

your attention….listen carefully to that piece…roll it around on your tongue and

in your heart. What about this is catching your attention? What does it say to you

about the story?…..what does it tell you about the people involved?…..does this

word or phrase have any relevance with your life at the moment…what does it say

to me?

Time and Pace

Take your time....let your pace be unhurried. We have enough busyness in our

lives. Take your time with the different parts of the reflection and prayer, not

rushing on to the next part.

Stillness and Sharing

There is a time for stillness and a time for listening to God and a time for speaking

to God. Do not be afraid of the stillness. It might take getting used to. The purpose

of this personal prayer and reflection time is to give us time and space to hear

Jesus' Good News.

Above all, relax, enjoy this time with Jesus,

and trust the Spirit of God alive in you.

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Session 1 God waits for us

Focusing Pope Francis has revealed something of the loving kindness of God

through his many gestures….embracing children, the sick, the

maimed….his concern for all who experience difficulties…..his criticism

of the legalistic and rule focused Christian or Vatican official….This year,

he calls us to know God’s mercy and to be people of mercy.

He reminds us time and again that Jesus is at the centre of our faith.

Sometimes we can lose sight of Jesus, and while we know that Jesus

came to bring the Good News, sometimes in the midst of the busyness

of our lives, and everything else, we can be unsure of what that Good

News is for us, today. In a particular way this year, we are focusing on

the mercy that God offers us and our world.

This year, Pope Francis invites us in a special way to open our hearts and

minds and eyes to who Jesus’ God is…He encourages us to look at who

Jesus reveals God to be….and what Good News that is for our lives. This

reflection booklet, Merciful like the Father, is a chance for each one of

us in our personal lives to hear what Jesus’ Good News is for us.

There are will take six sessions, each offering you some time to reflect

on and pray with a gospel passage....we will take time to see what the

Gospel is saying to us, today. We will take time to reflect on an excerpt

from the writings of a contemporary spiritual writer which might add

something to our thoughts from the gospel….and then we will close with

a short time of prayer.

Praying with the Gospel


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It can be helpful to read this aloud….in all you will read the passage three times

– I invite you just to notice each time the word or phrase

that catches your attention....and in the silence between the readings, to savour

this word...... there is no right or wrong word or phrase to focus on…trust what

catches your attention….and let whatever phrase or word you are drawn by, hold

you, and let this word/phrase echo within you....

From the Gospel of Luke Lk 15

'While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran

to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. ….

PAUSE

…. the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put

a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and

kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and

has come back to life; he was lost and is found." And they began to celebrate.

PAUSE

… his father came out to plead with the elder son; …… The father said, "My son, you are

with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and

rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is

found."' PAUSE

Now take a moment just to savour the word or phrase that caught your

attention... PAUSE

Listen to or read the gospel for the second time and again notice what

word or phrase catches your attention...it might be the same as the first

time, it might be a different word or phrase... PAUSE

Take a moment just to savour the word or phrase that caught

your attention... PAUSE


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Listen to the gospel for the third time and notice again what word or

phrase catches your attention...it might be the same as the first time, it

might be a different word or phrase... PAUSE

Take a moment just to savour the word or phrase that caught your

attention... PAUSE

Holding preciously the word from the gospel that has caught your

attention, I speak to God about the word

A moment to reflect

Who are the characters in this gospel story? Who are we focussed on in these

excerpts? What do I learn about them? What is the Good News in this gospel

passage? Would anyone like to say what strikes them?

We hear that 'While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was

moved with pity’. What does this mean for the younger son? What does it

mean for me, for us today? What moved with pity might mean for us?

The father says ‘But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice,’…..how

does that sound to us? How would we respond?....what does it mean to hear

Jesus tell us God’s response to the one who was lost? How does that feel for

us?

From The Return of the Prodigal Son – Henri J. M. Nouwen pgs 93-5

What gives Rembrandt’s portrayal of the father such an irresistible power is that the

most divine is captured in the most human. I see a half-blind old man with a moustache

and a parted beard, dressed in a gold-embroidered garment and a deep red cloak, laying

his large stiffened hands on the shoulders of his returning son. … Rembrandt chose to

portray a very still father who recognises his son, not with the eyes of the body, but with

the inner eye of his heart. …. PAUSE


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The near-blind father sees far and wide. His seeing is an eternal seeing, a seeing that

reaches out to all of humanity. It is a seeing that understands the lostness of women and

men of all times and places, that knows with immense compassion the suffering of those

who have chosen to leave home, that cried oceans of tears as they got caught in anguish

and agony. The heart of the father burns with an immense desire to bring his children

home. … PAUSE

....in what way does it speak to me? What puzzles me? Attracts me?

Closing Prayer Time

May the light of this candle be a flame of hope for us.

May it kindle in us a desire to grow closer to God,

who is always merciful and close to us.

Reflection - From the Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy 9

In the parables devoted to mercy, Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father who

never gives up until he has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion

and mercy. We know these parables well, three in particular: the lost sheep, the lost

coin, and the father with two sons (cf. Lk 15:1-32). In these parables, God is always

presented as full of joy, especially when he pardons. In them we find the core of the

Gospel and of our faith, because mercy is presented as a force that overcomes

everything, filling the heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon.

PAUSE

We hope in God who has carved us on the palms of his hands

We hope in you, God.

We hope in God who promises not to forget us,

even if a woman should forget her own child



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We hope in God who goes out after the lost sheep


We hope in God who has counted the hairs on our head


We hope in God who welcomes all people home,

like the father welcomed home his prodigal son


Mindful of the God, who calls us to lives of compassion and mercy,

together we say, Our Father

Jesus, you bring hope to our world.

Strengthen us in our challenges,

and give us the courage and hope to be people who wait,

with one another in our parishes and in our communities.

We make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

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Session 2 God reaches out

Focusing Take a moment just to see what stayed with you from last week’s

prayer……and to prepare yourself to be aware of God’s loving gaze on

you today








Mark 1: 40 - 42

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can

make me clean.” PAUSE

Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do

choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

PAUSE


attention... PAUSE


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attention... PAUSE



..

A moment to reflect

What is the Good News in this gospel passage?

For whom is it Good News?

For whom is it not Good News?

In what ways is this passage comforting for you?

In what ways is this passage challenging for you?

Reflection from The Return of the Prodigal Son–Henri Nouwen

For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried

hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life—pray always, work for others, read the

Scriptures—and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many

times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.

PAUSE


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Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been

trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find

God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to

know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question

is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is

looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.

PAUSE

in what way does this reading speak to you?....what do you find comforts

you?...do you find anything in it unsettling?

Closing Prayer Time

As the mist tiptoes down over the hill, Lord,

may your gentle touch tiptoe deep within us,

treading softly

through the hardened pathways of our hearts and lives,

easing and opening us

with the gentle touch of your grace.

Reflection

The compassionate heart is in communion with all of life and is willing

to enter into suffering with the heart of Christ. Compassion includes

awareness, attitude and action. A deeper and clearer look at

compassion, the central quality of Christ, enables us to accompany the

hurting ones of our personal lives and the larger world with loving

kindness. Compassion also teaches us how to live as a person of

unbounded love. Joyce Rupp


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Responsory

When another frustrates or annoys

May we be alert to the compassion of Jesus

When familiarity breeds contempt or disrespect


When busyness or getting the task done become paramount


When life deals a harsh blow


I offer to God the prayers of my heart.....

Mindful of the God, who calls us to lives of compassionate love, I pray Our

Father

Transform us, Lord,

transform us into disciples of compassion

eager to respond to your call

and attentive to the needs of others.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen


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Session 3 Jesus sees our need

Focusing The title of our session is Jesus sees our need. So for a moment, I think

about what do I most need?….what is the need in my life that I want

Jesus to respond to?








Luke 18:9-14a

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous

and regarded others with contempt: PAUSE

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like

other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 1I fast twice a

week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ PAUSE

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating

his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down

to his home justified rather than the other; PAUSE


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attention... PAUSE










attention... PAUSE


attention, I speak to God about the word …..

A moment to reflect

For whom is there Good News in the story?

If I am the Pharisee, what is my take on the story?

If I am a tax collector, what am I now taking from the story?

How do I now feel, on hearing the story?

Why do I think that Jesus did what he did?

What does the story ask of me?


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Reflection From Pope Francis’ Letter, The Face of Mercy 8

Jesus, seeing the crowds of people who followed him, realized that they were tired and

exhausted, lost and without a guide, and he felt deep compassion for them (cf. Mt

9:36). On the basis of this compassionate love, he healed the sick who were presented

to him (cf. Mt 14:14), and with just a few loaves of bread and fish, he satisfied the

enormous crowd (cf. Mt 15:37). What moved Jesus in all of these situations was

nothing other than mercy, with which he read the hearts of those he encountered and

responded to their deepest need. PAUSE

… The calling of Matthew is also presented within the context of mercy. Passing by the

tax collector’s booth, Jesus looked intently at Matthew. It was a look full of mercy that

forgave the sins of that man, a sinner and a tax collector, whom Jesus chose – against

the hesitation of the disciples – to become one of the Twelve.

PAUSE

What did the reading say to you?

Does this reading shed any further light for us on the gospel?

Why is Pope Francis drawing our attention to Jesus’ mercy?

Closing Prayer Service

Healing God,

Draw us into your presence,

into your loving gaze at all people,

into your vision of the world,

into your presence here with me now.

Reflection - Let your God love you

Be silent.

Be still.

Alone. Empty

Before your God


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Say nothing.

Ask nothing.

Be silent.

Be still.

Let your God

Look upon you.

That is all.

He knows.

He understands.

He loves you with

An enormous love.

He only wants to

Look upon you

With His Love.

Quiet.

Still.

Be.

Let your God –

Love you. Edwina Gateley

Responsory1

We are called to show forth the loving kindness and compassion of our God.

Where we strive for peace

and try to show love in our communities and workplaces.

The mercy of God is present in our world.

1 http://institute.mercy.org.au/_uploads/fckpg//spirituality/Resources/


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Where differences are resolved and transgressions forgiven:


Where those forced from their homeland are made welcome:


Where the aged and sick are cared for with reverence and compassion:


When the rights of children

and those unable to speak for themselves are protected:


When those who are weighed down by anxiety

or crippled by depression are given new hope:


United with our brother, Jesus, we pray for God’s kingdom as

I pray, Our Father......

May we have the heart of the tax collector,

always conscious of the love and mercy you show us:

and may we respond with loving mercy to others,

open to their need.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen


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Session 4 Jesus calls us to love

Focusing Today the gospel from Luke is very familiar to us, the story of the Good

Samaritan. So I open my heart and mind to listen very attentively to hear

the story as Luke tells it......and what God is saying to me through his

word today....








Luke 10:29b-37

So he asked Jesus, “Who are my neighbours?” Jesus replied: As a man was going down

from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything

he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead. PAUSE

A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he

walked by on the other side. Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when

he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.

PAUSE

A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man,

he felt sorry for him and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and

wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an

inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver


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coins and said, “Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I

will pay you when I return.” PAUSE

Then Jesus asked, “Which one of these three people was a real neighbour to the man

who was beaten up by robbers? ”The teacher answered, “The one who showed pity.”

Jesus said, “Go and do the same!” PAUSE


attention... PAUSE










attention... PAUSE


attention, I speak to God about the word …..

A moment to reflect

What does this story tell us about Jesus' awareness of others?

What does this story tell us about God? About being a neighbour?

Jesus said, ‘Go and do the same’. What does this mean for us today?


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From Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy 8

With our eyes fixed on Jesus and his merciful gaze, we experience the love of the Most

Holy Trinity. The mission Jesus received from the Father was that of revealing the

mystery of divine love in its fullness. “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8,16) PAUSE

... This love has now been made visible and tangible in Jesus’ entire life. His person is

nothing but love, a love given gratuitously. The relationships he forms with the people

who approach him manifest something entirely unique and unrepeatable. The signs he

works, especially in favour of sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the

suffering, are all meant to teach mercy. Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in

him is devoid of compassion. PAUSE

Does it shed any light on the gospel for me?

Closing Prayer Time

Lord, untether us from our version of things

and let us meet you anew

and hear your call afresh.

Stretch our hearts and lives

in the direction of the your generous abundant heart.

Prayers adapted from Maureen Kelly

In this Year of Mercy may we open our hearts and our lives to God’s Mercy.

May we be steeped in the love of God who consoles, pardons and instils hope.

Who seeks mercy?

Your people hunger for food and love,

for education and adequate health care,

for freedom and safety.

Your people thirst for justice and yearn for peace.

May we be steeped in God’s mercy.

Through us may the balm of God’s mercy reach out to others.


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Who seeks mercy?

Your people long to be known,

they long for a homeland, for right relationships, for welcome. They

long to see your face.

Your people suffer from ills of body, mind and spirit.



Who seeks mercy?

Your people are imprisoned in unjust structures

and political regimes,

in dangerous relationships,

in demeaning work environments.

Your people seek compassion, comfort,

companionship and counsel.



Take a moment to think of one practical way in which I can respond in love to

another’s plight….I commit to doing that one thing during the coming week….

God calls each of us by name, calling us to love as he loved.

As sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ,

I remember all those with whom we share the world,

I bring to mind all peoples on every island and continent throughout

the world, as I pray...Our Father

Lord, we bring before you

the parish to which we belong

the work of service we undertake in your name,

the group of us gathered here.

Empower us in your Spirit. Amen.


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Session 5 Jesus calls us to reach out

Focusing The Gospel passage might not seem too familiar to us…or that is both

familiar and different perhaps to what we expect…….this gospel passage

reminds us of what makes the Christian different....so once again, I try

to listen with fresh ears to hear what the Lord is saying to us tonight

through this gospel ... and what God is saying to each of us through his

word today....








Luke 6:32-36

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those

who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what

credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love

your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great,

and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the

wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

PAUSE

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attention... PAUSE










attention... PAUSE


attention, I speak to God about the word ….

A moment to reflect

Where is the Good News in this story?

For whom is it not Good News?..in the times of Jesus? in our times?

What does it ask of us as followers?

What might it mean to be merciful as the Father is merciful? What

would that mean in our society today?

From Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy 9

From another parable, we cull an important teaching for our Christian lives. In reply to

Peter’s question about how many times it is necessary to forgive, Jesus says: “I do not

say seven times, but seventy times seven times” Mt 18:22.

PAUSE


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He then goes on to tell the parable of the “ruthless servant,” who, called by his master

to return a huge amount, begs him on his knees for mercy. His master cancels his

debt. But he then meets a fellow servant who owes him a few cents and who in turn

begs on his knees for mercy, but the first servant refuses his request and throws him

into jail. When the master hears of the matter, he becomes infuriated and, summoning

the first servant back to him, says, “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow

servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33). …..

PAUSE

Jesus affirms that mercy is not only an action of the Father, it becomes a criterion

for ascertaining who his true children are. In short, we are called to show mercy

because mercy has first been shown to us. Pardoning offences becomes the clearest

expression of merciful love, and for us Christians it is an imperative from which we

cannot excuse ourselves. At times how hard it seems to forgive! And yet pardon is

the instrument placed into our fragile hands to attain serenity of heart.

PAUSE

To let go of anger, wrath, violence, and revenge are necessary conditions to living

joyfully. Let us therefore heed the Apostle’s exhortation: “Do not let the sun go down

on your anger” (Eph 4:26). Above all, let us listen to the words of Jesus who made

mercy an ideal of life and a criterion for the credibility of our faith: “Blessed are the

merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7): the beatitude to which we should

particularly aspire in this Holy Year. PAUSE

Does the reading from Pope Francis illuminate the gospel story or vice

versa? What strikes you on hearing this passage?

Closing Prayer Time

Prophetic Spirit,

free us from our vested interests,

untether us from our pettiness and small-mindedness,

that we might hear your hopes for our world.


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Reflection St Clare’s Benediction

Blessed are the poor…

not the penniless, but those whose hearts are free.

Blessed are the poor…

Blessed are those who mourn…

not those who whimper, but those who raise their voices.

Blessed are those who mourn…

Blessed are the meek…

not the soft, but those who are patient and tolerant.

Blessed are the meek…

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice…

not those who whine, but those who struggle.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice…

Blessed are the merciful…

not those who forget, but those who forgive.

Blessed are the merciful…

Blessed are the pure in heart…

not those who act like angels,

but those whose lives are transparent.

Blessed are the pure in heart…

Blessed are the peacemakers…

not those who shun conflict, but those who face it squarely.

Blessed are the peacemakers…

Blessed are those who are persecuted for Justice…

not because they suffer, but because they love.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for Justice…

Adapted from J. Rutler

Gathering the prayers of my heart, I pray, Our Father

Disciple us, Lord

as once you discipled Peter and his companions:

teach us what it means to follow you

and give us the courage and tenacity to walk with you. Amen


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Session 6 Jesus never gives up on any person

Focusing Today our prayer is with a passage from Luke, perhaps a passage that

we have heard before but may not have thought too much about....








Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah?

Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he

said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are

getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

PAUSE

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus

answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

PAUS E


attention... PAUSE


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attention... PAUSE



A moment to reflect

Is there Good News in this story?...what is it?

Why does one of the criminals insult Jesus?

Why does one of the criminals rebuke the other? What does it tell us

about their thinking about life, about God?

What does Jesus promise us, by responding to the criminal’s request?

From The Return of the Prodigal Son – Henri J. M. Nouwen pgs 130-1

In the parable [of the Prodigal Son], the father not only gives his departing son

everything he asks, but also showers him with gifts on his return. And to his elder

son he says: “All I have is yours.” There is nothing the father keeps for himself. He

pours himself out for his sons. PAUSE

He does not simply offer more than can be reasonably expected from someone who

has been offended; no, he completely gives himself away without reserve. Both sons

are for him “everything.” In them he wants to pour out his very life. The way the


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younger son is given robe, ring, and sandals, and welcomed home with a sumptuous

celebration, as well as the way the elder son is urged to accept his unique place in

his father’s heart and to join his younger brother around the table, make it very clear

that all boundaries of patriarchal behaviour are broken through. This is not the

picture of a remarkable father. This is the portrayal of God, whose goodness, love,

forgiveness, care, joy, and compassion have no limits at all. ……

PAUSE

In order to become like the Father I must be as generous as the Father is generous.

Just as the Father gives his very self to his children, so must I give my very self to my

sisters and brothers. PAUSE

What implications does this have for you, for us, in trying to live the

Christian life?

Closing Prayer Time

Surprise us, Lord,

with the beauty of our world.

Let us see afresh

the wonder of you,

the wonder of ourselves,

the wonder of others,

the wonder of our world.

Surprise us, Lord, again.

Excerpt from Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy 1

As we can see in Sacred Scripture, mercy is a key word that indicates God’s action

towards us. He does not limit himself merely to affirming his love, but makes it visible

and tangible. Love, after all, can never be just an abstraction. By its very nature, it

indicates something concrete: intentions, attitudes, and behaviours that are shown in

daily living. PAUSE


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The mercy of God is his loving concern for each one of us. He feels responsible; that is,

he desires our wellbeing and he wants to see us happy, full of joy, and peaceful. This is

the path which the merciful love of Christians must also travel.

As the Father loves, so do his children. Just as he is merciful, so we are called to

be merciful to each other. PAUSE

Open us to recognise what you are creating in our communities

Open our eyes, Lord.

Open us to what you are sowing in our hearts.


Open us to see what you doing in our young people.


Open us to what you are revealing in our world today.


Open us to hear what you are saying through people around us


Open us to meet you where you are walking now

through the streets of our towns and villages.


Open us to hear what you are doing anew in our world.


As the nights shorten and the days lengthen,

may we walk in the light:

God’s light that helps us to see the way,

that guides us as journey,

that warms and comforts the distressed

and encourages the weary.

May we be carriers of the hope and joy of mercy

to all whom we meet,

drawn ever closer to the merciful heart of God. Amen.


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The Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy.

It is my burning desire that, during the Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the

corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy,

let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way:

To reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty.

To let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a

special experience of God’s mercy.

To know whether or not we are living as his disciples.

Pope Francis: The Face of Mercy 15

During these Lenten days, we take some time to reflect on the works of mercy - they are

the mark of the Christian. How do I incorporate the way of being merciful into my way of

life? What are the works of mercy that I need to practise more?

Corporal Works of Mercy:

Feed the hungry

Give drink to the thirsty

Clothe the naked

Welcome the stranger

Comfort the sick

Visit the imprisoned

Bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy:

Advise the sinner

Share faith with those who do not know or have forgotten God

Counsel the doubtful

Comfort the afflicted

Forgive offences

Bear patiently those who do us ill

Pray for the living and the dead.


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Prayer for Holy Year of Mercy

Lord Jesus Christ,

you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,

and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him.

Show us your face and we will be saved.

Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money;

the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things;

made Peter weep after his betrayal,

and assured Paradise to the repentant thief.

Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us,

the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God!”

You are the visible face of the invisible Father,

of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy:

let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified.

You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness

in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error:

Let everyone who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.

Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing,

so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord,

and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm,

may bring good news to the poor,

proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed,

and restore sight to the blind.

We ask this of you, Lord Jesus,

through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy;

you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen


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Documents

Merciful like the Father - experiencing the compassion of ......Merciful like the Father – Personal Prayer and Reflection 3 From Pope Francis’ letter, The Face of Mercy ‘It is