At the
conference I attended a couple of weeks ago, a speaker introduced a group of
individuals that began a community to inspire people to take the 2016 Mercy
challenge as a direct response to Pope Francis’ “Year of Mercy Jubilee.” The group, composed of young people of all
faiths, began this movement here in California because while they might differ
about religious views they all agreed that the world needs more mercy. They developed a selfless, unconditional love
mission and their goal is to “provide a simple practical way to show mercy to
fellow human beings.” Using the corporal
works of mercy they developed a bracelet system as a reminder to live out God’s
Mercy and a way to accrue monetary help to feed the homeless in the Santa
Monica region. For a small donation,
Mercy in Action will send you eight bracelets one with their slogan F.A.M.I.L.Y.
(Forget About Me I Love You) and the other seven with an Act of Mercy to be
performed. You always wear the F.A.M.I.L.Y.
black bracelet so that if people are curious about its significance you can begin
a conversation about mercy with others; and one blue bracelet with the act to
perform, which serves as a reminder of your goal.
Once you have performed the act you pass on that specific bracelet to
someone else (to continue the chain of mercy) and you wear the next Act of
Mercy bracelet until you complete all seven.
For someone with such a scattered brain as myself I think the bracelets
will definitely help remind me of my call to service. I have attached the website in case you are
interested, go and check it out- we still have a few months of the jubilee
(smile).
This
process reminded me that we all need to show people love and kindness even though
sometimes showing our feelings might feel scary because we are opening ourselves
to hurt. Many of you probably don’t need the bracelet system. My mom and dad are the most loving and
serviceable people, I know. They help
people everywhere and are never embarrassed to offer help. When we go to Mexico to visit grandma my mom
will constantly talk to the poorest of the poor and give alms without fear of offending.
For me fear of offending others or of rejection many times keeps me from offering my
services or showing kindness. Service
makes us vulnerable, it places us at a lower position to the other – it really
is “forget about me, I love you.” Yet,
that’s what Jesus constantly teaches us, a great example is when he washes the
feet of his friends. That act was
extremely radical when he performed it and it still is because our culture hasn’t
changed it still teaches us to aim for power, fame and money. As Christians who live in the world – it’s
extremely hard to remove that conditioning and to live 24/7 in a spirit of
humility, a spirit of mercy. That’s why
I bought the set of bracelets- to help remind me of my place in life- the lowest of the lowest and to help me
put aside my fears. I
have a long way to sanctity, but God continues to provide assistance to keep me
in the path full of hope for my conversion.
I often think that when Jesus said, “let the dead take care of the dead,”
he might have been saying leave your old self behind and follow me each day
little by little. He doesn’t expect
great things from us, for He is GREAT and He loves us as we are. Yet, even the small tasks He gives us
sometimes can be so challenging, like living mercy. BUT- like Saint Paul said, “I
can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me.”
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