Year of Mercy Wisdom from Blessed Pauline

As Sisters of Christian Charity, we are blessed to have access to many volumes of writings of our Founder, Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt.   Especially during the Lenten season of this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, we look to Mother Pauline for guidance.  A letter from November 1872 instructing a Sister about her relationships in her local convent illustrates the depth of wisdom contained in Mother Pauline's writings: 

"We cannot have people only with their good qualities; they have their faults, too.  This is an imperfect world.  Heaven alone will bring perfection.  And it is a work of mercy:  'What you cannot change in your neighbor you must bear with patience.'"

Perhaps our Lenten resolve will be strengthened during this Year of Mercy by putting these words into practice.

Slow Down and Show Compassion!

Have you heard of the interesting 1973 "seminary study" that was performed using the parable of the Good Samaritan?  Having been recruited for a study on religious education, 40 seminary students completed questionnaires on religion and were given a task.  Beginning the experiment in one building, they were told (with varying degrees of urgency) to go to other buildings to deliver a talk on the Good Samaritan.  As they made their way to their respective assignments, they encountered a man slumped over in an alleyway (actually, an actor portraying a man slumped over in an alleyway). 

The ultimate question was:  Would seminary students who were rushing to deliver a talk about the parable of the Good Samaritan actually stop and help a seemingly injured man?  (Note: Other variables were tested, too.)

The ultimate answer:  Whether they stopped depended on how hurried they were -- even though they had the parable of the Good Samaritan on their minds.  In "low hurry" situations, 63% helped; in "medium hurry" situations, 45% helped; and in "high hurry" situations, 10% helped. 

While the researchers avoided the simplistic conclusion that "ethics becomes a luxury as the speed of our daily lives increases," their study should cause us to pause:  How often do we, who reflect daily on the Word of God, allow our "hurriedness" or "busyness" get in the way of acting compassionately toward others? 

As we continue our Lenten journey during this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, perhaps we can reflect on the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and its call for us to "Go and do likewise."  Hopefully, we can slow our lives down enough to become the compassionate neighbor Jesus calls us to be.

Click here if you are interested in reading the study ("From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior").

Mercy and Movies, Week 3

This week's Mercy and Movies suggestion is Romero (1989), the only English-language film of our Lenten films:  "Raul Julia stars as Blessed Oscar Romero of El Salvador, a zealous pastor and defender of his flock whose evolution is not unlike the transformation some observers have described in Pope Francis, another Latin American prelate noted early in his career as a theological conservative, but later considered a social-justice crusader."

Mercy and Movies, Week 2

As you recall from last week, we are sharing Steven Greydanus's suggestions of Mercy and Movies.  This week's suggestion is The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978):  "Ermanno Olmi's luminous portrait of rural Italian life at the turn of the 20th century offers both an idyllic depiction of community and family life . . . and a bitter critique of the exploitation and oppression of the poor by the wealthy."

Free Rice: Feed the Hungry

As we continue to journey through Lent during this Year of Mercy, let's remember some of the ways we can feed the hungry.  Free Rice is owned and operated by the United Nations World Food Programme.  It not only provides free rice to hungry people, but also provides an education to its users.  The available subjects have expanded, so you can brush up on several foreign languages, science, math, humanities and geography.  Click here to be directed to the site.  Do you have a few minutes to feed the hungry this Lent?

Lent: Preparation for Joy

In his essay about Ash Wednesday entitled "Spiritual Medicine" (available here) Thomas Merton wrote:

"It is necessary that at the beginning of this fast, the Lord should show himself to us in his mercy.  The purpose of Lent is not only expiation, to satisfy the divine justice, but above all a preparation to rejoice in his love.  And this preparation consists in receiving the gift of his mercy – a gift which we receive in so far as we open our hearts to it, casting out what cannot remain in the same room with mercy."

As we approach the First Sunday of Lent during this Year of Mercy, let us consider what we need to cast out.  What cannot remain in the same room with mercy?

February Issue of Stop Trafficking

The February issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter is available here.  Highlights of this issue include various means for parents and professionals to safeguard young people from becoming victims of trafficking.