The ABC's of Mercy

This past weekend, our faith community celebrated the merciful love of the Father on a day known formally as Divine Mercy Sunday. This blessed day serves as a reminder that God’s mercy reveals the depth of His love and the goodness that he provides. His merciful love assures us that our lives have purpose and meaning. In the early 1500’s, St. Ignatius used this principle of purpose to direct his Jesuit companions to “go and set the world on fire”. And as children of God, we too have each been called to be companions of Christ and to use our gifts and talents to build the kingdom of God on earth.

God has shown us his mercy by revealing Jesus Christ as the face of mercy. With Christ’s mercy as our model, we are challenged to be the face of mercy to our brothers and sisters. Moreover, being attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit, we are able to use Jesus as the perfect model as we strive to set the world on fire with our love for others – one act of mercy at a time. By uniting ourselves and focusing on the needs of others, we begin to look with new eyes at our human family with a heart of mercy that is grounded by generosity and forgiveness. Subsequently, we come to better understand love because we have been loved and we are merciful because we have been shown mercy.

As a means in which to teach our students of the significance of the Divine Mercy, I shared with them that the essence of God’s mercy is grounded by the belief that the Lord’s love is greater than our sins. More to this point, I informed our students that the Divine Mercy is as simple as “ABC”. With the “A” referring to the practice of Asking God for His mercy. At this stage, we are reminded that God wants us to constantly come to Him and approach him in prayer. The “B” refers to the manner of Being merciful. At this stage, we are reminded that God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow to others. And finally, the “C” refers to our Complete trust in Jesus. During this final stage, we are enlightened by the knowledge that the more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive His mercy.

To further emphasize the brilliant blessing of the second Sunday of Easter, I presented a framed image of the Divine Mercy to each homeroom and as well, every student was given their own prayer card image which included the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy prayer. These wonderful gifts were donated to St. Agnes by Dr. Sofia Welch, a wonderful friend of mine whose devotion to the Divine Mercy continues to inspire me.

As Catholic school educators, my colleagues and I are called to build the kingdom of God within the hearts, souls and minds of our students. Furthermore, as our graduates leave our charming schoolhouse after their 8th grade year, they are well-prepared to “set the world on fire” as active disciples sent forth by God’s love.

St. Agnes School - Forming Students of Virtue in Heart, Soul and Mind