聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A great Lenten exercise is to reflect on mercy and humility.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Two qualities to be desired in life are mercy and humility. On December 7, 2015, Aleteia listed 56 ways to show mercy during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. For your convenience I would like to share 10 of my favourites.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 1: Resist sarcasm; it is the antithesis of mercy.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪et, O Lord, a guard over my mouth; keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!鈥� 鈥� Psalm 141:3.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 2: Call someone who you know is lonely, even if you understand why he or she is lonely.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 3: Plan a mini pilgrimage to a local shrine; make an effort along the way to live the corporal work of mercy of聽 鈥渨elcoming the stranger鈥� as Christ.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 4: Be mindful of your behaviour online. Is that post designed to improve your image (or) to serve your anger and humiliate others?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 5: If you can鈥檛 sit down beside a homeless person to talk for a while today, at least send a donation to a ministry that does do this (such as Christ in the City).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 6: Memorize the 14 corporal and spiritual works of mercy and show your children what they mean.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 7: Make a point to smile, greet or make conversation with someone who is not in your everyday circle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 8: Learn the Jesus Prayer and use it: "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 9: Ask the Holy Spirit to groan for you when you cannot bring yourself to pray for someone who has done you an injury. 鈥�(When) We do not know what we ought to pray for鈥� the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans,鈥� 鈥� Romans 8:26.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 10: When mercy for others is difficult, pray Cardinal Merry del Val鈥檚 Litany of Humility (included here).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As to humility 鈥� I find this Litany of Humility personally challenging, self effacing and worth sharing:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥 Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Jesus.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being loved, deliver me, O Jesus.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being extolled,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being honoured,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being praised,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being preferred to others,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being consulted,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the desire of being approved,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being despised,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of suffering rebukes,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being calumniated [slandered],
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being forgotten,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being ridiculed,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being wronged,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔rom the fear of being suspected,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat others may be loved more than I, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat others may be esteemed more than I,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat, in the opinion of the world, others may, increase and I may decrease,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat others may be chosen and I set aside,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat others may be praised and I unnoticed,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat others may be preferred to me in everything,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 May God grant you a grace-filled year of mercy.
