Sr. Carol Schumer’s prayer service for January celebrates God’s Gracious Mercy

The prayer service is based on the following reading:
What Does Mercy Mean? The Latin word for mercy is misericordia derived from the two words miserere (“pity” or “misery”) and cor (“heart.”) When we ask for God’s mercy, we are essentially asking God to relieve us of a heart that is in misery. Our hearts can be in a state of misery from the deep hurt caused by a broken relationship with a family member, from the suffering of infertility, from the pain of a physical or mental illness, from losing a job, from being betrayed or abandoned, from spiritual or physical poverty, from sin. Think about mercy as “relieving someone from a heart of misery” and realize each of us have experienced God’s mercy more than we could ever count. We have also given mercy to others in more ways than just by forgiving someone who has wronged us. The seven spiritual works of mercy show that mercy is more than just forgiving offenses willingly. For example, it also includes instructing the ignorant and counseling the doubtful. In so many situations, we practice a spiritual work of mercy by “relieving a heart of misery.” And this comes not from us, but from God.

adapted from Beautiful Mercy by Pope Francis and Matthew Kelly, excerpt by Jackie Francois-Angel; found also on Day 7, 12/5/2015, Best Advent Ever

Click here to view the full service as well a a link to download the pdf.

Click here to view the complete list of such prayer services.