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If I have learned anything during this past year, it is that the mercy of Christ is limitless and flows like an ocean. Christ’s mercy abounds; filled with love and compassion. Now that this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy has come to a close, I also realize how accessible Christ’s mercy remains. Christ’s door to mercy never closes! Jesus waits patiently for each of us to face up to our sins; to come back to Him, through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Therefore, it is in the confessional that Christ forgives us our sins and graces us with His mercy. Although, we enter feeling shamed, we exit feeling joyous! As we approach the season of Advent, a time of repenting, preparation and joy... Read more...

Crucifixion ,  Pedro de Campaña, c.1550 Musée du Louvre, Paris  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Luke  23:35-43  ( NRSV,Catholic Ed )   The people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at Jesus, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah   of God, his chosen one!’     The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,   and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’   There was also an inscription over him,   ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding   him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah?   Save yourself and us!’   But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?   And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’   Then he said, ‘Je...

This coming Sunday, on the feast of Christ the King, Pope Francis will officially close the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. During this past year, what efforts did you undertake to learn more about Christ’s Mercy? Did you seek it for yourself and your loved ones over the past year? I would love to hear about your endeavors. Please share in the comments section. For me, it has been an extraordinary year learning more about the gift itself, as well as Christ’s expectation that we share it with our neighbor through our own willingness to grant it to others. Over this past year, I devoted one post per month to describe, define and show practical ways of incorporating the various corporal and spiritual works. In case you joined this journey mid-stream, and might have missed a post or two, here’s a recap; with direct links to the associated posts. Read more...  

Lying on his deathbed, Jane de Chantal’s husband forgave his cousin who had accidentally shot him while hunting. His young, devoted, heart-broken widow—now a single mother of four young children—was not as fast to reconcile. Jane approached forgiveness with great contemplation. A woman of deep faith, Jane knew that this task would not only take God’s grace to accomplish  but would also require time. At first, she could only greet the man on the street—slowly progressing to inviting him to their home. Jane eventually reached such peace in her relationship with this man that she became the godmother of one of his children. Forgiveness is a process. Sometimes a very long, arduous one but with God's grace it is possible to forgive even in the most difficult of circumstances. As St. Jane experienced herself... READ MORE All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016 *First appeared in  7 Qualities of Mercy  --   Light Along the Way.

#WorthRevisit - Praying Your Newsfeed          4/20/2016 0 Comments Prayer is a power gift . Perhaps you have not thought prayer in terms of gift. The interesting thing about gifts to be USEFUL — they need to be: Received, Opened, and well...Used. In putting it to use the receiver can truly express gratitude for the gift. If we are presented with a new book, dress or game, and put it in a drawer never to be touched again, couldn’t we be considered ungracious?  The irony is the only one missing out from not using the gift is the recipient.  Even Great Aunt Hilda’s itchy multi-color sweater can be put to some use with a little imagination; and should we not want to try to figure out how to do that, after all Great Aunt Hilda put into getting it for us? Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above.     James 1:17 If it is important to be attentive to sweet Auntie Hilda, how much more ...

While browsing through my  Magnificat , I came across this quote from Saint John XXIII at the opening of the Vatican Council in 1962: “Now the Bride of Christ wishes to use the medicine of mercy rather than taking up arms of severity ... The Catholic Church, as she holds high the torch of Catholic truth at this ecumenical council, wants to show herself as a loving mother to all: patient, kind, moved by compassion and goodness toward her separated children.” The phrase, “medicine of mercy,” struck at my heart.  That our Church would be a balm for those in pain and misery was almost overwhelming to me. To read the rest of the article, please go to Being Catholic ... Really .