Dear Parishioners:
Enclosed in the bulletin this week is a letter from Bishop Lewandowski inviting every Catholic to participate in a new initiative called “MERCY 21.” He is asking everyone to spend 21 days reflecting on the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. It begins this Sunday on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It continues until October 5, on the Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska.
Bishop Lewandowski greets a parishioner.
Also in the bulletin is the link to sign up for MERCY 21 on the Diocese of Providence website. It is a call by our Bishop to exercise the Works of Mercy and pray for Mercy. Bishop Lewandowski states, “I ask you to join me for 21 days of Mercy. We will reflect on, exercise, and pray for Mercy, asking the Lord’s Mercy for ourselves, and sharing His Mercy with others.”
As a parish dedicated to Mercy and under the patronage of Our Lady of Mercy, this initiative is well-suited for us as a community of faith and Mercy. I encourage every parishioner of every age to sign up and take this 21-day journey of Mercy! May our Lady of Mercy guide us to respond with enthusiasm as we take up the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy!
The Works of Mercy are vital practices in Catholic life, showing how we can serve others. The Works of Mercy are charitable actions given by Christ in the Sacred Scriptures that guide us in caring for both the physical and spiritual needs of others. These teachings are found in the Gospels, particularly in Matthew 25:31-46. They are divided into the Corporal Works of Mercy, which address physical needs, and the Spiritual Works of Mercy, which focus on the soul.
In Matthew 25, Jesus teaches that serving both spiritual and corporal needs of a person is equivalent to serving Him. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Because of this teaching, Catholic tradition adopted the Works of Mercy.
The seven Corporal Works of Mercy are: feed the hungry by donating food, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked by donating clothing, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned, care for the sick, and bury the dead by ensuring the deceased are laid to rest properly.
While the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are: instruct the ignorant by teaching those who lack knowledge, counsel the doubtful by offering guidance to the uncertain, admonish the sinner by gently encouraging repentance, patiently bear wrongs by enduring wrongs without retaliation, willingly forgive by letting go of a grudge, comfort the afflicted by supporting those who are suffering and pray for the living and the dead.
Bishop Lewandowski is also asking us to take up the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. These seven principles are: respect for the human person, promotion of the family, the right to own property, the common good, subsidiarity, the dignity of work, and pursuit of peace and care for the poor. Pope Leo XIV has stated:
Pope Leo XIV spent the day August 17 with homeless individuals and families in need, celebrating Mass and sharing lunch with them, along with over 100 guests and volunteers from the Diocese of Albano's Caritas programs.
“I invite you, then, to participate actively and creatively in this discernment process, and thus contribute, with all of God’s people, to the development of the Church’s social doctrine in this age of significant social changes, listening to everyone and engaging in dialogue with all. In our day, there is a widespread thirst for justice, a desire for authentic fatherhood and motherhood, a profound longing for spirituality, especially among young people and the marginalized, who do not always find effective means of making their needs known. There is a growing demand for the Church’s social doctrine, to which we need to respond.”
Next weekend, Catholics across the Diocese have a special opportunity to honor the lifelong service of our senior priests in the Second Collection. It benefits the Senior Priest Retirement Fund, a vital source of the modest pension enjoyed by our retired priests. For decades, these devoted priests have celebrated our sacraments, guided us in faith, and stood by us in life’s most sacred moments. Now it’s our turn to care for them.
In the name of our Senior Priests, I thank you in advance for your generosity in the Second Collection next week. Please note that I retire in 2040 and Fr. Brodeur in 2073!! Your generous support today ensures we may have a small pension at retirement! Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox! Go Pats!?