Happy Mercy Day!
The feast of Our Lady of Mercy is celebrated worldwide on 24 September yearly by all Mercy People. For us at OLMC, it is always the last Thursday of Term 3. So why this title? In Mary, Mother of Jesus, Catherine found one who, through the sacrifice of her own heart, had the most profound knowledge of the mystery of God's mercy. In this sense, she is the Mother of Mercy, Our Lady of Mercy.
As we know, Catherine opened her first House of Mercy in Baggot Street, Dublin, on this feast in 1827, responding to the needs of those marginalised and oppressed by unjust social attitudes and practices of the day. This House provided educational, religious and social services for women and children who were at risk of homelessness through exploitation and entrenched poverty.
As the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAPNG) states, we are reminded that as Mercy people, following in the footsteps of Catherine, we are all on a lifelong journey of discovery of the Mercy of God. This journey helps us understand our poverty and our need for God’s Mercy. We seek the face of God, who is merciful, and we strive to live in a way that reflects this awareness. Recognising that we are connected with every living thing on our planet, we are mindful that caring for our earth community is explicit in everything we do. We share this awareness and this particular lens on the revelation of God as Mercy with all. This interconnectedness is what makes us the OLMC community.
So, this Mercy Day, we pray in the words of Pope Francis…
‘Yes, I believe it is a time for mercy. The Church is showing her maternal side, her motherly face, to a wounded humanity. She does not wait for the wounded to knock on her doors, she looks for them on the streets, she gathers them in, she embraces them, she makes them feel loved.’
This Mercy Day, please support Mercyworks if you can.
https://www.mercyworks.org.au/
Image from https://www.mercyworld.org/our-centre/