During the word Youth days int Krakow, in August 2016, Pope Francis reminded us : «Mercy is not synonymous with’ goodness’ or with sentimentalism. Our authentic identity as disciples of Jesus and our credibility as Christians are verified through our practice of Mercy in today’s world ».
As a baptized disciple of Jesus, I am invited to live Mercy and carry out acts of Mercy.
The first act of Mercy described by Jesus (cf. Chapter 25 of the gospel according to Saint Matthew) is : « Feed the hungry ».
I meet people very often who ask me for money in the streets or in public transport. If I can, I give them a little money. Of course, this concrete gesture does not solve the problem of porvety, it only offers passing comfort to the woman or the man encountered on my journey. Very often, a short dialogue or brief conversartion with the person in question will mean a lot. The exchange of first names : my name, his, her name can bring a smile to faces…
Mother Terese loved and served the poor during her short life. She once said, « Mary, in Cana, did nothing more than watching over the necessities of others and bringing them to Jesus ». I can pray to Jesus for the poor person I encountered.