The Universal Church will observe a Jubilee Year of Merc. We invite you to use and share the following resources to participate in the Jubilee Year with your communities, to experience the healing joy of divine mercy and to be vessels of God’s mercy for others Prayers all year round 

WHERE IN SCRIPTURE DO WE LEARN ABOUT MERCY?
Jesus’ message of mercy shines all through the Gospels, challenging society and the law to see the divine justice present in mercy. His greatest parables tell of an ungrateful steward forgiven of his debts, who tragically fails to show the same forgiveness to his debtors (Matthew 18:21–35); of a wasteful son who carelessly spends his father’s inheritance, only to be embraced by his father when he penitently returns home  (Luke 15:11–32). In his ministry, the Lord reached out to the hated tax collector (Luke 19:1–10) and rescued the accused adulteress (John 8:2–11), reconciling them with society and with God—and with themselves. This is our calling.

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH TEACH ABOUT MERCY?
Spreading God’s mercy is central to the mission of the Church. The Church calls on us to reach out to the broken in body and spirit.

The Corporal Works of Mercy

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

This is what the Church enjoins her faithful to do. When she sends us out into the world, she sends us out as vessels of God’s mercy. This is how we evangelize. We teach people about the faith by instructing them in God’s mercy, but also by embodying it.

WHERE IS MERCY IN THE WORK OF CRS?
The preferential love for those oppressed by poverty is at the heart of our work.

HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE IN THE JUBILEE?
The Year of Mercy is for all of us. To deliver God’s mercy, we must first seek to fully experience it ourselves. This can be done by renewing ourselves through the sacraments, particularly confession. A mission trip is also a special way to experience this renewal. Once we pursue and experience that mercy for ourselves, we reinforce it for others. This can be done by practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy or by supporting agencies like STCIM that reach out to the poor and outcast. We can also advocate for the least among us, speaking out within our families, our communities, our Church and our nations—on our own or collectively through programs like STCIM Confront Global Poverty—so that God’s mercy will shine brightly in the darkest corners of our world, within the darkest corners of the human spirit.

What You Can Do

Show Mercy to People Who Need It Most
The corporal works of mercy are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, comfort the sick, visit the imprisoned and bury the dead. The jubilee year of mercy offers a special opportunity to show these works of mercy to people around the world. Here are a few ways you can remember our brothers and sisters overseas this year as you pray, learn, act and give.

PRAY
Make a commitment to pray each day for poor and vulnerable people worldwide. Not sure where to start? Pray with the daily news headlines. Ask God to bless the people you read about in the paper or on social media.

LEARN
Take time to become more familiar with the challenges facing our brothers and sisters overseas. Choose an issue you feel moved to learn more about—like hunger, climate change or the refugee crisis—and commit to reading and reflecting on it throughout the year. 

ACT
It’s easy to feel like there’s not much we can do to support people we may never meet. These resources can help you show mercy to people in need overseas.

Support struggling artisans and farmers by purchasing fair trade coffee, chocolate and craft items. When you purchase fair trade items, you ensure that the people who produce them earn a living wage and work in safe conditions.

Urge our nation to act on behalf of the poor through legislative advocacy. Ask your lawmakers to enact policies that help “these least ones” (Matthew 25:40). 

Finally, devote this year to an intentional practice of mercy through STCIM programs that invites you to pray, fast and give to people in need in India. Visit http://www.stteresamission.org/

GIVE