Year of Mercy Reflection

Friday, Mar. 25, 2016

Editor’s note: Each week during the Year of Mercy, the Intermountain Catholic will publish a short reflection written by a variety of Catholics in the Diocese of Salt Lake City: priests, deacons, religious, seminarians, Utah Catholic Schools teachers/principals, lay ecclesial ministers, religious education teachers and others. We hope you enjoy these, and that they give insight into the myriad ways mercy can be incorporated into everyday life.

 

Mercy is known as the second name for love: As I reflect on my own experiences of receiving and giving mercy, I look to one of the corporal works, to feed the hungry, which doesn’t always mean giving someone food to eat. To me, it has also meant that I need to feed individuals’ souls with love and compassion, which is a reflection of God’s love reaching down to lift people out of their physical and spiritual miseries.

This is how I have seen mercy in action. God gave me the gift of healing others through my abilities to counsel the young and the old. It has been a blessing to share my gifts in my work. Through Holy Cross Ministries, I am able to help give guidance and an outlet for individuals to voice their pain, hurt, anger and grief; and to bring back the light, grace and love into themselves and their lives.

It also warms my heart to see them grow stronger in their faith and give praise to God to have worked through the challenges they have endured from his divine mercy.

Debbie Rocha

Holy Cross Ministries