Year of Mercy, part 2: Jesus Teaches about God’s Mercy

Even if we didn’t have the Old Testament, we would still know that God is merciful from the teachings of Jesus. The very motto of the year of mercy is from his lips: “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.”  Jesus revealed the incredible Father’s mercy through not just one, but several parables, in […]

Year of Mercy, part 1: God’s Mercy

In this  Extraordinary Jubilee, Year of Mercy, I’ve given talks on mercy, which meant researching this topic. I gleaned some thoughts on mercy that you might find worth pondering. Pope Francis declared the year in hopes that new flood of mercy will flow over the world. He said, “Mercy is the true power that can […]

Pondering the Year of Mercy Logo

The logo in honor of the extraordinary jubilee year of mercy, designed by Father Marko Rupnik, S.J., is in the style of an icon. This means that all of its elements symbolize something. Learning about the significance of these various parts can deepen our understanding of this year established, “in hopes that a new flood […]

St. Nicholas aka Santa Claus in the Year of Mercy

On December 6 we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, when I hold my annual party for local convents in the tradition of my religious community. We inherited this celebration from the Sisters in Holland who helped form us German Sisters of Notre Dame. The feast entails gingerbread bishops, apple tarts, oranges, popcorn balls, bags […]

Five Ways to Show Mercy

Pope Francis has just declared an Extraordinary Jubilee Year: a Year of Mercy, which will begin on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this year. We have witnessed and been fascinated by this pope’s numerous acts of mercy as he reaches out to the neediest of God’s people. Of course, the greatest act of mercy […]