That was the question the priest posed to the congregation at Holy Name Cathedral yesterday.
He went on to say that donating our used, unwanted clothes or the cans of lima beans that have been sitting in our pantry forever are not true acts of service. We're just giving away stuff we don't want.
In order for our acts of service to be truly meaningful, they have to pose a certain sacrifice on our part.
The priest shared a story of a time when Mother Teresa was about to give a poor woman a bag of rice. At the time, Mother Teresa was holding the last bag of rice. She knew this woman was very poor and had a large family to feed. However, there was another woman waiting for some food as well. Instead of just walking away with the bag of rice, the woman asked Mother Teresa for an empty bag so she could share the rice she'd been given with the other poor woman.
Mother Teresa's companion tried to tell her that there was another truck on its way with more bags of rice, but Mother Teresa stopped her. Later asked about it, Mother Teresa said it was because she didn't want to deprive the generous woman of her intentional act of mercy. Here was a woman who selflessly offered her share of food, knowing she and her family would be lacking, because she wanted to help someone else.
What have you intentionally done to be merciful to others?
This is a tough question to ask ourselves. We're all busy and many of us have our share of problems.
But if we think about it, there really are many others worse off than us.
We can all do something once in a while.
If you look up "acts of mercy," you'd most likely be shown "works of mercy" instead. And those are: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, bury the dead, shelter the traveler, comfort the sick, and free the imprisoned.
Those are very ambitious goals. And even if we don't solve all the world problems, we can all at least contribute.
The easiest way, of course, is to donate. But remember, we shouldn't just donate unwanted items. Let's try to donate new clothes or school supplies. We can donate money to organizations that aid the poor or homeless.
Even if you're like me - unemployed and broke, we can still make a difference.
We can donate our time. We can volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, by packing up food for the poor. We can volunteer at a soup kitchen. We can volunteer to help with religious education programs at our parish.
But really, our acts of mercy don't need to only be directed at the poor.
We also need to practice it within our own communities and at home.
I like to help others and try to be of service as much as I can, but I know I'm particularly guilty of being less merciful with my own kids and husband.
This was especially true when I was teaching. I tried to be patient and compassionate with my students, but by the time I got home I was out of patience when it came to my family.
I know I need to work on being more patient and understanding when my tween is being moody or my 7-year-old is tired and cranky.
We need to be merciful with others, but also with our own families and friends.
The priest yesterday offered up a challenge. He said that there are only 12 weeks left of this Jubilee Year of Mercy. The challenge is to do as many intentional acts of mercy and service for the rest of the year.
Are you up for that challenge?
I am. This is my year of selective yeses, after all. I say yes to acts of mercy and service.
Life is short; let's do the best we can to help others.
