But this last Saturday, he visited the great treasure of the Mexican People and in fact the great treasure of all the Americas: Our Lady of Guadalupe. He asked the Mexican people for special permission to spend time alone with this beautiful image that appeared on the tilma of St. Juan Diego in December of 1531. Our Holy Father wanted to spend time under the maternal watchfulness of our Lady of Guadalupe, noting his long devotion to the tenderness and great compassion found in her eyes. Pope Francis writes in this tenderness, “…la Virgen Morenita teaches us that the only power capable of conquering the hearts of men and women is the tenderness of God. That which delights and attracts, that which humbles and overcomes, that which opens and unleashes is not the power of instruments of force or the force of law, but rather the all powerful weakness of divine love, which is the irresistible force of its gentleness and the irrevocable pledge of its mercy.”
This is the first week of Lent, and our Holy Father has asked us to redouble our efforts to be the agents of God’s mercy. He has given us fourteen very practical ways to practice and show mercy in the weeks ahead: they are the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. The Corporal Works of Mercy are: Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Shelter the Homeless, Give Clothing to those in need, Visit the Sick, Visit the Prisoners, and Bury the Dead. The Spiritual Works of Mercy are: Counseling the Doubtful, Teaching those who don’t know, Admonishing the Sinner, Comforting the Sorrowing, Forgiving Injuries, Bearing Wrongs Patiently and Praying for the Living and the Dead. Let’s get busy in this Holy Season of Lent by sharing God’s mercy with our friends, with our families and with any who are in need.
Let us pray.
O Lord and Master of my life,
keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement,
lust of power and idle chatter.
Instead, grant to me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being,
humble-mindedness, patience, and love.
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins
and not to judge my brother;
for you are blessed now and ever and forever.
Amen.