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I realized that in both stories, Jesus was open and vulnerable enough to allow others to call him to mercy. In the end, when it came to choosing mercy or sticking with his original plan, Jesus did not dig his heels in based on his own sense of the “right time” or the “right people.”

Saint Mother Theodore once said, “Treat yourself as you treat others, with kindness and indulgence.” I firmly believe that, above all, to comfort oneself or another involves being gentle with oneself or another. It means allowing grief to be a teacher who reminds us that we are wired for resilience. We are meant to find meaning and purpose in life.

Forgiveness is a process, and a slow one at that. We cannot rush forgiveness. If we do it becomes insincere. It takes time, patience and mercy and it is never an easy journey to make.

“As Pope Francis has spoken so many times, at least the way that I understand it, mercy is shown by reaching out to people where they are and not waiting for them to come to you. So in a way, it is to be alert to the needs of someone. The need to be loved, to be accepted, to be important. I think Pope Francis’ approach to a year of mercy has again called people to be more aware, more alert, to that,” said Providence Associate Daniel Hopcus, the priest chaplain at Saint Mary-0f-the-Woods.

Newsnotes from the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Tragic legacy
pervasive pattern repeating
itself through the ages
a rippling effect on relationship
at every level …

“I had a student just yesterday that came to me sobbing with a note that read, ‘I wish you were dead. Nobody likes you. Here are some ways you could kill yourself: drink bleach, starve to death or slash your wrists. Go kill yourself,’” said Providence Associate Lorrie Scheidler, a middle school guidance counselor in Terre Haute, Indiana, helps students work through times of uncertainty.

“… Be assured that in leaving the past to the mercy of God and the future to (God’s) Providence, you will derive from your offering very great peace and very great consolation.”

Love, mercy and justice are central to the mission of the Sisters of Providence. The sisters have come to see that mission extending to all creation. As we focus on mercy in this issue of HOPE, several Sisters of Providence answer the question, “What is one way to show mercy to Earth?”

“You persistently encourage us to build not destroy, … to have mercy towards the one we see as least deserving or the one who has hurt us deeply and to love, love, love and love more.” Sister Denise Wilkinson dares us to look more deeply at mercy in our lives.