How can we connect these words of Jesus with what St. Paul told Timothy: “The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself” (2Timothy 2:11-13)? Are these words contradictory or complementary?2. Especially pertinent for this season of Lent, how can we consider this reflection in light of what Jesus says after being accused of dining with tax collectors and sinners: “Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)?3. Ultimately our faith is about union with God. If we have separated ourselves from God through sin how can these words from Psalm 51:16-17 take on a de deeper meaning? — “For you take no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”4. God’s mercy is measured in that He gave us His only Son: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). What should this teach us about how much mercy we are to offer to others?
Karen P: So did anyone feel like mercy was what we have received in huge quantities and then feel like they were not as good at being merciful? I know I did after reading the newsletter.
Mar 1 2015, 7:35 PM
Carol Ann: now I can see you all. that was strange, logged in but unable to see
Mar 1 2015, 7:36 PM
Ruth (guest): Actually, I just had to do the same. It took about a minute for my greeting to post — only after hitting reload.
Mar 1 2015, 7:36 PM
Carol Ann: Me too, Karen
Mar 1 2015, 7:36 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Or when were each of us merciful recently?
Karen P: I could give more examples of when I could have been more merciful to others rather than reacting with harsh judgemental thinking easier than I can say where I have been merciful.
Mar 1 2015, 7:37 PM
Anne M: still not working for me. are my posts even showing up?
Mar 1 2015, 7:37 PM
Judy K: OK, maybe now it will work.
Mar 1 2015, 7:38 PM
Dawn L: I realized yesterday I had been more judgmental
Mar 1 2015, 7:38 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Forgiveness is very close to m
PM
Lisa C: I looked up mercy in the dictionary and it means a lot more than I thought it did
Mar 1 2015, 7:39 PM
Alice Lewis-Eckardt: there are plenty of kind merciful people at work
Mar 1 2015, 7:39 PM
Anne M: Thank you Sister
Mar 1 2015, 7:40 PM
Carol Ann: I need to refresh to see new messages. I have often wondered at the correlation between judgmentalism and lack of forgiveness
Mar 1 2015, 7:40 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Yes Karen- but each quality has a special characteristic- non-judemental, forgiveness, mercy alike but with nuances
Mar 1 2015, 7:40 PM
Karen P: What did the definition say, Lisa?
Karen P: I think of mercy as receiving pardon that is undeserved. But I am better at seeing that as it relates to receiving it from God than in daily life.
Mar 1 2015, 7:41 PM
Judy K: I think that the quotes in the first question are complementary. Paul says that if we die with the Lord, we shall live with the Lord. And yet the Lord says that if we deny Him, He will deny us. In other words, He will say “I do not know you.” We are not like Hm. Pope Francis would say that we do not have the scent of His sheep.
Mar 1 2015, 7:41 PM
Lisa C: 1.compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power; compassion, pity, or benevolence:Have mercy on the poor sinner.2.the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing:an adversary wholly without mercy.3.the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.4.an act of kindness, compassion, or favor:She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neig
Mar 1 2015, 7:41 PM
Karen P: that was rather than seeing it in daily life – PM
Karen P: Definition 1,2, and 4 make more sense to me as being something I can practice. I suspect I either need to do more of it, or just don’t realize when I have practiced it.
Mar 1 2015, 7:43 PM
Lisa C: I think it boils down to the way you treat someone whom you love
Welcome to our Livi
PM
Karen P: So if someone gives something needed to someone less fortunate – does a charitable act, would that be considered merciful also?
Mar 1 2015, 7:45 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Lisa hit your refresh button. That helps
Welcome to our Livin
PM
Anne M: Karen I agree with you, undeserved pardon.
Mar 1 2015, 7:46 PM
Judy K: St. Faustina has told us so much about mercy from the Lord’s own mouth. And the psalm says that His mercy endures forever. He forgives us again and again. He is patient with us and gives us many opportunities to reform our lives.
Mar 1 2015, 7:46 PM
Carol Ann: Sometimes I try to ractice mercy by not speaking-like if I disagree with someone, to not say anything rather than provoke a conflict by speaking
Mar 1 2015, 7:46 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Divine Mercy shows us the generosity of God There is generosity in mercy
M
Karen P: That sounds like a good action, Carol Ann! I have done the same at times, but I really have to want to keep the peace in order to do so sometimes.
Mar 1 2015, 7:47 PM
Sister Susan Marie: When we ask for mercy it is usually for forgiveness that we ask for but it takes mercy to grant that forgiveness
Welcome to our Living
PM
Judy K: I wonder if it is an act of mercy to keep our troubles to ourselves. Other people probably do not want to hear them anyway. We would do better to share them with only our closest friends, those who truly care about us.
Mar 1 2015, 7:48 PM
Anne M: The Lord crucified asked the Father to forgive them, even though he was abused, rejected, and depised unjustly. That is mercy.
Mar 1 2015, 7:48 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Mercy also seems close to pure love.
Mar 1 2015, 7:48 PM
Alice Lewis-Eckardt: mercy=love
Mar 1 2015, 7:48 PM
Karen P: If we are willing and able to do a task for someone who is struggling with it, and we don’t expect anything in return. Would that also be considered a showing them a mercy? I think I am having to put it into an action context to better understand it. It seems very much to me that it sounds like doing loving acts.
Lisa C: When people ask Jesus for help in the gospels they ask Him for mercy….i.e. usually when he performs miracles
Mar 1 2015, 7:49 PM
Lisa C: He
Mar 1 2015, 7:50 PM
Carol Ann: Karen, sometimes. but it can also backfire when the other person doesn’t want to honor the silence
Mar 1 2015, 7:50 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Mitigating a just punishment- like a child does something and mom says go to your room no tv but then has mercy and brings up a chocolate drink?
Welcome to our Living
51 PM
Judy K: I love the fact that the Lord tells us that He desires mercy, not sacrifice. Sacrifice can be made without feeling, without care, with hostility, without generosity and with reluctance. True mercy, His mercy is caring, benevolent, generous and eager.
Mar 1 2015, 7:51 PM
Karen P: This makes me think of how the Bible talks about knowing Christians by their actions – that we have been changed as a result of our encounter with Jesus, so we are inspired to be more forgiving and do more loving things.
Mar 1 2015, 7:52 PM
Sister Susan Marie: St Faustina as was mentioned above knew so much about mercy I am recalling what I can of what she said-
Welcome to our L
PM
Lisa C: I think the sacrifice comment is alluding to the law in the old covenant
Mar 1 2015, 7:52 PM
Karen P: Sacrifice of the burnt offering kind almost sounds more like just paying for something you did to be done with it rather than trying to make the situation right.
Mar 1 2015, 7:53 PM
Lisa C: Sacrifice was the way that the Israelites received forgiveness for sins under the old covenant. They were receiving forgiveness for transgressions committed against the law given to them by God. The Israelites kept breaking God’s law and kept having to make sacrifices to atone for sins.
Mar 1 2015, 7:53 PM
Judy K: Maybe we as followers of Jesus should be sure that we bear the scent of the Shepherd.
Mar 1 2015, 7:54 PM
Lisa C: Jesus is righteous and perfect and is the only one able to fulfill the covenant of the Israelites with God. When He was sacrificed for us the sacrifice was perfect. No other sacrifice is needed. With the new covenant we no longer need to make sacrifices over and over.
Mar 1 2015, 7:54 PM
Karen P: Judy, I think you are right that He desires us to act in kinder, more loving ways, rather than just sacrifice something to show we know we did wrong. It must go hand in hand with repentance then also, maybe.
Mar 1 2015, 7:54 PM
Dawn L: I watched St Faustina movie yesterday, wrote some things down she said
Lisa C: Because of His mercy God sent us Jesus, the Lamb of God, to be our perfect sacrifice. If we have faith in Him we are saved. When we are saved we are called to live by the new covenant and we are called to love God and our neighbor. To do that we imitate Jesus and show mercy to one another.
Mar 1 2015, 7:55 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: I like SfdS insight in TLG: “A loving heart ought to strive most fervently to produce works of high value so that it may powerfully increase it own charity>”
Mar 1 2015, 7:55 PM
Dawn L: “Great love is able to change small things….into great things”
Lisa C: Sr. Faustina said in her diary that Jesus told her that He would save souls for her just because she asked Him to
Mar 1 2015, 7:58 PM
Karen P: I agree that we ought to strive to produce loving acts wherever possible and to love others – especially those who may not be so easy to love. I still have a hard time thinking about how to answer Sr. Susan Marie’s question as to when we have been merciful. It seems like that has a different quality to it than these other things, but I can’t quite figure out why.
Mar 1 2015, 7:58 PM
Lisa C: I ask Him to save everyone
Mar 1 2015, 7:58 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Love and mercy go together very closely
Welcome to our Living Jesus Chat Room. Just sign in, using any o
Mar 1 2015, 7:58 PM
Lisa C: I ask Him to save everyone
Sister Susan Marie: I don’t think anyone ever asked me personally to have mercy on them actually
Mar 1 2015, 8:01 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Some of the commentaries I’ve read on today’s Gospel of the Transfiguration talk about our own transfiguration, by God’s grace and by our charitable works and prayers.
Mar 1 2015, 8:01 PM
Karen P: I pray often for those who are committing great evil acts on the people of the world – I pray that their hearts would be turned to love and they would repent.
Welcome to our L
Mar 1 2015, 7:42 PM
Lisa C: something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing:
Karen P: I pray often for those who are committing great evil acts on the people of the world – I pray that their hearts would be turned to love and they would repent.
Mar 1 2015, 8:01 PM
Judy K: What is that old saying–“Imitation is the highest form of praise.” If we are to live as Jesus wants us to live, then we should imitate Him in His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, His self-sacrificing nature, His tenderness toward the poor and sick, His desire to do always the will of the Father.
Mar 1 2015, 8:02 PM
Lisa C: in the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus talks about fulfilling the law regarding loving God and your neighbor by showing mercy
:03 PM
Karen P: No, I can’t say that anyone has used those exact words with me either, Sr. Susan. But kids will ask us as parents to lighten up their punishments at times. Just not in those words.
Mar 1 2015, 8:03 PM
Carol Ann: Yet how often do we walk by those who are asking for mercy? or if not asking, needing it badly?
Mar 1 2015, 8:03 PM
Sister Susan Marie: So, no retaliation fits in with mercy too
Welcome to our L
M
Mary Roberta Viano: I think our Salesian charism of gentleness is an expression of mercy and forgiveness. We don’t get uptight about what the people around us are doing – unless, of course, they are extremely violent!
Mar 1 2015, 8:04 PM
Judy K: Yes, I love today’s Gospel reading. I love to try to picture Jesus in all His radiance. What an awesome moment that will be when we see Him face to face in His post-resurrection glorified body–aglow with supernatural lig
PM
Carol Ann: So Sr Mary Roberta, part of gentleness and mercy is not trying to control others?
Mar 1 2015, 8:04 PM
Karen P: So I am finding it easier to think of mercies as kind acts – especially toward those who we many not know or who may not appear to be ‘deserving’ of what we have to share. That seems to be easier for me to understand rather than the word merciful when I think of my own actions.
Welcome to our Livi
6 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: I think the halos we put on the heads of saints gives us a touch of their “transfigured glory.”
Welcome to our Liv
M
Mary Roberta Viano: Right, Carol Ann. I let the other person be who he is, not what I want him to be.
Mar 1 2015, 8:07 PM
Judy K: Jesus said “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” The measure with which we give will be the measure with which we receive.
Mar 1 2015, 8:08 PM
Karen P: So being accepting of someone who may not do things as we would like them to is being merciful when we continue to accept them without trying to change them, right?
Mar 1 2015, 8:08 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The priest here today had an interesting perspective- that Jesus can always be seen in His Glory if we look with the right kind of eyes, in spirit He translated that into how we look at others and see Jesus in them
Mar 1 2015, 8:08 PM
Carol Ann: I try to do that also, but find myself complainin a lot that I don’t feel treated the same way back!
Mar 1 2015, 8:08 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: and I think that listening (REALLY listening) is an underrated aspect of mercy, don’t you?
Mary Roberta Viano: It’s hard to have a conversation with someone who keeps interrupting you with what they have to say! Unkind!
Mar 1 2015, 8:10 PM
Karen P: I have always found it interesting that many people who know ‘The Golden Rule’ only think it is applicable when people treat them kindly in return. The idea of continuing to treat someone with kindness in spite of how they treat us back is tough for many to follow. Yet it seems like that would be the best thing to do to show love.
Mar 1 2015, 8:11 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Right, Karen! It’s what Christ meant when he talked about the Father letting the rain fall and the sun shine on the just and the unjust.
Mar 1 2015, 8:11 PM
Lisa C: I think that people who do not show love need love more
Mar 1 2015, 8:12 PM
Carol Ann: Sr Mary Roberta, our pastor asked us to consider giving up interrupting people for Lent. If we didn’t want to do that we were to consider either speaking without accusing or to stopping complaining.
Welcome to our Living Jesus Chat Room. Just sign in, using any
PM
Karen P: Sr.Susan, I read once that Blessed Mother Theresa said that looking at others as Jesus would look at them is what she strived to do. I have always wanted to be able to do that more consistently. As the story in the newsletter noted, Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors, but he saw them as people who needed love.
Mar 1 2015, 8:13 PM
Dawn L: I think so Sr Roberta. Listening, not to our own chatter, but emptying sort of, so we can hear the other. maybe not just by their words
: Judy, the constant reloading is annoying, but it has not kept the chat from happening!
Mar 1 2015, 8:21 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: It’s all about coming ever closer to Christ. SFdS again, quoting St. Paul in Ephesians: “To practice the truth in charity and so grow up in all thing in Him who is the Head, even Jesus Christ.”
Mar 1 2015, 8:21 PM
Dawn L: Hi Ruth
Mar 1 2015, 8:22 PM
Karen P: Growing closer to Christ is what I want more and more. I continually see how far short I fall, how much mercy I am given over and over, and how loved I am by Jesus.
Mar 1 2015, 8:22 PM
Anne M: Is Sister Susan still here?
Mary Roberta Viano: and I really like this from SFdS: “Charity does nothing in vain. If anyone would challenge this and ask why charity does this, charity will answer boldly, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.'”
Mar 1 2015, 8:23 PM
Anne M: Sorry
Mar 1 2015, 8:25 PM
Ruth (guest): Well, at last I am on again, after completely rebooting. And I see that the date and time stamps are real time (EDT) again — no longer five hours into the future. Sorry I could not even read what was being posted.
Mar 1 2015, 8:25 PM
Anne M: I like that Sister
Mar 1 2015, 8:25 PM
Karen P: Good quote! Dawn, I was thinking about what you said about trying to empty ourselves in a way to be able to listen more to others. I think that is worth actively trying to more of in my life. Not just waiting for my turn to speak but really trying to hear what is being said instead of thinking of what I plan on saying.
Mar 1 2015, 8:25 PM
Dawn L: Goodnight everyone. my prayers as we all continue on our Lenten journey
Mar 1 2015, 8:26 PM
Guest9081 (guest): True
Mar 1 2015, 8:26 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: and this from one of SFdS’s sermons: “I tell you in one word have most holy love, and you will have all the virtues.” Or, as we’ve heard: Love covers a multitude of sins and St. Augustine’s “Love and do what you will.”
Mar 1 2015, 8:26 PM
Anne M: Welcome back Ruth. I don’t have a cursor 1/2 the time. ??
Mar 1 2015, 8:26 PM
Carol Ann: good night Dawn
Mar 1 2015, 8:27 PM
Anne M: Thank you sister
Mar 1 2015, 8:27 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: Yes, with all the hiccups with our posting this evening, it’s probably time to say G’night.
Mar 1 2015, 8:27 PM
VisitationSiste: here- got lost for a while
Mar 1 2015, 8:27 PM
Karen P: All very good quotes to carry with us into the week, Sr. Roberta. I think I should write them on paper and pull them out and read them frequently! I seem to find myself wishing I had been more loving in my classroom time and time again.
Mar 1 2015, 8:27 PM
VisitationSiste: goodnight
Karen P: All very good quotes to carry with us into the week, Sr. Roberta. I think I should write them on paper and pull them out and read them frequently! I seem to find myself wishing I had been more loving in my classroom time and time again.
Mar 1 2015, 8:27 PM
VisitationSiste: goodnight
Mar 1 2015, 8:28 PM
Guest9081 (guest): Goodnight
Mar 1 2015, 8:28 PM
Judy K: When Jesus asks us to follow Him, He does not mean to walk behind Him.. It is much deeper than that. We must put Him on as we would our clothing. We must, in the words of Cardinal Newman, ask Jesus to “Shine through me and be so in me, that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus.” We must become other Christs.
Mar 1 2015, 8:28 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: G’night. Let’s pray for one another that we don’t slip and break a bone on the outside ice – like one of our young students did!
Mar 1 2015, 8:28 PM
Anne M: Yes, good night.
Mar 1 2015, 8:28 PM
Dawn L: still here Karen, yes. I had an experience the other day where I was asserting my thoughts and beliefs, and I saw it hurt that person. someone I love deeply. I know Jesus would not do that, so now I can be more merciful to their life situation and really let God be. He truly does love all of us more than we love, and wants the good and closeness of all.
Mar 1 2015, 8:28 PM
Karen P: Good night to all! I hope everyone has a positive week! Pray for me and I will pray for you as well!