The culture

Understanding and Praying with         Parable of the Forgiving Father [The parable of the forgiving father (Luke 15:11–32)] is surely one of the most beautiful stories ever written! It has been celebrated on stage, in art and music, and most significantly, it has been relived in countless lives and families. Luke has so exquisitely rendered the feelings of the father and his sons that we are immediately drawn into the drama of this very human situation. This is the story of a father who had two sons. He “lost them both, one in a foreign country, the other behind a barricade of self-righteousness.” Popularly known as the  parable of the prodigal son , a more appropriate title might be the parable of the forgiving father, because the focus of the story is primarily on the father’s love and mercy toward his sons. One can imagine the father’s feelings when the younger son requested his inheritance—what would belong to him when his father died. Although it wa...

Works of Mercy The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are actions we can perform that extend God’s compassion and mercy to those in need. Corporal Works of Mercy The Corporal Works of Mercy are these kind acts by which we help our neighbors with their material and physical needs. feed the hungry give drink to the thirsty clothe the naked shelter the homeless visit the sick visit the imprisoned bury the dead Spiritual Works of Mercy The Spiritual Works of Mercy are acts of compassion, as listed below, by which we help our  neighbors with their emotional and spiritual needs. counsel the doubtful instruct the ignorant admonish sinners comfort the afflicted forgive offenses bear wrongs patiently pray for the living and the dead

          Francis  Apostolic Letters [  AR  -  DE  -  EN  -  ES  -  FR  -  IT  -  LA  -  PL  -  PT  ] Misericordiae Vultus BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY FRANCIS BISHOP OF ROME SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD TO ALL WHO READ THIS LETTER GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE [ Multimedia ] 1. Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Je sus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. The Father, “rich in mercy” ( Eph  2:4), after having revealed his name to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” ( Ex 34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout history, his divine nature. In the “fullness of time” ( Gal  4:4), when everything ...