Pope Francis has declared this year, a Jubilee Year of Mercy. He is encouraging us to open our hearts to receive God’s mercy and then in turn to share his mercy with those around us.

“God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). … Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.”
~ Pope Francis, Easter Urbi et Orbi message on March 31, 2013

Last week, I read a blog post by J.S. Park, a Christian minister. His words both moved me and stirred in me a stronger desire to show God’s love and mercy with all those that I encounter.  It poses the question:  How can I share God’s mercy to this hurting world?  And how can I teach my children to be compassionate and merciful?  The following is J.S.’ blog post.

J.S. Park: Hospital Chaplain, Skeptical Christian

Each week, part of my chaplaincy training is to write a reflection on how it’s going. Here’s week number fourteen. Some identities may be altered for privacy. All the writings are here.

–

Sometimes a patient just talks for an hour, and I say two sentences, and that’s the whole visit. The patient usually says, “Thank you so much for your wisdom and advice” — and I hardly said a word.

Maybe that’s a good thing. If I had said too much, I might have messed it up.

But more than that: some patients just want an ear to listen.

I’ve seen the same thing at the homeless ministry. I ask someone, “How are you?” — and the answer is a breathless forty-five minute life-story of financial collapse and arrests and rehab and failed job interviews, and at the end, “You’re so wise, now I’m so pumped up for…

View original post 576 more words