A Publication for Alumnae Parents and Friends Winter 2016

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From the President
Each day, give yourself one small goal of mercy. Possibly, you can give drink to the thirsty by helping
a neighbor who thirsts for someone to sit and talk with her, or you can help a parent who is seeking
compassion and understanding as she works with her special needs child.
Mercy is love in action, and there is no better way to put our love into action than to visit the sick and
share with them our love. We will grow in the virtue of compassion and know that we have made a
difference in someone’s life. A smile, a hug, the gift of your presence – all are very powerful and healing to
those who feel isolated or forgotten.
As we live the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in our daily lives, we are called to comfort the
afflicted. Let people know that they matter, that their pain matters. They need to see understanding, void
of judgment.
Be a carrier of hope. Offer the gift of your presence. Sit silently alongside a person. Slow down enough to
notice the pain in someone’s eyes. Your comforting presence may be a life-changing moment.
Each work of mercy is a manifestation of the love of God and of the love each person is called first to
receive and then to give. God’s mercy is transformative. Let mercy accompany us on every step of our
life’s journey.
May this year be an invitation to love, kindness and generosity, and may it be a year of grace from the Lord.
Winter 2016 . 5