Fr. Kevin

Last year, we ran a series of articles on St. Anne’s beautiful stained-glass windows but stopped before tackling the eight small depictions at the front of the church. Each one represents a Beatitude – the short statements by Jesus that describe people who are blessed in God’s kingdom.

 The image at the far-left in the photo shows praying hands and corresponds to the first Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Confused? You won’t be alone. What do praying hands have to do with poverty? Is the artist saying I need to be poor to have a healthy prayer life?

It’s not hard to find examples where poverty and prayer are connected. Some in our area who suffered significant losses from last year’s hurricane will talk of drawing closer to God because of it. When they could no longer rely on the comforts and security of their material things, they turned to God. The tragedy provided an opportunity that their normal situation did not offer.

But this connection between prayer and poverty does not always exist. You likely have met poor people who are mean, greedy, and dishonest. In no way is their faith and prayer improved by being poor. For them, God either doesn’t exist or God is a mean bully keeping them from doing better.

Jesus isn’t suggesting that being poor is something we should seek out as a guaranteed way to draw closer to God. Instead, He seems to be noticing that those who are materially poor have an opportunity that others do not. “Unlike the rich and comfortable, the poor are too often forced to see that there is no hope in anything but God, that if they want to survive, they must choose Him above all else.”

Notice that there is still a choice to be made. Jesus is after a complete commitment. He wants us to recognize the futility of relying on our things and surrender entirely to God. Those who are poor by circumstance and those who live a simple life have less that can distract them from complete trust in God. Jesus often told people to “come follow me” and that request always meant giving up their prior way of living. He asks them for a complete surrender of their life and wants the same from us.

“Jesus is not after suffering or destitution; he’s after humility, trust, and complete dependence on God. Blessed are those who surrender completely to God, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 The quotes are from chapter 1 of The Way of Beatitude by Casey Cole, OFM. Ave Maria Press. 2022.

This is the second of a two-part series on Mercy. We apologize that we cannot give proper credit for these helpful thoughts. We welcome any information you may have about the author. The original piece has been edited for space and clarity.

We need mercy because we live in an imperfect world. We all know people who have suffered a death in the family, a serious illness, divorce, a job loss, or some other personal tragedy. We have heard shocking stories of violence, oppression, poverty, prejudice, and abuse. And while we can’t stop every bad thing from happening, the late Pope Francis believed that we could become more merciful, and in turn, respond to people in need.

Here are four more tangible ways to show mercy to others.

DON’T TURN AWAY. When faced with an opportunity to be merciful, our greatest temptation is to look away. It’s easy to rationalize that someone else is better able to help than you are. But the reality is, when we turn away from someone in need, we are turning away from Christ himself. If we want to be more merciful, we must be willing to stand beside the other person – even if it makes our own lives more difficult. When we do that, we become more humble, kinder, and more compassionate.

How do I deal with the temptation to turn away from someone in need?

CULTIVATE LITTLE KINDNESSES. Small chances for kindness arise every day. No opportunity for mercy is ever insignificant. Allowing another car to merge into your lane, calling a grieving friend, checking on an elderly neighbor, helping a co-worker, and holding the door for someone are just a few examples. Sometimes, a smile or a word of encouragement can change a person’s whole outlook.

What are some of the small acts of mercy that I can do every day?

ACCEPT MERCY FROM OTHERS. It takes humility to admit that we, too, need mercy. When you allow others to be merciful to you, you give them the opportunity to reach outside of themselves and enter your pain. When that happens, they become instruments of God’s love to heal and comfort you.

In what ways have I accepted mercy from other people?

PRAY FOR MERCY. Pray to become more merciful. Pray also for family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and people you know who need mercy. Pray for people who have hurt you. Pray for people around the world who are suffering. Pray that everyone in the world will respond to God’s mercy and, in turn, be merciful to one another.

How will I pray for mercy, and for whom will I pray?

Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). Our efforts to become more merciful may change the people around us. More importantly, those efforts will guarantee a change in us. We’ll become kinder and more compassionate. We’ll become more like Christ.