My God, I am yours for time and eternity. Teach me to cast myself entirely into the arms of your loving Providence with the most lively, unlimited confidence in your compassionate, tender pity. Grant me, O most merciful Redeemer, that whatever you ordain or permit may be acceptable to me. Take from my heart all painful anxiety; suffer nothing to sadden me but sin, nothing to delight me but the hope of coming to the possession of You my God and my all, in your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
Today our Irish pilgrimage took us to the house where Catherine McAuley began the work of the Sisters of Mercy. Catherine knew both poverty and wealth, but also knew that whatever her situation in life, God had called her to be a person of generosity. She knew that she was meant to care for the poor in the same way that Christ did. She knew that she was called to care for the sick in the same way Christ did. She knew that she and all Christians are called to live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. I learned today that along with unintentionally founding a religious order, Catherine also had nine adopted children. And we think single parents today work hard!
The thing that most struck me today when hearing more about this holy woman is that she accomplished much of what she did for others by simply seeing a need to serve and then using the gifts she had been given to do so. Knowing how to live the Christian life is easy, deciding to do so is the difficult part. May we all have the courage to take up the works of mercy.
