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Mercy Enews
No. 502 | 20 February 2013

Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, used her inheritance in service of the needs of her time. Today, Sisters of Mercy, through Mercy International Association, use their resources to respond to issues of global poverty demonstrated in the massive displacement of persons worldwide...This vision keeps alive the founding spirit of Catherine among peoples of the world most in need of God's compassion and mercy.
from the MIA Visioning Statement 2007

Feature

Entering into Lent (Americas/The Congregation)

Editor: We are reminded on the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas website that "Once again, we have made that turn on the liturgical calendar into Lent ". Rich questions are posed to us:
"We’ve traveled this 40-day journey so many times; what will make this year unique?
What will we notice that we never noticed before?
Will we hear a familiar refrain in a new way?
What insight will change our thinking or an attitude?

The Congregation, in the Lenten reflection on their site, respond in asking us each to pause and consider the following primary questions before setting out on our journey:
"What do I need for the journey?
Where am I going on the journey?"

We are then led slowly inward  to where we are invited to fast from what holds us back or holds us down.

"As we follow this Lenten path this year," the Institute concludes, 'let each of us pay special attention to the signs of our times. Let us listen again and with open hearts to the words and the echoes of words that may sound different this time. Let us find the courage to step across a line, an opinion, an attitude that has held us too long in its clutches. Let us ask what our loving God of Mercy, of Wisdom and Mystery is inviting us to this year?

How are we willing to respond?"

Messages to: 
Pat Kenny rsm - Institute Communications Office
Ailish O'Brien rsm - Communications Co-ordinator, The Congregation

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

more

Mercy Links

Worth Hearing: On Sunday, 17 February, Joan Chittester OSB was interviewed by Rachael Kohn on the ABC (Australia) Radio National program "The Spirit of Things".  In the interview Sr Joan speaks of her extended poem "The Monastery of the Heart" and other matters. Listen to it here.
-ABC Radio

Worth Reading: Maria Konnikova: The Beautiful Fragility of Language.Read it here
-Scientific American

Worth Watching: Shabana Basij-Rasikh: Dare to educate Afghan girls. Watch it here
-Talks | TEDx

Worth Remembering: Sunday Gospel commentary by Veronica Lawson rsm (ISMAPNG), published each week on the Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) website. Find it here

Send your suggestions for "Worth Reading" , "Worth Watching" , "Worth Hearing", "Worth Knowing" and "Worth Remembering" to: the Editor

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Directors:Sister Patricia McDermott (US), Peter Burnett, Sister Colette Cronin (British), Maura Hyland, Sister Margaret Casey,
James Peppiatt-Combes (US) and Sister Denise Fox (NZ)