Works of Mercy

There is no better time to really get to the bottom of these Works of Mercy than now. Cross Roads Initiative provided this list and it really got me thinking. As Catholic moms, how much are we required to truly participate in these? How difficult or easy is it to clothe the naked or feed the hungry? Is God really asking us to be proactive with these works even though we have toddlers? What about the fact that most of the corporal works can actually apply to our toddlers? I mean if you really think about it we are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to those that are thirsty everyday that we have our children!

But still, the longing of my heart is to go deeper, to do more, to become a more proactive member of our society so that more people may know the love of Christ. After all, isn't that what Christ has asked us to do? Are we stretching ourselves if we volunteer at the homeless shelter once a week or once a month? Are we over committing if we volunteer for the local pregnancy center? Is that pushing it? Sometimes I can truly convince myself that it IS too much. I can barely get my laundry done let alone stand in line to dish out food. Or is it?

If these are the works that we are asked, or even required to do, how can we incorporate these into our daily lives? How do we show our children that these works are not just for some individuals in life but that we are all called to participate?

Our society has become one that promotes isolation. I won't bother you if you don't bother me. Or, it's none of my business. But ultimately we will be judged on whether or not we did make it our business. Our involvement in bettering the world is something that I believe we will have to look at during judgement day. Of course raising beautiful, vibrant and healthy children is AMAZING and so IMPORTANT. But are we called to more? And if so how?


Corporal Works of Mercy


To Feed the Hungry

To Give Drink to the Thirsty

To Cloth the Naked

To Shelter the Homeless

To Visit the Sick

To Ransom Captives

To Bury the Dead


Spiritual Works of Mercy

To Instruct the Ignorant

To Counsel the Doubtful

To Admonish Sinners

To Bear Wrongs Patiently

To Forgive Others Willingly

To Comfort the Afflicted

To Pray for the Living & the Dead

Columbus Catholic Womens Conference

WOW!!!

Today was the Columbus Catholic Women's Conference and it was AMAZING!!

We had the privilege of hearing Immaculée Ilibagiza and Sister Rosalind Moss speak.

If you would like to own a CD of the talks by Immaculee, Sister Rosalind and the rosary click here.

Immaculee is a Rwanda holocaust survivor that has written a few books including her National Best Seller Left to Tell.


Check out my review of 'Left to Tell' here.

When Immaculee entered the conference it was one of the most surreal moments in my life. My spirit just knew that I was in the presence of someone very holy. Her words touched my heart and truly inspired me to be a better disciple of Christ. Her story is one of forgiveness and devotion to Mary.

Sister Rosalind is a hilarious speaker. Her message was one of hope and perseverance during our walk with Christ. A Jewish convert, Sister speaks about the beauty of the Jewish-Catholic relationship and keeps you laughing a long the way. She encourages you to stand firm in your Catholic faith and look to Christ as our Shepherd.

Mass, Confession and a rosary made this day retreat a perfect opportunity to sit back and be spiritually pampered. I am walking away feeling renewed and alive in Christ. There is something about being around 1500 other Catholic women who are striving for holiness that really pumps me up!

Can't wait until next year.... Hope to see you there too!

http://www.columbuscatholicwomen.com/

Author of “What Happened at Vatican II”

Author of “What Happened at Vatican II” to Lecture at Josephinum

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Announcement of the Second Vatican Council, the Pontifical College Josephinum welcomes the general public to “What Happened at Vatican II: The Author Reports Back,” a presentation by Rev. John W. O’Malley, SJ.


Sunday, January 25, 20097:00 p.m.Jessing CenterRev. John W. O’Malley, SJ, University Professor of Theology at Georgetown University, is regarded as the dean of American historians of Christianity. His newest book, What Happened at Vatican II (Harvard UP 2008), is being heralded as the most important and detailed synthesis of the Second Vatican Council ever written.

Rev. John W. O'Malley, SJ

“Some of the finest contemporary Catholic theologians and students of the Second Vatican Council have described this book as a masterful one volume account of the Council that will become the obligatory point of reference for anyone in this generation interested in studying the Council and its background,” said Msgr. Paul J. Langsfeld, Josephinum Rector / President.
“Father O’Malley’s talk will be the highlight of our academic year.”

John W. O’Malley, SJ, PhD (Harvard) is a specialist in the religious culture of early modern Europe, especially Italy. He is widely published: Among his five monographs are Praise and Blame in Renaissance Rome, which received the Marrow Prize from the American Historical Association, and Trent and All That, which received the Roland Bainton Prize from the Sixteenth Century Studies Conference. His best known book is The First Jesuits, which received both the Jacques Barzun Prize for Cultural History from the American Philosophical Society and the Philip Schaff Prize from the American Society for Church History.

Father O’Malley has lectured widely in North America and Europe on both professional and more popular topics. He has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Philosophical Society, Villa I Tatti (the Harvard University center for Italian Renaissance Studies, Florence), and the American Academy in Rome (Prix de Rome). He is a past president of the American Catholic Historical Association and of the Renaissance Society of America. Father O’Malley was honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Society for Italian Historical Studies in 2002, and the Renaissance Society of America in 2005.

“Both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II have made the implementation of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council the key priority of their pontificates, “said Father John Allen, who teaches Church History at the Josephinum. “For that reason, we are honored to have such an eminent scholar as Father O’Malley to address our seminarians, faculty and many friends from the wider community. His lecture, like his new book, promises to be an enriching and deeply rewarding experience.”

“What Happened at Vatican II: The Author Reports Back” is part of the Josephinum’s annual Building Spiritual Bridges to the Community lecture series, supported by a grant from Our Sunday Visitor Institute. All lectures are free of charge and open to the public.


7625 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43123


http://www.pcj.edu/2008-09/omalley.html

Columbus Catholic Women's Conference

Here in Columbus we are lucky enough to have a great group of women who have organized the Columbus Catholic Women's Conference. This is a great opportunity to spend a day with other catholic women enjoying great speakers, mass, confession and fellowship.

When: February 23rd 7:30am - 3:00 pm
Where: Ohio State Expo Center
Cost: $25 plus $5 for parking

The speakers will be Imaculee Ilibagiza a survivor of the Rwanadan genocide who credits her salvage mostly to prayer and her rosary beads and Sister Rosalind Moss an apologist for Catholic Answers, host of the radio show Reasons for Our Hope: A Bible Study on the Gospel of Luke on EWTN and founder of the religious community Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope.

For more information or to register visit the Columbus Catholic Women's Conference website.