Mercy Mondays: Wisdom from Catherine McAuley

“The tender Mercy of God has given us one another.”

– Catherine McAuley

Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sister of Mercy, speaks here of the great Mercy which is the gift of community. She is not naïve enough to think that community is always easy and peaceful, but it is a gift nonetheless. When we suffer its loss, we see more clearly what it means to us and our lives.

For Catherine, mercy required action. For community to be a mercy meant the members would need to work hard, forgive one another, anticipate one another’s needs and generously give of themselves to each other.

These days we keep our distance physically from one another and find that one of the ways we can show mercy is by cocooning, to a degree. At the end of this crisis, though, we want to become butterflies: to transform and not find ourselves stuck in our cocoons and separated from the community. We must remember to take merciful action by reaching out to each other.

This week, reach beyond your cocoon and contact that person you used to see every day, the one you took for granted but find yourself missing now; maybe someone from your hall, or in a neighboring office, or one of your classes, or the Mercy Center or Miley. Now more than ever, think of those who may be lonely and missing Salve Regina even more than you and reach out to them … virtually, of course.

“The tender Mercy of God has given us one another,” but it is our outreach in mercy that will keep the community strong.

Know you are missed.

Offered by Amy Cady, Assistant Director of the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life

Each Monday and Wednesday, SALVEtoday will provide a prayer of reflection for the University community to reflect upon during this time of remote living and learning. #salvesgotthis #mercymondays

Hope in Upheaval – A Retreat in Place

The Mercy Center for Spiritual Life is offering a virtual retreat for Salve Regina students, faculty and staff that begins April 6 (today) through May 4 entitled Hope in Upheaval – A Retreat in Place. To participate, please contact Amy Cady at amy.cady@salve.edu or send a request to join the Facebook group: Hope in Upheaval – A Retreat in Place.