What did you do when you turned 40?
Lara Patangan wanted to mark the milestone with a year of mercy. She decided to embrace the corporal and spiritual works of mercy by doing them all year long. And what began as an experiment of sorts became a turning point in her faith life.
What are works of mercy?
Without writing a theological treatise, it is a set of Corporal (related to the body) and Spiritual (related to the soul) works that the Catholic Church asks us to do in our daily lives. They are based on Matthew 25. Some examples are: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead and comfort the sorrowful.
What did Lara learn?
God is a giver of extravagant mercy and he really, really loves us all. At times, our service to others may seem mundane, but it all matters and makes a difference.
Her book, Simple Mercies: How the Works of Mercy bring Peace and Fulfilment published by Our Sunday Visitor is meant to inspire and encourage others to live out their faith every day by sharing God’s mercy with the people we encounter.
Lara suggests we practice giving one act of mercy towards someone else today and receiving one act of mercy from someone else today.
Follow Lara Patagan on Facebook, Instagram, and go to her website to download a free study guide for her book.
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