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"May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life."
Remember that a small offering made well is always better than a big one that can't be maintained—don't try every suggestion on this page; just pick one or two for inspiration.
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Minute Meditations
"And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Mt. 5:7).
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Offerings of Mercy: With Others
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Forgive Others
"Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful."
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And Seek Forgiveness
Humbly ask forgiveness from those you have offended.
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Love Silently
Seek no reward for your mercy; don't brag about your forgiveness.
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Mend a Relationship
Don't just say "I forgive you."
Have the courage and humility to begin mending a damaged relationship.
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Offerings of Mercy: In Spiritual Life
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Receive Forgiveness!
It bears repeating: Go to Confession! This is where you receive God's mercy.
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Ask for Mercy
Even outside of Confession. Practice turning your mind to the Lord and asking for mercy and grace all day long.
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Ask God for Clarity
Examine places where you need to give or receive forgiveness.
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Rejoice at Conversions of Heart
Remeber the Prodigal Son's brother? Rather than holding onto the sins of another, praise the Lord for their repentance.
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Prayers for the Week
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The Litany of Forgiveness
Pray this week's litany and meditate on it as a guide for your offerings.
Click here for a printable PDF of the Litany of Forgiveness
Looking for something shorter?Try recalling the "Jesus Prayer" throughout your day.
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
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Dive into Scripture
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"Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful"
Luke 6:36
Look at how Christ describes the mercy that the Father wants to extend to each one of us! Scripture is full of examples.
It's also full of commands to imitate this love and mercy by extending it to those we encounter. Read these passages and reflect on the stories. How are you called to give or receive mercy this Lent?
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The Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32
"Let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found."
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Teachings About Anger
Matthew 5:21-26
"If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother."
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The Lost Sheep
Luke 15:1-7
"There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."
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Teachings About Judgment
Luke 6:36-42
Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.
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Lectio DivinaMatthew 18:21-35
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” -
From the Saints
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St. Augustine
"Our Lord's saying, "Give alms of such things as ye have, and, behold, all things are clean unto you," applies to every useful act that a man does in mercy. Not only, then, the man who gives food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, hospitality to the stranger...not this man only, but the man who pardons the sinner also gives alms; and the man who corrects with blows, or restrains by any kind of discipline one over whom he has power, and who at the same time forgives from the heart the sin by which he was injured, or prays that it may be forgiven, is also a giver of alms, not only in that he forgives, or prays for forgiveness for the sin, but also in that he rebukes and corrects the sinner: for in this, too, he shows mercy."
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St. Faustina
“All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person’s sins were as dark as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary; that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest.”
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St. Augustine
"Do you, because you are unjust, expect the judge not to be just? Or because you are a liar, will the truthful one not be true? Rather, if you wish to receive mercy, be merciful before he comes; forgive whatever has been done against you; give of your abundance. Of whose possessions do you give, if not from his? If you were to give of your own, it would be largess; but since you give of his, it is restitution. For what have you that you have not received?"
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Divine Mercy Sunday: April 7, 2024
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Jesus, I trust in You.
Start praying the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday, and join us for the Divine Mercy Sunday devotion on April 7th at 3:00 p.m. in the Church.
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For ReflectionFrom The Imitation of Christ; Book 3, Chapter 46
O Lord God, just Judge, strong and patient, You Who know the weakness and depravity of men, be my strength and all my confidence, for my own conscience is not sufficient for me. You know what I do not know, and, therefore, I ought to humble myself whenever I am accused and bear it meekly. Forgive me, then, in Your mercy for my every failure in this regard, and give me once more the grace of greater endurance. Better to me is Your abundant mercy in obtaining pardon than the justice which I imagine in defending the secrets of my conscience. And though I am not conscious to myself of any fault, yet I cannot thereby justify myself, because without Your mercy no man living will be justified in Your sight.
