Lesson 2: Acts of Mercy
1. What is an act of mercy?
An act of mercy is an act of love for our neighbor.
Acts of mercy please God very much. We cannot love God without loving our neighbor. All the saints did many acts of mercy.
2. Why do we want to do acts of mercy?
We want to do acts of mercy because:
-Acts of mercy please and console the Heart of Jesus. Whenever we do an act of mercy for another person, we are actually doing this act of mercy to Jesus: Whatever you do unto the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me.” (Matthew 25:41)
-If we do not show mercy to others, we will not receive mercy from God.
-No one goes to heaven without being merciful to others.
3. What happens if we do not do acts of mercy?
Those who do not do acts of mercy will go to hell. “Then He (the Just Judge) will say to those on his left, “Depart from Me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devils and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, a stranger and you gave Me no welcome, naked and you gave Me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for Me… Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for Me.” And these will go off to eternal punishment…” (Matthew 25:31-46)
4. How often should we do an act of mercy?
It is good to fill our day and our lives with acts of mercy.
We should try to make at least one act of mercy every day.
5. How can you do acts of mercy?
You can do acts of mercy by your words, your prayers, and your deeds.
Some Examples of merciful words are:
-Saying “Thank you.”
-Saying “Please.”
-Saying “I am sorry. It was my fault.”
-Telling your mom or dad or grandparents, “I love you.”
-Speaking cheerfully with your parents, brothers, and sisters
-Speaking respectfully and kindly to people who have been mean to you.
-Saying things that make people feel better and/or be better
Some people that you can give mercy to in your prayers are:
-Your mom and dad; brothers and sisters; relatives; and friends
-The people who have hurt you. When we do this, we are forgiving them.
-The poor and the sick
-The Pope, Bishops, Priests, and nuns
-Those who will die today.
-The poor souls in purgatory.
-All those who are in danger of going to hell because of theirs ins.
Some examples of merciful deeds are:
-Sharing what you have with a brother, sister, or friend.
-If your brother makes a mess, clean it up, without saying anything.
-Helping your mom clean even when she does not ask
-Asking your father if you can help him with something
-Letting your brother watch the television program he wants rather than the one you want.
-Always be thinking in every circumstance how you can be helping others.
-Making little sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and the poor souls in purgatory. More will be said about making sacrifices in the next chapter.
-Doing something kind to someone who hurts you.
6. Can we be forgiven if we do not forgive?
No, if we do not forgive the offenses of others, we will not be forgiven.
After teaching us the Our Father, Jesus said, “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you.” (Matthew 6: 14-15)
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
St John Bosco had a great love for Jesus in the Eucharist and for Mary. Jesus and Mary gave him a great love for the poor. As a result, St John spent his life helping the poor, especially te young who did not have a home. There were many poor young people who were not being cared for in Turin. St John educated them, helped them to learn a trade, taught them that they lwere loved by God, and helped them to live good Christian lives. The Blessed Virgin spoke to St. John in a dream. She told him the two major reasons why Christians go to hell are for sins of the flesh and for not helping the poor.
St John Bosco noted that one of the reasons that he had received so many blessings from God was because he had always tried to help others, especially the poor. As Jesus said, “Give and gifts will be given to you… For the measure with which you measure will in turn be measured out to you .” (Luke 6:38)
