31 May
31May

St. Augustine says that the mercies of God are two-fold:

1)   FORGIVENESS - We receive God's mercy when we forgive those who offend us.

*  "Forgive, and you shall be forgiven."  (St. Luke 6:37)

*  "Forgive thy neighbour if he hath hurt thee: and then shall thy sins be forgiven to thee when thou prayest."  (Ecclesiasticus 28:2) 

2)  ALMSGIVING - We receive God's mercy when we give back to Him what He initially gave to us!

*  "Give alms out of thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any poor person:  for so it shall come to pass that the face of the Lord shall not be turned from thee."  (Tobias 4:7)

*  "For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting."  (Tobias 12:9)

CALL TO ACTION:  Beg the Queen of Heaven and Mother of Mercy to intercede for us by praying the Regina Caeli.

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail our life our sweetness and our hope.  To thee do we cry poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, morning and weeping in this valley of tears.  Turn then most gracious Advocate thine eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.  Pray for us O Holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.