A friend of mine observes in the introduction to one of his books, “Growing up it was never my ambition to be married to a priest.” I can understand the sentiment.
But I am — and it turns out that it has wonderful benefits. Not the least of which is the fact that when she preaches I can count on hearing a good sermon. That’s not a foregone conclusion otherwise!
Today she was celebrating Eucharist for a small provincial gathering of lay women and I was invited to join them. Natalie talked about the beatitudes and, in particular, the beatitude that declares, “Blessed are the merciful…”
The merciful, she noted, are lumped together with the “meek” who — though the Greek means “obedient” — are labeled “milk toast” by most people who read an English translation. The merciful are — like them — willing to forgive anything, spiritual door mats — well, milk toast.
In fact, the church has always understood acts of mercy very differently. There are two kinds, corporal and spiritual.
Corporal acts of mercy include:
Feed the Hungry
Give Drink to the Thirsty
Clothe the Naked
Shelter the Homeless
Visit the Sick
Visit the Imprisoned
Bury the Dead
Spiritual acts of mercy are:
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Admonish sinners
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive offences willingly
Comfort the afflicted
The stories she told were of two women who devote themselves to just such acts of mercy. One, who in Canada, acted as power of attorney and guardian to disabled people who were without relatives to safe guard their interests and provide for their the own care. The other a woman who does volunteer work teaching dancing in a prison.
Pretty impressive and not the work of milk toast. She asked them, “What act of mercy can you perform?”
It’s a question worth pondering….from a fabulous preacher.
I miss you wife’s sermons!
As another first child (although not technically, as my older sister passed away before I was born), I have strived to be ahead of everyone, but now as an adult, I’ve let my brothers outdo me. Now my goal is to let everyone else get ahead and I’ll coast along in the jet stream! Lovely thoughts…