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by Sister Carolyn Zahringer
The end of another liturgical year is upon us! Where did another year go? As we look back over the year, what will we discover? How did we make use of the 365 days given to us by our God?
At the close of each calendar year, many people make resolutions that are soon tossed aside because they weren't practical. The close of the liturgical year is an opportunity to make a leap of faith, to do something transformative, with each day. We might ask at the beginning of each day for the Holy Spirit's help to see opportunities that need our compassion and mercy. We might choose to pray at the end of the day to see how we used the day. How much compassion and mercy was shared by us in our workplace, with our family?
Pope Francis has said numerous times that our God is a God of mercy. If we believe that to be true, wouldn't we be just a bit more merciful to another and to ourselves? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Pope Francis is challenging our Church and the world to spread mercy and love, not destruction and hatred.
There is a song that rings out: "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." May this song be in our hearts and on our lips as we move closer to the beginning of a new liturgical year, beginning the last Sunday of November.