Mercy Word of the Week

The Mercy Word of the Week

As we progress through the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, University Ministry offers our community a "Mercy Word of the Week" to help us focus on the themes of mercy that are already, so closely aligned to our mission and heritage as an institution sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy.

The first Monday of each month will bring a brief reflection on each of the University's Core Values as expressions of our Mercy charism. We hope these focused thoughts will lead to your own considered contemplation on mercy and its role in your life.

Welcome: Welcoming, as St. Paul expresses it in his letter to the Romans, means to "welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." Being welcoming to others or offering hospitality is something we are called to do in our everyday lives and especially during this year of Mercy. To whom in our community do we need to be more welcoming? What about the wider society?

Creating spaces and communities where others feel welcomed and experience a sense of belonging breaks down barriers. Each of us carries the responsibility of being a smiling face and a warm presence in the lives of the strangers we meet in our daily lives. A welcoming attitude requires us to slow down and be attentive to others. Being welcoming doesn’t cost us anything, and it allows us to honor our commitment to our Mercy values of respect and hospitality.

Joseph Preston

Director of Pastoral Ministry

University Mission and Ministry

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