By Deacon Dan Dunn

Each year the church calls us to focus our spiritual growth on some aspect of our faith. I sometimes wonder what a specific year has to do with our call to holiness, peace, or as it is this year, a call to mercy. I am confused and want to understand what is meant by this call to mercy. I always thought that mercy was a gift that God gave us and did not understand that we too can be merciful. By declaring 2016 as a Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis is creating an expanded vision for the church in our Catholic community. God has mercy for us and we are now being called to express God’s mercy for us to others. I am now beginning to recognize the need I have to invite God’s mercy to heal me and by being healed I will notice the grace of God’s mercy flowing through me to others.

In its social context, Webster defines mercy as compassionate behavior on the part of those in power. How often do I feel compassion for someone in need of help but fail to follow through with supportive actions? In his Prayer for the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis reminds us that “we are the visible face of the invisible…God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy.” We are called to manifest the power of God’s mercy to others.

Members of our collaborative go to Cevicos in the Dominican Republic to support a parish community there. This mission was initially thought to be a mission of mercy to a people in dire need of help. We now know the people of Cevicos to be a people with needs but not a needy people. They are a happy people who appreciate our help and despite their circumstances are joyful and appreciative of life without much material wealth. Our outreach has now become an experience of giving and receiving blessings for both communities. While there are currently many active and well established ministries of mercy operating within our parishes and other agencies on Cape Ann, there is one population that remains hidden from our attention. They are the numerous nameless faces of human beings, called “homeless.”

When we hear the phrase “the plight of the homeless” it can be easy to turn our eyes and thoughts away and avoid connection. Can it begin to matter to me that forty or fifty of my neighbors are out in the cold during the winter months while I am in a warm place watching the Patriots? Can I begin to understand these individuals as having names, faces, loved ones, families and personal needs for well-being? If this does matter to me, what can I do? In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis appeals to us to begin to dialogue concerning the plight of the poor, the migrants and those who are marginalized in our communities.

Our first dialogue could be prayer and it is my belief that the election of Pope Francis to the papacy is a result of much prayer. Another way for making connection is to google ‘homelessness’ and learn more about the conditions that contribute to this expanding situation of poverty in our country. A simple smile as you pass on the street can be a welcomed gesture. A friendly “hello” can say that I am noticing your presence. We have learned not to notice each other. A smile or greeting offers mercy and a longed for connection with each other. Mother Teresa invites us to “do small things with great love.” Beyond these small and most important things that we can do, there is an urgent need for safety and protection from the ravages of the elements of winter. The Action Shelter offers dinner and overnight shelter seven days a week for those who are without homes. The Grace Center provides food and a safe day space four days a week. This leaves Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with no day time support for the well-being of those without homes. This situation deserves our attention and prayers if we are to be “ the visible face of the invisible…God, who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy.”

These are a few words from my wife, Nana: “I am a volunteer at the Grace Center and have spent many Sunday mornings in the church basement having coffee and donuts with the parishioners and our street people. I have noticed and want to acknowledge the amazing resilience and willingness in each person to proceed in their day-to-day living despite the frequent challenges and emergencies they experience. Without the stability, safety, security and sense of well-being that comes with having a ‘home’, each daily task becomes more complex and difficult. Yet there is an ability to adapt. Their thriving could have more potential if there were to be a more cohesive system for them to navigate, a kind of one stop shopping. Most have an underlying sense of hope. Their loosely held community is formed around a shared response to poverty and homelessness. In this leaderless community they are all leaders in the way they naturally respond to each other’s needs for support and care. I have been blessed and given the opportunity to learn to experience the ‘visible face…of the invisible God’ and to share the voice of the voiceless and unheard.”

Working with those who are homeless is just one urgent way for us to show God’s mercy. Let’s start having conversations about how we can all have a year of having reverence for all of life, showing the mercy, the love and compassion that is modeled for us by Jesus in the gospels, for all. Thank God for Pope Francis and the homeless who invite us to show God’s mercy.

Reverend Mr. Daniel Dunn, Permanent Deacon
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: dandunn6@msn.com

CCGR Weekly Bulletin (1-10-16)
Bringing Home the Word (1-10-16)
Daily Mass Readings

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Mercy Friday
Year of Mercy Special Event
Friday, January 15th