#MercyMatters

On December 8, 2015, Pope Francis opens the Holy Door in Rome, kicking off the Jubilee Year of Mercy. December 8 is already a special day, as we celebrate the feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. This feast day finds itself in the season of Advent, when we are waiting for Christ’s birth. God’s merciful act of love was made concrete in the birth of his Son, Jesus. In turn, Jesus made God’s love for us concrete through the relationships he formed, the way he loved, his compassion, his healing and forgiveness, and through whom he called to follow him.

We, too, are called to continue to make present God’s mercy through our actions, our words, our relationships, and our compassionate hearts. As Pope Francis says in his Papal Bull, Misericordiae Vultus, on the Year of Mercy, “The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God” (#12).

So let’s do just that this year: Announce the Mercy of God!I invite you to join a group of Ignatian colleagues as we seek to announce the mercy of God through a hashtag campaign, #MercyMatters. Our purpose is simple: we want to spread the message of God’s mercy and invite people to take part in it.

If you witness one of God’s merciful acts, experience God’s mercy, or see, read, or hear something that reminds you of God’s unending merciful love for us, share it using the hashtag on your favorite social media channels. Our hope is that the message of God’s mercy spreads far and wide in this Jubilee Year.

I hope you will join us on our mission to let people know #MercyMatters!

Start by sharing this post and the image below.

Ignatian colleagues involved in this campaign include:

Becky Eldredge

Mike Hayes

Fr. Michael Alello

Lauren Gaffey

Denise Gorss

Mary Mahaffey

Beth Knobbe

Andy Otto

Stephanie Clouatre-Davis