The Church of Mercy (Week 1 of 6)
Dear Readers,
We hope you’ve been enjoying a beautiful Christmas season with your friends and family. With the advent of the new year, we are beginning a new chapter in our spiritual reading book club! You may be aware that Pope Francis has designated this liturgical year a Holy Year of Mercy. In order to help each of us better contemplate the virtue of mercy, we’ve decided to devote our year of reading to the subject, beginning with The Church of Mercy, a compilation of words both spoken and written on the subject by Pope Francis, himself!
The following was taken from the back of my book:
In the year since he was elected, Pope Francis’ simple message of mercy, service, and renewal has spread to every corner of the world. Through his gentle demeanor, selfless actions, and welcoming call for service to others, Pope Francis has captured the attention of a world longing for an authentic message of hope – we want to hear what he has to say.
Collected from Pope Francis’ speeches, homilies, and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, The Church of Mercy is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church. From how to be citizens of the world to answering God’s call for evangelization, Pope Francis’ deep wisdom reminds us that the Church must move beyond its own walls and joyfully bring God’s mercy wherever suffering, division, or injustice exists.
Named TIME Magazine’s 2013 “Person of the Year,” Pope Francis is helping the Church continue toward an authentic Christianity that is faithful to the Gospel and resonant with the world’s greatest needs. The Church of Mercy encourages each of us to ignite the flame within to help share the light of Christ and revitalize the Church.
Please join us as we contemplate the virtue of mercy at an intimate and more prayerful level. Obtain your copy of The Church of Mercy at your earliest convenience and join us as we begin our exploration! We plan to follow the schedule posted below:
(Note: Below designates when assignments are given – they are discussed the following week.):
Week Date Assignment:
Week One: 1/5 Part I & II
Week Two: 1/12 Part III & IV
Week Three: 1/19 Part V & VI
Week Four: 1/26 Part VII & VIII
Week Five: 2/2 Part IX & X
Week Six: 2/9 No Assignment
If you don’t have a copy this week, you will find it easy to catch up – this book is written simply and eloquently and you should find it easy to make up for lost time.
As you make your pass at the bookstore or library, you may want to take a sneak peak at our entire 2016 schedule:
The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis
The Second Greatest Story Ever Told by Fr. Michael Gaitley
Life of Christ by Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Beautiful Mercy by Matthew Kelly
We look forward to many enlightening discussions in the forthcoming year! Please join us in our reading and be sure to offer your insights by adding to the discussion in the Comment Box each week!
Happy Reading!
Discussion Questions:
1. What comes to mind when you think about mercy?
2. Have you read any of the books on our list? If so, please share your thoughts.
Read More: http://spiritualdirection.com/topics/book-club
For More Information on the Book Club: http://spiritualdirection.com/csd-book-club
About Vicki Burbach
Vicki Burbach is a wife and homeschooling mother of six children ages four to sixteen years who relishes the calm inspiration of spiritual reading amidst the roller coaster of life. A passionate convert to the Faith, Vicki is an avid reader who started the CSD book club so she could embark with likeminded bibliophiles on a spiritual journey through some of the greatest Catholic books ever written.
In addition to moderating the book club and managing family activities, Vicki also cooks, does laundry, cleans, does laundry, and, every once in a while, finds time to write for other publications, such as the National Catholic Register.
