A Spiritual Work of Mercy for Today

Someone who would like to go anonymous crafted this idea and I offered to present it to whomever finds this post.  Please share if you like it!

~~See Prayer at the End of the Post~~

Central of our Faith is to do good to others. In times of epidemics, great Saints emerged in laying down their lives to care for the sick and dying, even at risk of their own health.

In this strange situation in which we find ourselves, while many are struggling with the virus itself, so many more are suffering as a result of the "lockdown" and the complete shakeup which that has brought to their lives.

Many of these people, if not a great majority, find themselves simply "stuck" at home. We are used to being able to go here and there as we wish, and most people send their kids to school or childcare during the day. So, being immobilized and presented with the (possibly) new task of homeschooling and shepherding their children all day, many people are growing frustrated and feeling ill-equipped for this new responsibility.

The situations are varied:
- some kids are at home but their parents still need to work full time and they are used to being at school or daycare.
- some kids are benefiting from extra time with their parents but the parents may have lost their livelihoods.
- some kids, unfortunately, are in situations where food might not be abundant or they live in unsafe homes.
- while some families are seeing little to no changes in their lives.

The Proposal

What is being suggesting should be joined with some prayer and penance.

Working within the social distancing laws,
1) freely distribute the prayer below
2) take this prayer and idea and re-post it.

Ideas on how to distribute the prayer so it reaches people who are not always on social media:
1) order some games or cards
2) when driving to pick up groceries, if you notice a house with bikes or toys outside (indicating kids live here), simply drop off the game with this prayer. No knock, no doorbell.
3) Or leave it on your porch, marked for your mailman, or outside for the men who come to pick up your garbage (they or their coworkers have families, too).
4) Or offer it to the person who delivers your groceries from the store.

Then, sincerely pray for that family, asking Our Lord to work in their lives in a powerful way.  Entrust them to Our Lord and have confidence that He will come to their assistance.

Other Ideas

Other ideas can include
1) leaving a potted vegetable plant at their doorstep
2) leaving a good, clean Christian film at their doorstep

So in summary,
1 - offer them the prayer,
2 - do some sort of almsgiving, and
3 - do some penance for them (i.e. fast, fast from sweets or from technology or from something you enjoy, put a pebble in your shoe, etc.)

Perhaps, through this whole spiritual work of mercy, you will see what you and your own family need from Our Lord.

Remember, when we are charitable to others, Our Lord is charitable to us.
~~~Prayer for Those at Home in the Pandemic~~~

O Jesus,
My world has really been turned upside down! But You know this.
My children are home with me and not at school, and I really was not ready for that!
But I know You teach us that children are a blessing, and all blessings are supposed to help me love You more sincerely.
Help me, then, my Jesus; You are all-powerful!
Make me good and patient, like You.
Make my kids sweet and happy, as You want them to be.
Help me be a good parent to them.
I need ideas! I am often at a loss for what to do with them, to help them play, to help them learn, to help them be good.
Jesus, I ask you, to live in my home with us!
Take up Your abode here – You are most welcome!
Here are Your children. I am your child also.
Do not abandon me in these times, but come closer to me instead.
You said, “Whatever you ask in My Name, I will do it.” (John 14:13)
Therefore, I trust that you will do this, since it is good for me and good for my children.
Welcome to our home, O Jesus, my Lord! Thank You for your goodness to us.
Amen.

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