To-do List

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

* Admonish the sinner
* Instruct the ignorant
* Counsel the doubtful
* Comfort the sorrowful
* Bear wrongs patiently
* Forgive all injuries
* Pray for the living and the dead

Catholic Matriarch reminds us of a crucial teaching for Catholics: This list should demand as much from us as the obligation to volunteer at soup kitchens, donate clothes to Goodwill, or visit our loved ones in nursing homes.

The great thing about being a Body of Christ is that each of us can complete where the other lacks. I haven't been involved in prison ministry, but I do bear wrongs patiently.

Looking at this list reveals how much mercy I've been shown, a fitting thought as I ponder the wisdom of Abbot Joseph.