Chotard Doll

Friends,

The parable of the Good Samaritan is so familiar to us that it’s easy to take it for granted. The young lawyer asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And the answer is, “Go and show mercy to your neighbor.”

But the standard of mercy in the parable is overwhelming: it involves concern, time, effort, commitment, and money. Above all, it involves the heart, allowing the situation of a stranger to change you, and arouse mercy. That is a demanding standard.

Jesus himself was repeatedly affected by the concerns of those around him: the parent of a sick child, the woman with the issue of blood, the man born blind, the widow burying her only child.

How can I show mercy? Sometimes in my life I am able to respond to an individual personally, by offering time and presence. Or sometimes I can make a monetary contribution to an organization able to help those in distress. 

But most often it seems that all I have to offer is the gift of intercession. I know, however, that prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit introduces a holy energy into God’s world. By taking the pain of our neighbor into our souls, we share in Christ’s ministry of love and healing, invoking his mercy for those we lift into his presence. 

I don’t know how this works, I only know it does. Prayer may be the most important gift we can offer to change the world, and to change ourselves. 

Faithfully, 

—Chotard