​Every so often we might hear about someone offering a ‘random act of kindness,’ usually a small gesture, but a blessing to the recipient. That’s lovely, but in truth, the term is quite misleading. There are no random acts of kindness because everyone we meet and every opportunity that reveals itself was arranged by God; God never does anything that is random. True, we have free will to decide to do the act, but everything has a purpose, and therefore, in all situations, God provides an invitation to which we either respond, ignore, or simply miss because we are not paying attention to His movements in our heart. We always possess freedom, yes, but when we choose to respond positively to God, our empathy and compassion are empowered (and heightened) by the movement of the Holy Spirit to which we have opened our hearts. The opportunity which arises, therefore, is anything but random: God offers it so we might positively affect both our own life and the life of the one we touch through the act. We learn how to identify these movements of His Spirit through prayer and study of Scripture; as we spend time with God, we learn better how He ‘operates,’ and therefore we know how to respond. Thus, the movement of our heart in empathy and compassion is actually His mercy alive and active within us. Our heart becomes one with the Heart of Jesus as we assent to that movement.

It is important to note that the Corporal Works of Mercy are acts of kindness. In His final discourse, as recorded by St. Matthew, Jesus listed them in the culmination of three parables. (Matthew 25)* In the first, Jesus described a wedding feast involving some wise and foolish virgins who were awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. The wise were those who prepared their souls for the next life, presumably by acts of kindness, compassion, and love. The second parable was about three men given a treasure to keep for a rich man. Two invested, receiving interest, and the third dug a hole and buried his portion, never allowing it to grow. The first two cultivated their gifts, thereby growing (presumably) in holiness; the third did nothing, and therefore remained as he was without furthering his spiritual life. The effect of his inaction was that he squandered an opportunity given by God. In the final parable, Jesus made it clear that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, and visiting the sick and imprisoned were acts that needed to be central to our response to Him. This means if we want to be His disciples, and more precisely, to be like Him, we must do what He does! This is not only important for the community; it is how we rise in holiness in order to be received into Heaven. 

There is nothing in what Jesus said which indicates that He expects perfection from us, but rather that He desires sincere intentions at the heart of our response when opportunities arise. Further, He desires that we begin to seek out opportunities instead of simply waiting for them to present themselves. The truth is that the more we learn to recognize the Holy Spirit and respond to His promptings, the more empathy we will have for those in need; the more acts we do in response to our empathy, the kinder we will become; the kinder we become, the more our hearts are shaped into His own heart. Empathy and kindness can only flow from the mercy of God which is offered to us. When we spend time in prayer, open to the ways we need to heal, grow, let go of attachments, and accept forgiveness (from Him), our hearts expand in love because we will be receiving the mercy of God. And as this process takes place, we grow in empathy and kindness. Remember, all sincere prayer always leads us outward in love. That is, the love that enters into our hearts has to overflow because our hearts are small, and God’s love opens and expands them. Indeed, kindness and empathy grow such that they become one with God’s mercy.

​God’s transformative Divine Mercy is the source, the empowerment, and the outflow of our assent to its growth within us. Acts of kindness are not random: God intentionally puts into our path every person who needs us to be His instruments of mercy. Everything is in God’s plan, and therefore, when we see an opportunity, it is because God is working in the life of the other as much as He is working in ours. That is to say, we are intended to be the answer to their prayers! When we commit ourselves to works of mercy in addition to those opportunities that present themselves, God always brings us to the ones who need it at that moment. And as we grow in holiness through our alignment with the Spirit, the possibilities for those to whom we go will increase also. The Psalmist, probably King David, understood the effect and purpose of our growth in holiness as well as how the Holy Spirit works to assist us in this growth. He wrote: “Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps. 23:6) Because God wants us to spend eternity with Him in His house, His goodness and mercy will pursue us unceasingly. Let us joyfully praise God for that!

May we learn to discern the goodness and mercy of God which is offered to us! May we respond to His mercy by allowing our hearts to expand in empathy and compassion! And may we become conduits of Divine Mercy as we offer what we receive as a gift to those to whom we are sent! Let us meet in the merciful and loving Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                            ©Michele L. Catanese

* In truth the final teaching in Matthew 25 is not a parable, though, some refer to it as if it is. Actually, it lacks the form of a true parable in relation to the 'formula' used in the others told by Jesus that appear in all 4 Gospels. Since that is ‘splitting hairs’ and a bit too technical, I shall refer to the final teaching as a parable. It is the point that I am trying to make that is important.

Images:
1. My photo; helping with an injury, blurred. This was taken on the descent portion of a mountain climb near Oropa, Italy.
2. Painting; The Wise and Foolish Virgins, by an anonymous 15th century painter, sometimes referred to as The Alexander Master. 
3. My photo; Chapel, Our Lady of Grace, where St. Padre Pio prayed daily. It is also where he received the stigmata, (he was in the choir loft when that happened.) San Giovanni Rotando, Italy.
4. Oil painting; The Good Samaritan by Vincent van Gogh. This is one of my favorite paintings by van Gogh.
5. Icon; Christ All Merciful, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. A copy in one of numerous mediums can be purchased at ​fineartamerica.com/featured/christ-all-merciful-022-william-hart-mcnichols.html

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.

Many are familiar with the line from the New Testament, “God loves a cheerful giver.” It is not in the Gospels, however; it is from St. Paul. (2 Corinthians 9:7) St. Paul had a gift for synthesizing the gospel message of Jesus and teaching it to the people of various cities as they struggled to either understand the faith or to live it during times of oppression. The foundation of Paul’s teaching about our demeanor when we give is first, that we give. When the Church began (at Pentecost), one of their most obvious characteristics was to share everything in common. But that wasn’t all they did with what they had; they also shared joyfully with the poor. (Acts 2:42-47) This is exactly what Jesus taught, and therefore, whether in a material way or in service, (caritas), giving is something St. Paul would emphasize.* What is interesting, however, is that Paul highlights cheerfulness in our giving. Simply put, we give cheerfully when we share freely from a heart flowing with gratitude for what we have been given, which in turn gives rise to an outward expression as a response to God. This response is born of Divine Mercy, an expression of love, and the source of all we do. 

One of the best examples of a cheerful giver is that of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Among his friends and acquaintances St. Frassati was known for his smile (and his famous practical jokes). To the poor he was known not only for his smile, but also for his generosity and care.** While he was from a wealthy family, he gave in ways that sometimes were more sacrificial than anyone realized, including the choice to give which cost him his life. His parents were not understanding of him, yet he obeyed them with love; his love for them was deep, sincere, and unrelenting no matter how critical they were or how little they understood the faith which powered his choices. He knew they were oblivious to what he was doing for the poor, and in humility, he bore their misunderstanding, a result of his deep gratitude for God's grace of which he was acutely aware. 

One might wonder how St. Frassati ‘came by’ his holiness or what fueled such joy and passion. It is clear that the source was God, cultivated by hours of prayer and adoration. This holds true for all believers: God invites and plants the seeds, but we must ‘water’ them. Pier Giorgio loved the Eucharist and the worship of Jesus at Mass so profoundly that he begged for permission to attend Mass and to receive the Eucharist daily, something that was not the usual practice at the time.*** He often spent hours after Mass in silent prayer and adoration before leaving the church for his daily obligations and activities. The effect of God’s love upon Pier Giorgio, combined with his deep loving response to God, was that God’s own mercy and love poured out of him in all that he cheerfully sacrificed and through all his charitable deeds for everyone he encountered. Of course, giving is not always about money, as St. Frassati taught by his life. While he did spend his own money to buy medicine or goods for the poor, it was the love he showed everyone that set him apart. As we see in him, it is the practice of prayer which opens the heart so greatly, leading us outward to share a smile, a listening ear, a small gesture, a casual conversation with a ‘stranger,’ or to pass on some knowledge or information that might aid someone. However, because we are sinful, wounded, and imperfect, this way is impossible to sustain without regular communion with the Lord; with prayer, it becomes a grace-filled way of being. While many people cannot get to daily Mass or spend hours in adoration, everyone can carve out some time for silent worship every day and we can ask God to open our heart in generosity when opportunities arise, or perhaps simply recognize at least one blessing that took place so far that day, offering a prayer of gratitude.

Perhaps the reason the apostles were able to ‘recover’ after their failure (at Jesus’ crucifixion) was because they spent much time in reflection and prayer, first in sorrow and then after the Resurrection, in awe-filled gratitude. They allowed themselves to consider their failures and sinfulness, all the while letting in the mercy and light of Jesus which cast out the shame and gloom that had come upon them after His death. As they adored Jesus while in His presence, so too can we; as they partook of His Body and Blood, so too can we; as they became filled with awe and gratitude after spending time with Him, so too can we; and when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, (as are we) their response was to burst forth from the Upper Room in joy, gratitude, love, and mercy, as can we. 

Let us spend time with Jesus so that in times of trouble, attack, or doubt our hearts will remember His mercy and love, and therefore turn to Him with trust and confidence. Even a small amount of time spent in prayer regularly will open our hearts to craving more time with Him. Our prayer will lead to recognizing His presence in every situation and encounter, enabling a response of gratitude and joy as we offer what we have found through our ‘cheerful giving' to others. God indeed loves a cheerful giver because this is the way He gives His love freely to His beloved children.

May we respond to the grace and mercy of God with joyful gratitude! May we appreciate with gratitude the many freedoms we have in the USA as we celebrate our 250th year of Independence! And may we be cheerful givers, sharing the bounty of God’s mercy and love with our neighbors! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                                                           ©Michele L. Catanese

* Charity comes from the Latin word caritas, a form of love which is not limited to simply giving alms and goods. It is an attitude ‘within’ the gesture of giving: caritas is the attitude of love and mercy from which generosity flows.
** It is not as if St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (feast day July 4) had a smile plastered on his face at all times, something which would have been disingenuous. Rather, he had a sincere smile for everyone because he was a man at peace deep in his soul, having a heart filled with the love of Christ. You can read more about St. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s life, and the cause of his death at age 24, from one of the many resources on my website. Click here: https://www.catanesesd.com/books-on-saints.html or go to FrassatiUSA for more resources: https://www.frassatiusa.org/
*** At the time, Sunday Mass and major feast days were the only occasions when (Catholic) lay people could receive the Eucharist. Daily Mass was not the norm, except for Religious and priests. Perhaps our gratitude can be found in recognizing the profound gift we have in that we can go to Mass, receive Eucharist, and adore daily.

Images:
1. Painting; Giving to the Poor, Unknown artist, Wikipedia Commons
2. My photo of a painting; a portrait of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, (smiling) painted by his mother, Adelaide Ametis Frassati. I cropped my photo, which originally was of the entire painting.
3. My photo; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament found in a small church while walking in the city; Amsterdam, Holland. 
4. Icon; St. Andrew First Called, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. This can be found at ​fineartamerica.com/featured/st-andrew-the-first-called-135-william-hart-mcnichols.html
​5. My photo; Sky in New Zealand, north island.

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.