Leader's Guide for Meditations on Mercy Monthly Sessions

This is a resource that can be used with small groups during theJubilee of Mercy to foster a greater awareness of God's call to act with mercy in our lives. These monthly reflections are based on scripture passages and Misericordiae Vultus, the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee of Mercy. Misericordiae Vultus is the document that accompanied the announcement of the Jubilee year and lays out aspects and themes of the year that are important. This resource contains a guide for twelve sessions, each lasting approximately one hour, throughout the Jubilee of Mercy (December 8, 2015-November 20, 2016). 

Overview

  • There are twelve sessions, one per month, from December 2015-November 2016.
  • Each session is approximately one hour.
  • This guide provides a basic structure of each session, including opening and closing prayers, references to Scripture and passages in Misericordiae Vultus, reflections for each month based on various themes of mercy, discussion questions for reflection, and the opportunity to put the works of mercy in action in your local community.

Required Materials

Additional Materials

The Session

Gathering

(10 minutes)

Discussion of Last Month's Act of Mercy

(15 minutes)
  • What was your experience?
  • What did you learn from this experience?
  • Did this experience relate to anything you discussed at the last meeting?
  • Is this an activity you would continue to do?
  • Other questions that might have arisen from the experience?

[Current Month's] Meditation on Mercy

(20 minutes)
  • Read the scripture passage.
  • Read parts of the relevant passages from Misericordiae Vultus (the ones cited in the reflection; optional).
  • Read the meditation aloud.
  • Discuss the reflection questions.

Mercy in Motion

(10 minutes)
  • Pick a different corporal or spiritual work of mercy to do in the coming month, togetheror separately. Read the monthly Moments of Mercy reflection. These works of mercy should respond to the needs of your local community. Discuss how this relates to your discussion on the meditation. Don't forget to share pictures or your thoughts on your experience on social media @USCCB, #mercyinmotion.

Closing Prayer

(5 minutes)
  • Assemble intentions and reflections from this week's gathering.
  • This can vary in format from month to month, depending on the needs of the group.