# Putting Mercy Into Action
*2019-06-15*

> Bill Young reflects on Father Michael Gately’s “You Did It to Me” retreat, shares a personal encounter of charity, and explores the biblical call to works of mercy.

## Introducing the Retreat

Happy Father’s Day and Trinity Sunday! I’m excited to talk about a new self‑retreat by Fr. Michael Gately called *You Did It to Me: Putting Mercy into Action*. It’s a five‑lesson DVD series that’s easier to start than his three‑in‑one book. You can get the DVDs or the book from Marian Press (marianpress.org) or Amazon.

## The Gospel Call to Mercy

Fr. Gately begins with Matthew 25:31‑46, the judgment of the sheep and the goats. The King says, “I was hungry and you gave me food… I was sick and you visited me.” The righteous answer, “Lord, when did we see you?” and the King replies, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” This passage underlines that faith without works is dead; we must act for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned.

## A Personal Encounter

Last week I met a man in a suit who asked if there was a Jehovah’s Witness meeting. He was hungry and thirsty, so I gave him a can of diet Coke, some vanilla wafers, and the $2 bus fare he needed. The encounter reminded me that God sees every act of mercy, even when the recipient is from a different faith.

## Works of Mercy in Practice

Fr. Gately cites James 2:14‑26, emphasizing that faith without works cannot save. He reviews the corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead—and the spiritual works—counseling the ignorant, comforting the sorrowful, forgiving offenses, and praying for the dead. The Catechism (CCC 2247) calls these charitable actions the means by which we aid our neighbor’s bodily and spiritual needs.

## Living the Mercy

In South Florida we meet for the retreat on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. for four weeks. If you can’t attend, the DVDs are available from Marian Press. Look for local opportunities: parish food pantries, Vincentian outreach, or the Sisters of Charity’s soup kitchen. I was blessed to receive a holy card from a Sister of Charity that even contained a tiny piece of Mother Teresa’s habit—proof that ordinary people can be channels of divine mercy.

## Prayerful Conclusion

We closed with the Rosary (Joyful Mysteries) and a series of Hail Marys for love, hope, and the sick—especially my family members battling cancer. May the Holy Spirit inspire us to see Christ in the least among us and to act with compassion.

*Our faith is alive only when it moves us to serve the hungry, the thirsty, and all who are in need.*