Allocutio at the July 2016 Concilium Meeting by Fr. Bede McGregor OP

The Legion and the Spiritual Works of Mercy
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Several months ago, in preparation for the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we reflected several times on the role of mercy in the history and spirituality of the Legion. Now that we are in the midst of this grace-filled year I want to return to this great theme since it is practically impossible to have an authentic image of God or an understanding of the future of the apostolate without an appreciation of the real meaning of mercy. Mercy is the most profound name of God in relationship to wounded and sinful humanity and all apostolate is really allowing ourselves to be instruments of God’s mercy to one another.

One of the great blessings of the Year of Mercy so far has been the production of so many books, pamphlets, and articles of every aspect of Divine Mercy. The writings of Pope Francis in particular are truly inspiring, helpful and accessible and I strongly recommend that we immerse ourselves in them. But today I wish to meditate on the spiritual works of mercy as highlighted in the Handbook.

First of all we know that love of our neighbour includes seeking to meet his bodily and spiritual needs. In other words the Christian is committed to the care of the whole person, body and soul. It is not a question of one or the other but of both to the best of our abilities and opportunities. But the needs of the soul are supremely important as the well-known words of Our Lord put it: ‘what does it profit a person if he gained the whole world and suffers the loss of his very soul.’ (Mark 8:36). The salvation of souls is the clear and defining purpose of the life of Jesus. He says several times in a most emphatic way: ‘I came to call sinners.’ That is also the defining purpose of the Legion. The salvation of souls is the most sublime work of mercy.

Normally when explaining the corporal works of mercy theologians refer to the scriptural basis in the Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew where he describes what the Last Judgment will be like. It is summed up in the challenging words: ‘Whatever you did to the least of my brethren you did it to me.’ But this text of Matthew can be applied even more profoundly to the spiritual works of mercy. The spiritually impoverished are starving for the Eucharist and you led them to me. They were thirsting to be loved and you helped them to understand my infinite love for them in my cry: ‘I thirst.’ In their human weakness and sinfulness they despaired of forgiveness and you brought them to me in the Sacrament of Divine Mercy and forgiveness. To the sick and dying and those in all kinds of physical and spiritual suffering you were not content to see them simply dying a painless death but you prayed with them and helped them to meet me in a loving judgment. To those who saw themselves as failures or of no use to anybody and steeped in loneliness and abandonment you brought me to them and shared with them the joy of the Gospel. There are so many spiritually deprived and humanly destitute in the prisons, mental hospitals, nursing homes and in so many other kinds on institutions and you brought me to them by your presence and friendship with them. You were not afraid to talk with them about me and how infinitely important they are to me and what I have done for them to show them my love. You have engaged in so many of the spiritual works of mercy. You are most welcome into my kingdom for all eternity. The desire for the salvation of souls is the greatest gift that I have given to the Legion at the request of my Mother and yours. Treasure it.

As you probably guessed, I have just paraphrased in different words so many sections of the Handbook and especially Chapters 37 n.6: ‘Work for the most wretched and dejected of the population.’ Let me quote just some of the most challenging passages in the Handbook: ‘Until the Legion in any centre can say with truth that its members know personally, and are in touch in some way with each and every member of the degraded classes, its work must be regarded as being still in a stage of incomplete development, and efforts in this direction must be intensified.

‘No searcher after the rare and most precious things of the earth must pursue his heart’s desire more earnestly than the legionary pressing after these unfortunates of the world. His search may be their only chance of life eternal. Frequently they are so inaccessible to good influences that prison represents for them a blessing in disguise,’ or very simply the challenging question: ‘What price shall a man give for a soul?’
We have already spoken of Mary at other meetings as the Mother of Mercy, but I would like to say that just as the mission of Jesus is defined in terms of the salvation of sinners, so too can the maternal heart of Mary be defined as a care and love for the salvation of sinners. As we know, Our Lady has appeared all over the world and when she speaks she has the same message in all of them: ‘Pray for sinners. Do penance for sinners.’ One of the favorite prayers she taught us is in the Fatima prayer: ‘O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in need of your mercy.’ Those most in need of God’s mercy are especially the concern of Mary and therefore of the Legion. So the Legion prays a million times every day: ‘Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.’