Calling All Catholic Moms: We Need You! A Special Works of Mercy Project

Fellow Catholicmom.com contributor Emily Jaminet and I need your help on a project! In addition to our upcoming Catholicmom.com book Divine Mercy for Moms: Sharing the Lessons of St. Faustina, we are delighted to announce that we have launched a new online ministry called Divinemercyformoms.com. Its purpose is to help moms live a life of mercy, especially through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Emily and I have shared many ways to live out these works of mercy in our book, along with the advice of one of our favorite saints: St. Faustina Kowalska, the great apostle of mercy.

Now we need your input on how you live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in your life and with your children. Our site is designed for moms of all ages and stages, so whether you have a baby or are a grandmother, we need you! As mothers, we are constantly living out these works of mercy, both in our home and out of our homes. It is our desire to have hundreds of moms featured on our site sharing their testimonies to help inspire more moms, especially during this upcoming Year of Mercy.

At the bottom of this post are some examples of simple yet beautiful ideas from several moms we know to get your wheels turning. Visit our website and check under each corporal and spiritual work of mercy for more! Please submit any and all ideas to us on our contact us tab. When submitting an idea, please leave your name, number of children (and grandchildren if applicable!), city and state.

If you include your mailing address along with your submission and we will send you a FREE Divinemercyformoms.com holy card with the Prayer of Divine Transformation from the Diary of St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul. It's a beautiful prayer that Emily and I pray every day! You'll also be entered in a raffle to win one of our brand new Divine Mercy Bangle Bracelets - designed to help you remember to pray for specific intentions.

As Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC writes in the foreword to our book:

We need you, Catholic moms! From your often overlooked love, God will grant us extraordinary gifts of grace in the present time of mercy.

May God Bless You!

Our school has a Lenten soup lunch where the kids all eat bread and soup (a very simple meal) and collect money to send to their adopted friends in the Dominican Republic. It teaches them to make a small sacrifice that can make a big difference! – Sara, mom of 2, St. John, Indiana

We go to Mass downtown at least twice a month. I have the kids purchase a sandwich to give to the homeless on the streets. It doesn’t matter why they are there, but I know it is important for my kids to see their face and their God given dignity. – Mary Kate, mom of 4, Alexandria, VA

Reminding my children that they have a blessed material life compared to children in struggling third world countries doesn’t always hit home. But packing brown bagged snacks and running them 20 minutes across town to hungry kids at a center called “run the race” shows my children that there are hungry children in our own town who don’t come home to a snack or food in the refrigerator. These acts of charity can seem like one more thing on a mom’s endless to-do list, but they really impact our kids for a lifetime! – Deanna, mom of 3, Hilliard, Ohio

When we go out to eat, we let the children pick out a table and anonymously pick up the tab. Then the kids say a prayer for them. They try to pick someone out that looks like they could use a little spirit lift (or possibly a widower). Also, once a month make muffins or cookies for the homeless. – Teresa, mom of 3, Upper Arlington, Ohio

The kids make lunches for folks who utilize the PADS ministry (homeless shelter) every week through through their school. My kids make the lunch and provide a note of encouragement inside. – Virginia, mom of 3, Mundelein, Illinois

Years ago, I heard a homily that really stuck with me. The priest said that if every Catholic took care of feeding 4 people, we would feed the world. So…in 1990, I started sponsoring children through Unbound (formally known as the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA). My husband and I now sponsor 7 children a month through this great organization. Most of these organizations only ask for $20-30 a month – and we know our small donations really help our sponsored children. You can also “round up” your total bill to the next highest dollar for the food bank when you shop at Kroger. It’s easy and it’s another way to help people in your community….the change really adds up! – Peggy, mom of one, Columbus, Ohio

We thank you in advance for sharing your family's works of mercy with our readers!