Divine Mercy is infinite.

Free.

Bold.

Powerful.

Trustworthy.

I am. A pilgrim of mercy.

A new prison was being built in Jonathan's small town. Everybody was talking about it, and nobody was happy. But for some reason, Jonathan didn't feel that way. It took two years to build the prison, and Jonathan prayed every day for the prisoners that would be sent there. Some days, he would even drive over to the building site on the outskirts of town and pray as he watched the builders laboring. His wife didn't understand. His friends thought he was crazy. But Jonathan just kept hearing these words of Jesus. I was in prison and you visited me. He wasn't a pastor or a counselor or social worker, just a regular person with a desire to make a difference. "What do you want them to know?" His pastor asked Jonathan the Sunday before he first visited the prison. Jonathan replied, "I just want them to know that they are more than their worst mistake." Walking into the prison for the first time was an unsettling experience. The atmosphere was cold, the lighting was harsh, every sound, footsteps, the buzz of a security gate or a distant shout seem amplified, adding to the tension, making the environment feel even more unwelcoming. He was led to a room where a group of prisoners dressed in orange jumpsuits sat waiting for his visit. Jonathan was instantly seized by the concern that he wouldn't possibly be able to relate to them.

As he introduced himself, Jonathan shared a simple truth. "I'm here because I believe everyone deserves hope." His words seemed to hang in the air, met first with skepticism, then curiosity. A man who went by the name Raven finally broke the silence. "What makes you think we deserve hope?" Jonathan didn't know what to say at first, but then he started to tell a story from his own life. He spoke of a time he felt trapped, not by bars, but by his own mistakes and regrets. He shared how someone had once reached out to him when he thought no one cared. "That small act of kindness changed everything for me," Jonathan said. "And I believe it can for you too." The prisoners were still skeptical. Some thought they would never see him again. But week after week, Jonathan just kept showing up. Over time, he became a familiar face at the prison. He listened to their stories of loss and resilience, pain, and transformation. Through weekly conversations, he learned that many of the men longed for forgiveness, both from others and from God. And like most of us, they were struggling to forgive themselves. "All I have is my presence," Jonathan explained to his wife. "I just pray that my presence reminds them that they haven't been forgotten." One day, Raven, the man who had first questioned Jonathan's intentions, shared something extraordinary. "You showing up every week has done something I never thought possible," he said. "It made me believe I'm more than my worst mistake." When Raven was released after 10 years, he stayed in touch with Jonathan. He found a job and began rebuilding his life. He even joined a program to mentor at-risk youth, using his story to inspire others to make better choices. Mercy is always an invitation to a better life in large ways and small ways. Visiting prisoners was a calling for Jonathan. It started as an act of service, but it became a lesson in what it means to be human. He learned that everyone, no matter their circumstances, carries within them the potential for change. By simply showing up, he offered something invaluable: the gift of presence.

This story is a reminder that small acts of kindness, like visiting someone who feels forgotten, can plant seeds of hope in ways you may never imagine. When I wrote 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the power of the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. There are two insights that come to mind in relation to mercy. The first is that I have a true presence. I also have a false presence and a half presence. Being truly present to the person before us isn't easy; it requires real intentionality. The second is this: just as sitting in the presence of Jesus is enough, often our own presence is enough for other people. They don't need us to say anything. They don't need us to fuss. Just being present is enough. Jonathan's presence was enough for those prisoners. Your mere presence can be a great gift, not just to prisoners, but to anyone.

There are 1.9 million people incarcerated in the United States today. Our incarceration rate is 531 per 100,000 people. That's 4 times the incarceration rate of the United Kingdom, 6 times the incarceration rate of France, 8 times the incarceration rate of Germany, and 14 times the incarceration rate of Japan. It is estimated that 5% of men and women in prison in the United States are innocent. If these estimates are correct, that would mean 50,000 people. I imagine it would be easy enough to lose hope in prison, but imagine the anguish of sitting in a prison cell day and night for a crime you didn't commit. These people deserve our prayers and our advocacy. There is, however, one thing I feel compelled to draw your attention to, and that is, it is getting harder and harder to visit prisons for the purpose of ministry. And beyond that, there may be lots of factors that just make it impossible for you to visit a prison, and that's okay. As we've discussed before, don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can do, and don't look away. Commit here and now, today, to live out this corporal work of mercy in some way. Commit here and now, today, to visit the imprisoned with your prayers. The Holy Spirit will help us find a way once we make the commitment. Love is creative. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us find creative ways to live out the works of mercy, just like Saint Vitalis did. 20 years ago, I knew a woman who was unable to leave her home due to a disability. But she was always talking about the works of mercy. Finally, one day, I asked her, "Elizabeth, you can't leave your home. How do you fulfill your commitment to the works of mercy?" She smiled and took me through them one by one, explaining the ways she had come up with to live them with her disability. When it came to visiting the imprisoned, Elizabeth explained she did research as a volunteer for two nonprofit organizations that work to exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted and are serving prison sentences. The one thing we can all do, the one way we can all visit the imprisoned is with our prayers. We believe in the power of prayer, and the imprisoned desperately need our prayers. Let us visit them with our prayers each day. Add them to your morning prayers or your evening prayers or to your prayer before meals. There are also many ways to feel imprisoned in this world.

Some people feel imprisoned by fear, anxiety, depression, chronic illness, cultural expectations, a toxic relationship, poverty, debt, a job that is ill-suited to them, addiction, disability, and the list doesn't end there. Mercy is love reaching out to misery. These people are experiencing a different form of imprisonment, but they also need us to be harbingers of hope. They too need God's grace and mercy to liberate them from their prisons. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Are you sick and tired of hearing people say mass is boring? We want to eradicate those words from the Catholic vocabulary forever. Our Catholic Moments Initiative has already delivered groundbreaking programs for confirmation, first communion, first reconciliation, daily prayer, baptism, marriage preparation, and the fourth quarter of your life. And this year, we're excited to announce we're creating a game-changing program that will transform the way Catholics, young and old, experience the mass. Nobody who experiences this program will ever say mass is boring ever again. Everyone knows that mass is boring. Epidemic is a huge problem. The question is, who's willing to do something about it? If you are a Dynamic Catholic Ambassador, thank you. And this is what we are spending your money on this year. If you are not a Dynamic Catholic Ambassador, become one today, and together, let's eradicate, "Mass is boring," from the Catholic vernacular. Click the button below and choose your welcome gifts today. If you're already an Ambassador, increase your gift, and we will send you these exciting new gifts also. Thank you for partnering with us to put an end to, "Mass is boring." God bless you. And remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.

Eternal God–

In whom mercy is endless–

And the treasury of compassion inexhaustible–

Look kindly upon us–

And increase your mercy in us.

That in difficult moments–

We might not despair–

Nor become despondent.

But with great confidence–

Submit ourselves to your holy will–

Which is love and mercy itself.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

See you tomorrow.

Thank you, Ambassadors.

You are changing the world.

Have a great day.

Have a great day.

Have a great day. 

Hey, Harry. One of the best ways to be a pilgrim of mercy is to collaborate with God to create holy moments. So I figured, while we got a couple of moments here, you could inspire the audience. So let me ask you, what is today's Holy Moment Challenge?

Send a loving text to the first person that comes to mind.