You Tube Theology

Amidst an increasing emphasis on the disincarnated and the virtual, Dr William Cavanaugh suggests that we direct our attention to the suffering bodies that bear the wounds of Christ in our world. The inspiring vision of mercy that Pope Francis has offered us this year is an incarnated vision, realised in concrete works of mercy and solidarity with those who suffer encompassing both physical and spiritual needs. Francis' vision is not merely a vision of the Church as social service agency, but as a body always needing and offering mercy. The works of mercy connect us to the core of the Catholic faith, the idea that God has become incarnate among us in the figure of Christ, who incorporates our bodies into His body. In this way, too, the works of mercy connect us to the heart of Catholic spirituality and sacramentality as Eucharistic and reconciliatory, in which God offers his merciful love to a wounded and divided world, and incorporates us into that love-offering in Christ.