A Cry for Mercy
by
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I was a stranger and you sent me away…
What started me down this path of writing about the state of our Church was a recent interaction I had. At our Parish, we served coffee and donuts in the hall after the various Masses. One Sunday, I was sitting with our Pastor and one of the head ushers. A man came in and stood nervously nearby, hesitant to engage us. Finally, he came over and spoke to the Pastor about “getting some help.” He was out of work and just needed something to help him through the weekend until he could get to a shelter on Monday. Our Pastor was rather direct with him and said that the Parish Office was closed and wouldn’t reopen until Monday. He suggested that the man come back then. The man persisted, indicating that he had no place to sleep that night. Our Pastor also persisted in his assertion that there was nothing he could do until Monday. The man began to leave, and I offered for him to help himself to some coffee and donuts and that I would cover the costs. As he walked away, the Pastor gave a disapproving look to the usher, and the usher made a comment about the “homeless bum, probably a drunk and we shouldn’t be enabling him.” I felt ashamed of our responses to this man in need. It would not surprise me if he was an alcoholic, and that this was another way for him to continue in his own sin without taking responsibility for his life. But I didn’t know that and neither did our pastor or the usher. What we did know is that a man asked for help, and we turned him away. I don’t think Jesus was pleased.
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About the Book
There are so few places in the world to find love, mercy, and peace. Yet in his deep love and compassion for us, God has provided his church and his saints as our way to seek him and find what we so desperately need. But at a time where we have never needed God more, it seems like our church has never reflected God’s mercy less.
A Cry for Mercy is about how the church today is failing to hear the cries of the people of God. Author William Cawley explains how the church’s lack of meeting people’s needs has affected its relevance today, and he offers his thoughts on what the church needs to do to come back to operating as Christ intended. We all have spiritual needs, and although the church is experiencing prophesied difficulties, God will never give up on us. But we must surrender to him and his love, and respond to him more willingly.
If you’ve experienced the diminishing relevance of the Catholic church and are tired of crying out to have your spiritual needs met, then A Cry For Mercy will touch your heart and your conscience. Moreover, it will provide a clear path to renewing the saints of God—and by extension, the church.
About the Author
William Cawley is a cradle Catholic who attended Catholic grade school, Catholic high school, and some Catholic college before graduating from the University of South Florida. He is also a husband and a father, and he has served his church as a pro-life leader, Eucharistic minister, RCIA sponsor, and catechist; he has also served his church as a buddy to those suffering from AIDS.