As we read this short reflection we pray for the victims of violence, those who have died, their family, friends and communities.  We pray that the true peace of Jesus Christ may rest in the hearts of all people.

Visit the imprisoned, the Corporal Work of Mercy that we focus on this month is a little bit scary for many people. I have been writing a lot about marriage, relationship and how we understand them through the Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia the last few weeks but, in this Year of Mercy, I would like to return to the works of mercy for this week.

How do we visit the imprisoned? That is a good question and a hard question to answer. I think if we all decided to call the local jails and prisons in the area tomorrow and ask to visit a person that is incarcerated we would all be questioned and it would take months, if not years, to get the proper permissions and appointments necessary to visit someone in prison. Unless we are in the position of having a relative imprisoned it is very difficult to simply “visit the imprisoned.”

Too often in our society the life of the imprisoned is glamorized both positively and negatively. Whether on television or the movies we are given a glimpse of life within cells and walls, that for many of us, are easily left behind as we turn the channel and walk out of the theaters. The life portrayed doesn’t allow us to see the grinding weight of the loss of freedom and the violence done to the human spirit.

But once more it begs the question, how do we visit the imprisoned? I would certainly ask you to pray about joining ministries that do take time to go into the jails and prisons to visit those men and women are incarcerated. When I was in Morgan Hill as pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, we had a group of dedicated lay volunteers who visited the local juvenal facility on a weekly basis not only sharing the Gospel message but also the reality that each young person they visited was loved and cared for in the dignity of a child of God.

I believe this is the ultimate gift of visiting the imprisoned; we recognize the other as a child of God, whether free or imprisoned. So what can we do? We are reminded that the imprisonment does not end when they are released. Both the spiritual and mental imprisonment often continues as their “record” follows them into society. The Diocese of San Jose promotes a restorative justice model that assists those imprisoned with criminal records to find pathways of reintegration into society. The Catholic Church along with many other religious and social service agency work with families, especially children, to help them adjust and grow through the pain and burden of having family members imprisoned because of their actions. This is where our actions can make a difference of “visiting the imprisoned” when we choose to encounter in the other in hope sharing the gift of peace given by our Lord Jesus.

I understand that not everyone is able to help, volunteer or spend time in this act of mercy on a regular basis, but if through prayer and discernment you feel that this is where God is calling you to serve, then respond with generosity with the gift of your time and talent in being the hands and feet of Jesus.

To “visit the imprisoned” may be the most difficult work of mercy that we are called to do but each and everyone of us can and should begin with prayer: prayer for a more just society, prayer for the protection and sanctity of families, prayer for victims of crime and those who perpetrate acts of violence and prayer for the peace of Christ that is the one way to true community, true love and true peace in the world.

God Bless

Fr. Mark