When Jesus asked us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and visit the imprisoned, he didn’t mean it literally, right? Kerry Weber, a modern, young, single woman in New York City sets out to see if she can practice the Corporal Works of Mercy in an authentic, personal, meaningful manner while maintaining a full, robust, regular life. Weber, a lay Catholic, explores the Works of Mercy in the real world, with a gut-level honesty and transparency that people of urban, country, and suburban locales alike can relate to. Mercy in the City is for anyone who is struggling to live in a meaningful, merciful way amid the pressures of “real life.” For those who feel they are already overscheduled and too busy, for those who assume that they are not “religious enough” to practice the Works of Mercy, for those who worry that they are alone in their efforts to live an authentic life, Mercy in the City proves that by living as people for others, we learn to connect as people of faith.

-What kind of church nails its doors shut? -That would be the Triune Mercy Center. -And I am its pastor.- For 27 years Deb was a journalist in the Deep South. Then she retrained as a Baptist pastor, and accepted a post at the Triune Mercy Center, a run-down inner-city church where the homeless gathered. It was a shock. Gradually she learned whom she could trust ' and whom she couldn't. Sometimes the best person to handle a situation was a drug addict. Sometimes Jesus had the face of a prostitute. All were fiercely welcomed into this bewildering church family. Full of color and incident, Deb's story is a testament to messy grace and the presence of the Spirit in the hard places of the world. "Deb Richardson-Moore is one of my 'most admired' people. I love her heart, her experience-learned wisdom, her honesty and her passion. You will praise God for the work He is doing at the Triune Mercy Center." ' Ruth Graham, author of In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart -At the Triune Center, Deb not only found Christ among 'the least of these', but she also experienced Christ drawing her into His grand drama of redemption. Here is a loving, realistic account of a life commandeered for the work of God's Kingdom.-' Will Willimon, Bishop, The United Methodist Church and Professor of Christian Ministry, Duke University Divinity School -Immensely moving and inspiring, reminding us of the power of grace.-' Patrick Regan OBE, Founder and CEO of XLP -Causes you to see people in a way you never would have realised. Real, authentic and recommended reading.-' Roy Crowne, Executive Director, Hope

A fresh look at the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. If you've wondered what the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are--or you want to incorporate them more authentically into your interactions with others--this book is for you. Shea's unique wit and wisdom permeate these pages, bringing the works of mercy alive in practical ways and dealing with the difficulties that arise when trying to apply them now. How, for instance, do we "ransom the captive" in our present day, much less think of it as a virtue and not as a capitulation to terrorists? In a civilization where the poor suffer from obesity, what do we do about the command to feed the hungry? What does it mean to forgive? This book tackles the works of mercy in a reverent way, with attention to the many puzzles and complications that arise for the faithful Catholic who tries to live out the works of mercy. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER “Ms. Haigh is an expertly nuanced storyteller long overdue for major attention. Her work is gripping, real, and totally immersive, akin to that of writers as different as Richard Price, Richard Ford, and Richard Russo.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times The highly praised, “extraordinary” (New York Times Book Review) novel about the disparate lives that intersect at a women’s clinic in Boston, by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Haigh For almost a decade, Claudia has counseled patients at Mercy Street, a clinic in the heart of the city. The work is consuming, the unending dramas of women in crisis. For its patients, Mercy Street offers more than health care; for many, it is a second chance. But outside the clinic, the reality is different. Anonymous threats are frequent. A small, determined group of anti-abortion demonstrators appears each morning at its door. As the protests intensify, fear creeps into Claudia’s days, a humming anxiety she manages with frequent visits to Timmy, an affable pot dealer in the midst of his own existential crisis. At Timmy’s, she encounters a random assortment of customers, including Anthony, a lost soul who spends most of his life online, chatting with the mysterious Excelsior11—the screenname of Victor Prine, an anti-abortion crusader who has set his sights on Mercy Street and is ready to risk it all for his beliefs. Mercy Street is a novel for right now, a story of the polarized American present. Jennifer Haigh, “an expert natural storyteller with a keen sense of her characters’ humanity” (New York Times), has written a groundbreaking novel, a fearless examination of one of the most divisive issues of our time.

The 1980s and 1990s, the height of the AIDS crisis in the United States, was decades ago now, and many of the stories from this time remain hidden: A Catholic nun from a small Midwestern town packs up her life to move to New York City, where she throws herself into a community under assault from HIV and AIDS. A young priest sees himself in the many gay men dying from AIDS and grapples with how best to respond, eventually coming out as gay and putting his own career on the line. A gay Catholic with HIV loses his partner to AIDS and then flees the church, focusing his energy on his own health rather than fight an institution seemingly rejecting him. Set against the backdrop of the HIV and AIDS epidemic of the late twentieth century and the Catholic Church's crackdown on gay and lesbian activists, journalist Michael O'Loughlin searches out the untold stories of those who didn't look away, who at great personal cost chose compassion--even as he seeks insight for LGBTQ people of faith struggling to find a home in religious communities today. This is one journalist's--gay and Catholic himself--compelling picture of those quiet heroes who responded to human suffering when so much of society--and so much of the church--told them to look away. These pure acts of compassion and mercy offer us hope and inspiration as we continue to confront existential questions about what it means to be Americans, Christians, and human beings responding to those most in need.

Includes art gallery and an interview with the author.