JUBILEE OF MERCY 8th December 2015 - 20th November 2016
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The Jubilee Year of Mercy
Some Excerpts from Pope Francis’ Letter of Mercy (Misericordiae Vultus):
Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth. The Father, “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4), after having revealed his name to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout history, his divine nature. In the “fullness of time” (Gal 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person, reveals the mercy of God.
We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.
Pope Francis and our Bishop Patrick are asking us to be involved in welcoming and living out the Jubilee year of Mercy. We have been asked to have a decorated Door of Mercy to remind us of God’s mercy in our lives. By opening His Arms and Heart on the Cross, Jesus is the door, the gateway leading us to God.
Some Excerpts from Pope Francis’ Letter of Mercy (Misericordiae Vultus):
Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth. The Father, “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4), after having revealed his name to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout history, his divine nature. In the “fullness of time” (Gal 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person, reveals the mercy of God.
We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.
Pope Francis and our Bishop Patrick are asking us to be involved in welcoming and living out the Jubilee year of Mercy. We have been asked to have a decorated Door of Mercy to remind us of God’s mercy in our lives. By opening His Arms and Heart on the Cross, Jesus is the door, the gateway leading us to God.
