Dear Parishioners:
This week, the Jubilee of Mercy will
begin with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception December 8th. This is a time of special grace that Pope
Francis has established as a reminder to us that God is Merciful. Pope John Paul II set the theme of Mercy as a
bridge into the New Millennium. Now Pope
Francis is setting Mercy as a foundation for the unfolding of the New
Evangelization.
In our day, when religion is used as
an excuse for violence, it is clear that we need to step back and see the truth
of Who God IS. If we have an image of
God that is anything other than Mercy, we have not truly seen the Face of
God. The Year of Mercy will invite and
challenge all of us to look again at things to see them differently.
How do you understand Mercy? There are several perspectives that come to
mind when I reflect on this quality of God.
First, it is simply Love, that is, Love offered a second time once it
has been rejected. It is an invitation
to a new relationship that is deeper because it has been tested. It is a gift of “new space” in which to act,
a place of rest and retreat and promise.
It invites us to reach beyond ourselves to share more of what is most
true, beyond the superficial. It is a
compassion that is real and that restores whatever has been lost.
In the Year of Mercy, we are called
to allow God’s Mercy to change us. Pope
Francis’ Motto, “miserando atque eligendo”
is a description of how God looks at us.
He sees us as we truly our, in our sinfulness and need for Him, and at
the very same time, He chooses us to receive what He offers and to become His
ambassadors before the world. Jesus
looks at the tax collector Matthew and sees how he is on the fringes of the
People of God; He choose Matthew and invites him to follow Him. We see that Matthew’s response to Jesus’
invitation is still resounding through the ages. God is doing the same with us. He knows us and He chooses us to receive and
live His Mercy.
As we move forward into Advent and
as we enter into the Year of Mercy, let us open our hearts to God and become
the Church that we are meant to be, wearing the face of Mercy and inviting
others to move beyond the world’s limits into a living relationship with the
God of Mercy. Heavenly Father, have
Mercy on us!
Our Parish Advent Penance Service
will be celebrated Wednesday, December 9, at 7 p.m. Come to receive the healing touch of God’s
Mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Confession is good for the soul!
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