Year of Mercy: A Year of Lord’s Favour

St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, 12:8, encourages us to be cheerful, “he who does mercy, let him do it with cheerfulness.” Jesus Christ proclaims the year of Lord’s favour after he read and explained the scroll of Prophet Isaiah. He proclaims that the Spirit of God is on Him to liberate every person in bondage of all sorts, (Luke 4:18).

Freedom in the Year of Mercy

Holy Father expresses his desire that every person who is bound by the modern forms of slavery in the society must be free. We need to help persons to see who are caught up in themselves, and either refusing to see others or blinded by themselves. We also need to restore dignity of the each person. As Pope’s universal intention for the month November states, we must be open to personal encounter and dialogue with all, even those whose convictions differ from ours.  Pope John Paul II in his encyclical “Dives in Misercordia” (Rich in Mercy) expresses that we must not forget the theme of mercy in our cultural milieu in the contemporary world. Hence, this mission is given to each one us in the year of Lord’s Favour.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Holy Father speaks about the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Season of Lent in the Year of Mercy. Mercy is intense during this season because the scripture readings during the Lent show us a merciful Father. Pope is proposing that every diocese must celebrate “24 hours for the Lord” on Friday and Saturday preceding fourth week of Lent. So many people, including young people can an opportunity to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, because through Reconciliation, we find interior peace. Pope is asking the priests to be authentic signs of the Father’s mercy through the sacrament of reconciliation, and above all, the priests must allow themselves to be penitents in search of the Father’s mercy. Priests also can go out to look and show mercy for the son who stands outside, incapable of rejoicing.

Conversion of the Criminal and Corrupt

Holy Father is directing the invitation of the message of mercy to conversion of those whose behaviour distances from the grace of God, particularly, men and women belonging to criminal organisations of any kind. This call to conversion is for their own and good of the others because violence inflicted for the sake of amassing riches soaked in blood makes one neither powerful nor immortal. No one can escape from God’s judgement. This same invitation is extended to those who either perpetrate or participate in corruption. An invitation to change their ideas and lives because corruption threatens very foundation of personal and social life and most importantly, its tyrannical greed shatters the plans of the weak and tramples upon the poorest of the poor. We have responsibility for each other even more to the poorest of the poor.

Mercy towards Judaism and Islam

Every religion considers mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes. Among the privileged names that Islam attributes to the Creator are “Merciful and Kind”, therefore, we have share a common attribute of God. We must know that no one can place a limit on divine mercy because its doors are always open. May our unity foster brotherhood and eliminate every form of closed mindedness and disrespect and drive out every form of violence and discrimination.

I would like to conclude with the last paragraph of the Pope’s bull, “I present, therefore, this Extraordinary Jubilee Year dedicated to living our in our daily lives the mercy which the Father constantly extends to all of us. In this jubilee Year, let us allow God to surprise us. He never tires of casting open the doors of his heart and of repeating that he loves us and wants to share his love with us. The Church feels the urgent need to proclaim God’s mercy. May the Church echo the word of God that resounds strong and clear as a message and a sign of pardon, strength, aid and love. May she never tire of extending mercy, and be ever patient in offering compassion and comfort. May the Church become the voice of every man and woman, and repeat confidently without end: “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for the have been from of old.” (Ps 25:6)

Year of Mercy: A Church for all

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ brings a compassionate and loving message of His Divine Mercy through St Faustina Kawalska on February 22, 1931. In her diary she writes these words of our Lord, “The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous; the red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My most tender Mercy at that time when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross.... Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him." The image of the Divine Mercy of Christ shows forth compassionate and merciful hand of the Father in the world. It gives me bliss to share a few thoughts on the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. 

Holy Father will be Opening the Holy Doors of the Cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady on the 8th December 2015. In the following weeks, the Holy Doors of the Papal Basilicas will be opened. After which, Pope will announce to the local church, at the Cathedral, the mother Church of the faithful to do the same for the Year of Mercy. Pope Francis has twofold intention for this symbolic gesture, namely, closing of the 50th anniversary of the Vatican Council and the Holy Door will be opened to all, especially broken and wounded. The Diocese of Georgetown will be opening its Holy Doors on the 13th December 2015. Some of the parishes in the Diocese also will hold several activities pointed towards the Year of Mercy. 

Merciful Father

Holy Father has released the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy. In his bull, Pope Francis has called on the Church to “be merciful just as the Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary to bring Father’s Mercy to every human person. Mercy has become visible through Christ in our world. Through Mercy, God has come to meet us as the ultimate and supreme act to the humanity. When humanity is faced with gravity of sin, God responded to us by sending us His own Son through Mother Mary. Mercy of God is His loving concern for each one of us and this is evident in the scriptures. God desires our wellbeing, happiness and peace. In order that mercy of the Father to be effective, we must be merciful to each other just as the Father is merciful. We will have to gaze attentively to the mystery of that mercy so that we also can be effective sharers of the Father’s Mercy. 

Mercy in the Church

Christ intended that His Church be merciful as He has been merciful. If anyone us has an experience of Mercy from God, we also must be merciful to our brothers and sisters. If God can be merciful towards his creation, why not His creation be merciful? Mercy is the very foundation for the life of the Church. Our pastoral approach must be tender and compassionate, especially towards the weak and vulnerable. The Church is mercy personified, hence, wherever there is Church present, mercy of the Father must be evident. We must never be tired of extending mercy in the Church. This way, a Church can become voice to every man and woman. 

Works of Mercy

Let us now reflect on the Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy. Christ Himself introduces these works Mercy and it is evident in the Scriptures as well, especially Mathew’s Gospel 25:35-40. 

Corporal Works of Mercy: Feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome strangers, heal the sick, visit the prisons, and bury the dead. 

Spiritual Works Mercy: Counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorance, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, be patient towards who do us ill, pray for the living and the dead. 

I would like to conclude with the words from Pope’s bull, paragraph 15, “In this Holy Year, we look forward to the experience of opening our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society: fringes which modern society itself creates. The Church will be called to heal wounds and to assuage them with the oil of consolation, to bind them with mercy and cure them with solidarity and vigilant care.