Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Jubille Year of Mercy 2016 (14)

Giovedì, 18 Agosto 2016 19:07

Blessed Titus Brandsma: A Strong and Merciful Father

Written by

Fr. Antonio,

Virtually everyone is familiar with the parable of the merciful father who welcomes back the prodigal son, as it has been told and imitated a thousand times in Christian history. Here, however, we would like to describe an actual historical exemplification of this parable. In the following story, fatherhood is encapsulated in the act of the merciful “regeneration” of a lost soul who converts even as she is responsible for killing the person who prompted her regeneration.

What follows is the powerful story of Father Titus Brandsma (1881-1942), a Dutch Carmelite priest who was deported and killed by the Nazis in the infamous Dachau concentration camp. (Source: Romeral, F. Millan. II coraggio della verita. Il Beato Tito Brandsma. Ancora, 2012.) At 59 years old, Father Brandsma was a professor of philosophy and the history of mysticism at the Catholic University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, where he also had the title of Rector Magnijicus.

As early as 1936 — in an era when news was not well disseminated or very reliable — he collaborated on a book entitled Dutch Voices on the Treatment of Jews in Germany. He wrote: “What is happening now against the Jews is an act of cowardice. The enemies and adversaries of that people are truly wretched if they believe they must act in such an inhumane way and if they think such action manifests or increases the strength of the German people. This is an illusion of weakness.”

German officials responded by classifying him an “evil professor.” Yet he was aware of his responsibility as a teacher, and he did not back down. In the academic year of 1938-39, he was already teaching on the “disastrous trends” of National Socialism (Nazism). His course dealt with the following fundamental arguments: the value and dignity of each and every human being whether healthy or sick; the equality and inherent goodness of all races; the indestructible and primary value of natural law over ideology; the presence and guidance of God throughout human history against political messianism; and idolatry of power. And all the while, he was aware that there were (Nazi) party spies present in his audience.

In 1941, the question exploded as to whether or not Catholic newspapers in the Netherlands should publish press releases and advertisements of the Dutch National Socialist Movement as required by a new law. Father Titus — who was then spiritual director to Catholic journalists — wasted no time in circulating the following memorandum: “Publishers and editors should know that they will have to formally reject such communications if they wish to preserve the Catholic identity of their newspapers. And they should do so even if such refusal leads to the newspaper being threatened, fined, or suspended temporarily or even permanently. There is nothing else possible to do. With this, we have reached our limit. Otherwise, they shall no longer be considered Catholic ... and they shall not, nor will they be able to rely on Catholic readers and subscribers any longer, and they shall end in disgrace.”

A few months later, Professor Brandsma was arrested and deported to the notorious Dachau concentration camp where he was subjected to every manner of humiliation and torture. And when it finally became necessary to admit him to the field hospital, his fate was sealed. We know what happened due to an exceptional eyewitness: the following account comes from the woman herself who killed him and who later converted because she could not rid herself of the memory of Father Titus.

She was a nurse by profession, but she obeyed the inhumane orders of the medical officers out of fear. She said that when Father Titus “was admitted into the infirmary, he was already on the ‘dead list.”’ She also described how sick experiments were performed on the patients (which she opposed) — including on Father Titus — and how its memory was burned within her. She said that the priest endured the abuse, repeating over and over, “Father, not my will, but may yours be done.” She related how all the patients hated her and routinely insulted her with the most disparaging names. (Such hatred was cordially reciprocated.) However, she was struck by the way the elderly priest treated her, instead, with the gentleness and respect of a father. She said, “He once took my hand and said to me, ‘What a poor girl you are, I will pray for you.’”

The prisoner gave her his own poor rosary made of copper and wood. However, this only irritated her, and she said she had no need of such an object because she did not know how to pray. Father Titus, however, responded: “You need not say the entire Hail Mary. Say only, ‘Pray for us sinners.’”

On that fateful day of July 25, 1942, the ward doctor handed her the syringe filled with carbolic acid to inject into Father Titus’ veins. It was a routine procedure which the nurse had already done hundreds of times. Yet the poor woman later recalled “feeling sick for the rest of the day.” The injection was administered at 1:50 p.m. and Father Titus died at 2:00 p.m. “I was there when he died,” the nurse later testified. “The doctor was sitting next to his bed with a stethoscope for the sake of appearances. When Father Tito’s heart stopped beating, he commented, ‘This pig is dead.’”

Father Titus always spoke well about his captors and torturers: “They, too, are children of the good God, and perhaps something still remains within them.” And God would grant him this final miracle. The camp doctor sarcastically referred to the poisonous syringe as an “injection of grace.” And while the nurse injected it into his veins, it was the intercession of Father Titus that truly instilled the grace of God within her. And during the process of canonization, the poor woman explained that the image of that old priest remained forever impressed in her memory. She saw something in his face that she had never before experienced. She said simply: “He had compassion on me.” Like Christ.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Martedì, 22 Marzo 2016 19:04

Mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution, justice without mercy is cruelty

Written by

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa, and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference.

On 24 November [2008], at the Quadrivium Hall in Genoa, Italy, a meeting was held on the theme: "justice and Mercy". It was the first in a series of lectures entitled "Giving freely without boundaries". The following is a translation from Italian, of excerpts of the conference given by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa, and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference.

The conviction reached by the Church in light of what she has witnessed during the 2,000 years of her history with biblical Revelation, is that... fallen order and broken harmony are not perfectly re-established without the unity of justice and mercy. I repeat: unity between them.

Indeed, it would be a real crime if in the current circumstances — facing the divisions prevalent in humanity and in individual countries, as well as the rivalry that sets tribes, families and individual peoples against one another one were to conclude that speaking of justice and mercy was utterly pointless.

Instead, I believe that despite the difficulties present in certain situations, one can and must speak of them. It is particularly important to do so when it is clearly understood that justice and mercy are not alternative terms, nor do they signify opposing goals. Considering the relationship between secularism and faith as if they belonged to two unrelated spheres is exactly how a certain contemporary sensibility likes to describe them.

John Paul II said in his fundamental Encyclical, Dives in misericordia, states that "It would be difficult not to notice that very often programmes which start from the idea of justice and which ought to assist its fulfillment among individuals, groups and human societies, in practice suffer from distortions. Although they continue to appeal to the idea of justice, nevertheless experience shows that other negative forces have gained the upper hand over justice, such as spite, hatred and even cruelty" (n. 12).

In fact, the experience of the past and of our time shows that human justice is always fragile and imperfect, exposed as it is to the limitations and conditioning of individuals or groups, and must therefore be exercised and in a certain sense — supported by mercy, which is the interior form of love. Indeed, John Paul II explains further, "it becomes more evident that love is transformed into mercy when it is necessary to go beyond the precise norm of justice —precise and often too narrow (ibid., n. 5).

The question of the relationship between justice and mercy is an ancient one that has marked the development of Western civilization from the outset. Every time that the mind has attempted to put order between tendentially adverse opposites, such as personal freedom and social order, sin and punishment, recovery and redemption the relationship between justice and mercy has arisen regularly.

Christianity entered into this speculative effort that was so prevalent in the Greek world — from Socrates to Aristotle and Plato — and in the Roman world — from Cicero to Seneca and to Marcus Aurelius — proposing a daring synthesis that was new while at the same time containing much classical thought; thus was it to leave its mark on history. In this synthesis the ordo iustitiae and the ordo amoris are distinct yet, at the same time, deeply permeate each other.

With the Christian proclamation, justice and mercy stopped being alternatives once and for all. They became virtues that are not only interconnected but also indispensable to each other.

"Mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution", St. Thomas was to say, adding that "justice without mercy is cruelty". It is a symbiotic relationship in which the dignity of the person is nevertheless its crucial compass, delegated to confer upon justice its own true dynamism, its true value. Thus it impels justice towards ever loftier goals which, finding fulfilment in mercy, bring humanity's journey to correspond ever more closely to the image of God impressed upon the human face.

Love "does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right", St. Paul says (I Cor 13:6). In fact, true mercy first requires justice, the necessary basis of social life, in which the order of Good must prevail. Those who wish to be merciful must first of all be just and feel the inner pangs produced by the "hunger and thirst for justice" of which Jesus speaks in the Sermon on the Mount.

If it wishes to take its full course mercy must first produce justice. For this reason, mercy neither opposes nor creates alibis for justice but rather contains justice as its principal expression and essential moment. Mercy, therefore, inspires and commands justice, giving it life and light so that it is better able to surpass its own rigid and formal definitions.

The most exalted expression of this perspective is found in the teaching and life of Christ. The Lord, in many Gospel passages, while manifesting what we today would call "respect for the institutions" and for the laws of the epoch, at the same time points out the way to a superior justice that goes beyond narrow, psychological justice and transfigures it.

And he does so until his very last breath. Tortured, violated and hung on the cross by the very representatives of the law, he is implored only by the "good thief", by a criminal. But it was to be precisely the "good thief" who, through his gesture of humility and repentance, was to first merit Paradise.

This is an effective realization of what Jesus himself had predicted to a social class that considered itself formally to be honest and observant of the law par excellence; that is, that "the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you" (Mt. 21:31)

As we were saying, the admirable balance between laws and love, between justice and mercy, was never something peacefully acquired. Rather, it was a depositum that the Church sought to preserve and to continuously propose anew in the light of the acquisitions of time and of the ever greater self-knowledge that mankind gains through the generations.

As a specific example, let us think of St. Augustine and his monumental work De civitate Dei. Particularly in chapter XIX on "true justice", the Bishop of Hippo shows with incomparable effectiveness the depth of the relationship between justice and mercy, which in the Christian vision alludes to the mystery of the relationship between the City of man and the City of God.

Yet, to return more directly to us and our time, it is interesting to note that the most recent Pontiffs have desired to give us precious instructions precisely on this topic, framing them in their most remarkable teachings. One can think that the prospect of the "Civilization of Love", in the Pontificate of Paul VI, represented an ideal of life proper to those who desire to be filled with truth and love, justice and mercy.

Or let us think for a moment longer of the new meaning that John Paul II desired to give to the word "mercy", whose true and proper meaning "does not consist only in looking, however penetratingly and compassionately, at moral, physical or material evil: mercy is manifested in its true and proper aspect when it restores to value, promotes and draws good from all the forms of evil existing in the world and in man. Understood in this way, mercy constitutes the fundamental content of the messianic message of Christ and the constitutive power of his mission" (Dives in misericordia, n. 6).

I do not think it is wrong to say that the Pope who came from the East — and thus familiar with the stone-cold, anti-human regimes which then existed in that part of the continent — rehabilitated the word "mercy", extricating it from the pietistic vocabulary in order to hand it over to modernity as a convincing and plausible perspective.

Benedict XVI moves along the same lines. Significantly, he entitled a chapter of his first Encyclical, Deus caritas est, "Justice and Charity". "The just ordering of society and the State is a central responsibility of politics. As Augustine once said, a State which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves" (n. 28).

This is why, moreover it should never be forgotten that "love — caritas — will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love" (ibid.).

Benedict XVI demonstrates that in the world, whatever degree of progress in justice is achieved by politics, there will always be suffering, there will always be loneliness, there will always be inadequacy with regard to the expectations of the human heart. In other words, there will always be a need for charity expressed in sharing and compassion: "The State which would provide everything, absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person — every person — needs: namely, loving personal concern" (ibid.).

Thus it is not only a question of gaps to discover and filled, but of intelligence and of the execution of public action, in its implementation as an act of justice. The common conviction that just structures would make any charitable work superfluous, in the Pope's opinion, masks "a materialistic conception of man: the mistaken notion that man can live 'by bread alone' (Mt 4:4) — a conviction that demeans man and ultimately disregards all that is specifically human." (ibid.).

This is a reminder that sounds particularly valuable at a time in history when the Church's practice of mercy risks being crushed, deceiving oneself that on the basis of a Promethean conception of secularism the State on its own can successfully attain perfection in justice. This would be a fatal illusion. Justice and mercy either go hand in hand, each preparing the steps of the other, or they both limp along, groping in the fog.

Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
14 January 2009, page 13

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Sabato, 05 Marzo 2016 15:05

«Christ, the face of the Father’s Mercy»

Written by

Pastoral Letter of His Beatitude Fouad Twal
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

« Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful »

(Lk 6, 36)

Dear Brother Bishops and Priests, deacons, men and women religious brothers and sisters, and faithful,

On April 11, Pope Francis proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy to open on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and conclude on November 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Christ the King. To explain its meaning, the Holy Father published a Bull of Indiction, titled Misericordiae Vultus or “The Face of Mercy. ” We invite you to embrace this initiative so that this new jubilee brings many graces and blessings to all mankind. This year coincides with a difficult period of our history because we suffer, especially in the Middle East, the savagery of man, capable of fratricidal hatred.

Before presenting a summary of the Papal Bull (third part), we start with the general meaning of the Jubilee year (first part), then its implications in our life (second part).

“Year of Grace” or “Jubilee Year” In the Bible and the Life of Christ

Saint Luke tells us that Jesus “...came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. ” (Lk 4:16-19)

For Jews, “the year of benefits” or “the jubilee year” occurred every fifty years. The fields had to return to their original owners and the land had a rest for one year, during which time it was forbidden to cultivate it. Prisoners and slaves were freed. Later, Jesus updated the passage of Isaiah in his person, saying that the benefits of the year were realized through his Incarnation, his miracles and his proclamation of the good news.

In Church history, the first to declare a holy year was Boniface VIII in 1300. His intention was to establish a holy year. But in the year 1475, the idea came, to share it with every generation of believers. To achieve this, it had to be repeated every 25 years. By way of exception, some Popes considered to declare an “extraordinary” holy year to commemorate special events. For example, 1933 and 1983 were declared

Holy Years to commemorate the 1,900^th anniversary of the death of Jesus Christ and the 1,950^th anniversary of the Year of Redemption. The last Holy Year was in 2000, on the occasion of the beginning of the third millennium of the birth of Christ according to the flesh. So far, the Church has lived 26 jubilee years in addition to this Year of Mercy.

“At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives,” wrote Pope Francis and continued: “For this reason I have proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as a special time for the Church, a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective.”^{^[1]}

At the start of Holy Year on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica. It symbolizes the Door of Mercy; anyone who enters by it can experience the love of God, which consoles, forgives, and gives hope.

Pope Francis then mentions the different stages of the Jubilee year: opening at the level of the universal Church, of the local churches, the closing of the year and the various initiatives which mark it.

“On the following Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Rome - that is, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran - will be opened. In the following weeks, the Holy Doors of the other Papal Basilicas will be opened. On that same Sunday, I wish,” said the Pope, “that in every particular Church (...) a Door of Mercy is also open throughout the Holy Year. At the discretion of the local ordinary, a similar door may be opened at any Shrine frequented by large groups of pilgrims, since visits to these holy sites are so often grace- filled moments, as people discover a path to conversion. Every Particular Church, therefore, will be directly involved in living out this Holy Year as an extraordinary moment of grace and spiritual renewal.”^{^[2]}

In our Diocese, the Holy Door will be opened in the Basilica of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, another in the Church of Saint Catherine in Bethlehem, a third in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and a fourth at Our Lady of the Mount Shrine, Anjara, Jordan.

The Pope also explains the relationship of the Jubilee year with the anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. “I have chosen the date of December 8 because of its rich meaning in the recent history of the Church. In fact, I will open the Holy Door on the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. The Church feels a great need to keep this event alive. With the Council, the Church entered a new phase of her history. The Council Fathers strongly perceived, as a true breath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talk about God to men and women of their time in a more accessible way. The walls which for too long had made the Church a kind of fortress were torn down and the time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new way. It was a new phase of the same evangelization that had existed from the beginning. It was a fresh undertaking for all Christians to bear witness to their faith with greater enthusiasm and conviction. The Church sensed a responsibility to be a living sign of the Father’s love in the world.”^{^[3]}

The issue of Mercy

In this part, I wish to dwell on the implications of Divine Mercy in our lives, in the light of the Apostolic Letter by Pope Francis.

From the merciful God to forgiving man

In the New Testament we find two parables which clearly show the relationship between God’s mercy and ours: those of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) and the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). In the first, Jesus reveals God’s unlimited mercy towards sinners. In the second, He shows how this mercy should go from God to man. The experience we have of the mercy of God invites us to practice it towards our brothers and sisters. Our compassion is based on that of God: “Be merciful as your father in heaven is Merciful.”(Lk 6:36)

Mercy unlimited

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, it is remarkable that Jesus chose a character from Samaria to give first aid to an injured Jew, since between Samaritans and Jews, there existed centuries of hostility. What Jesus wanted to show is the mercy that transcends all borders and destroys all walls. It is a mercy to humanity as such, regardless of race, religion, faith, color, language, culture or origin. As the mercy of God knows no

borders, so should be the mercy of man towards his neighbor and especially the weak, the oppressed, the marginalized, the immigrants, the internally displaced and those who live on the peripheries of society.

A Practical Mercy

Mercy is not a temporary emotion which “moves” the heart and stops at that point, but it is a concrete, tangible and inventive commitment which mobilizes the whole person. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father did not stop at his emotions - his heart was moved but he runs towards his son, embraces him, restores his original dignity, and in the full extent of its benefits prepares for him a grand banquet. Similarly, the Good Samaritan, after feeling compassion, he then, one after another, takes concrete initiatives towards the wounded Jew: he bandaged his wounds, lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. Jesus concludes the parable by saying: “Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)

We distinguish between the spiritual works of mercy (counsel those who are in doubt, teach the ignorant, warn sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offenses, bear patiently with people, pray for the living and the dead) and corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and shelter the homeless, assist the sick, visit prisoners, bury the dead).^{^[4]}. This teaching puts before the faithful a wide range of possible works to accomplish, which everyone can choose according to his or her own charism and talents.

Yes, the sinner, and not the sin

During His earthly life, Jesus tirelessly denounced all kinds of sins because they corrupt man and disfigure the image of God in him. He continually worked to heal the human person at the root of his being and to uproot the evil of his heart, where evil thoughts come from as well as the good deeds (Mk 7:1423). The Lord dealt with sinful man with infinite tenderness, showing the merciful love of the Heavenly Father. In doing so, He does not approve the action of the sinner but calls to conversion and change of life. To the adulterous woman, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin anymore”(Jn 8:11). To this end, he instituted the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, the effective sign of the mercy and tenderness of God toward sinners. It is good to note that the formula of absolution in the Latin rite begins with these words: “God, the Father of mercies ...”

Mercy in international relations

Mercy is not limited to individual relationships (from one person to another), but embraces public life in all its sectors (political, economic, cultural, social), at all levels (international, regional and local), and in all directions (between states, peoples, cultures, religions and confessions). When mercy becomes part of public action, it is able to transfer the world from the sphere of selfish interests to that of human values. This form of collaboration builds a better world. Mercy is a political act par excellence, provided the policy is set in its noblest sense, of caring for the human family starting with ethical values, of which mercy is a principal component opposed to violence, oppression, injustice, authoritarianism and the spirit of domination.

This is a call to the illustrious of the world who are not interested in the destiny of peoples in different continents, including our region. It is a call to the developers of ideologies of death that they return to their conscience and make the value of the life of each human person prevail above material interests and exploitation of resources of countries that do not belong to them. We pray that the protagonists of these policies hear the call to mercy as coming from God, Pope Francis, the oppressed, in short, the entire human community.

Witnesses of Mercy

In a world that is increasingly dehumanizing and moving towards ruthlessness, violence and oppression, the Christian vocation is to witness to divine mercy, in collaboration with men and women of good will. The seed of mercy is in all religions, and we are all responsible to germinate it in private and public life. Then we will be witnesses of a better world, ruled by justice, peace, tenderness, love and mutual respect. We invite all our faithful, who have any influence and power in the political, economic, cultural, social or family life to live mercy and make a culture that permeates the world that belongs to us.

Presentation of the Apostolic Letter on the Jubilee of Mercy

In this part, we go through the apostolic letter to appreciate it directly. The Holy Father begins by representing the characteristics of mercy in the person of Christ:

“Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. 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.”^{^[5]}

Mercy is proper to God

“It is proper to God to exercise mercy, and he manifests his omnipotence particularly in this way”. These words of

Saint Thomas Aquinas show that God’s mercy, rather than a sign of weakness, is the mark of his omnipotence. For this reason the liturgy, in one of its most ancient collects, has us pray: “O God, who reveal your power above all in your mercy and forgiveness...” Throughout the history of humanity, God will always be the One who is present, close, provident, holy, and merciful.”^{^[6]}

“Patient and merciful.” These words often go together in the Old Testament to describe God’s nature. His being merciful is concretely demonstrated in his many actions throughout the history of salvation where his goodness prevails over punishment and destruction.”^{^[7]}

“In the parables devoted to mercy, Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father who never gives up until he has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion and mercy. We know these parables well, three in particular: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the father with two sons (cf. Lk 15:1-32). In these parables, God is always presented as full of joy, especially when he pardons. In them we find the core of the Gospel and of our faith, because mercy is presented as a force that overcomes everything, filling the heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon.”^{^[8]}

The Mercy of God is the root of mercy towards others

“As we can see in Sacred Scripture, mercy is a key word that indicates God’s action towards us. He does not limit himself merely to affirming his love, but makes it visible and tangible. Love, after all, can never be just an abstraction. By its very nature, it indicates something concrete: intentions, attitudes, and behaviours that are shown in daily living. The mercy of God is his loving concern for each one of us. He feels responsible; that is, he desires our wellbeing and he wants to see us happy, full of joy, and peaceful. This is the path which the merciful love of Christians must also travel. As the Father loves, so do his children. Just as he is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to each other.”^{^[9]}

Mercy is the life-style of the Church

“Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life. All of her pastoral activity should be caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy. The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.”^{^[10]} But the Church is all of us, the faithful, and pastors and consecrated. We all need to learn mercy especially with the people entrusted to our pastoral care.

...especially to the marginalized

“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. How many uncertain and painful situations there are in the world today! How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out by the indifference of the rich! During this Jubilee, the

Church will be called even more to heal these wounds, to assuage them with the oil of consolation, to bind them with mercy and cure them with solidarity and vigilant care. Let us not fall into humiliating indifference or a monotonous routine that prevents us from discovering what is new! Let us ward off destructive cynicism! Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help! May we reach out to them and support them so they can feel the warmth of our presence, our friendship, and our fraternity! May their cry become our own, and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that too often reign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism!^{^[11]}

The Pope gives a concise overview of mercy

“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.”^{^[12]}

Missionaries of Mercy

“During Lent of this Holy Year,” the Holy Father continues: “I intend to send out Missionaries of Mercy. They will be a sign of the Church’s maternal solicitude for the People of God, enabling them to enter the profound richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith. There will be priests to whom I will grant the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See, so that the breadth of their mandate as confessors will be even clearer. They will be, above all, living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon. They will be missionaries of mercy because they will be facilitators of a truly human encounter, a source of liberation, rich with responsibility for overcoming obstacles and taking up the new life of Baptism again. They will be led in their mission by the words of the Apostle: “For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all” (Rom 11:32). Everyone, in fact, without exception, is called to embrace the call to mercy. May these Missionaries live this call with the assurance that they can fix their eyes on Jesus, “the merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God” (Heb 2:17).^{^[13]}

The Pope continues: “I ask my brother Bishops to invite and welcome these Missionaries so that they can be, above all, persuasive preachers of mercy. May individual dioceses organize “missions to the people” in such a way that these Missionaries may be heralds of joy and forgiveness. Bishops are asked to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with their people so that the time of grace made possible by the Jubilee year makes it possible for many of God’s sons and daughters to take up once again the journey to the Father’s house. May pastors, especially during the liturgical season of Lent, be diligent in calling back the faithful “to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace. (Heb 4:16)^u

Justice and Mercy

The Holy Father affirms that justice is not limited to the application of the law, but continues its path towards love and conversion. This shows the importance for civil society: “It would not be out of place at this point to recall the relationship between justice and mercy. These are not two contradictory realities, but two dimensions of a single reality that unfolds progressively until it culminates in the fullness of love. Justice is a fundamental concept for civil society, which is meant to be governed by the rule of law. Justice is also understood as that which is rightly due to each individual. In the Bible, there are many references to divine justice and to God as “judge”. In these passages, justice is understood as the full observance of the Law. (...) Such a vision, however, has not infrequently led to legalism by distorting the original meaning of justice and obscuring its profound value. To overcome this legalistic perspective, we need to recall that in Sacred Scripture, justice is conceived essentially as the faithful abandonment of oneself to God’s

The model is Jesus Christ, which exceeds the law that divides people into two categories: the righteous and sinners:

“For his part, Jesus speaks several times of the importance of faith over and above the observance of the law. It is in this sense that we must understand his words when, reclining at table with Matthew and other tax collectors and sinners, he says to the Pharisees raising objections to him, “Go and learn the meaning of ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice’. I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9:13). Faced with a vision of justice as the mere observance of the law that judges people simply by dividing them into two groups - the just and sinners - Jesus is bent on revealing the great gift of mercy that searches out sinners and offers them pardon and salvation. One can see why, on the basis of such a liberating vision of mercy as a source of new life, Jesus was rejected by the Pharisees and the other teachers of the law. In an attempt to remain faithful to the law, they merely placed burdens on the shoulders of others and undermined the Father’s mercy. The appeal to a faithful observance of the law must not prevent attention from being given to matters that touch upon the dignity of the person.”^{^[14]}

“For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice”

“The appeal Jesus makes to the text from the book of the prophet Hosea - “I desire loyalty and not sacrifice” (6:6) - is important in this regard. Jesus affirms that, from that time onward, the rule of life for his disciples must place mercy at the centre, as Jesus himself demonstrated by sharing meals with sinners. Mercy, once again, is revealed as a fundamental aspect of Jesus’ mission. This is truly challenging to his hearers, who would draw the line at a formal respect for the law. Jesus, on the other hand, goes beyond the law; the company he keeps with those the law considers sinners makes us realize the depth of his mercy.”^{^[15]}

“The Apostle Paul makes a similar journey. Prior to meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to pursuing the justice of the law with zeal (cf. Phil 3:6). His conversion to Christ led him to turn that vision upside down, to the point that he would write to the Galatians: “We have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified” (Gal 2:16).^{^[16]}

Justice alone is not enough

“If God limited himself to only justice, he would cease to be God, and would instead be like human beings who ask merely that the law be respected. But mere justice is not enough. Experience shows that an appeal to justice alone will result in its destruction. This is why God goes beyond justice with his mercy and forgiveness. Yet this does not mean that justice should be devalued or rendered superfluous. On the contrary: anyone who makes a mistake must pay the price. However, this is just the beginning of conversion, not its end, because one begins to feel the tenderness and mercy of God. God does not deny justice. He rather envelopes it and surpasses it with an even greater event in which we experience love as the foundation of true justice.”^{^[17]}

In paragraph 19 of the Apostolic Letter, we find an answer to the problems experienced by a large part of humanity. This is a cry of alarm against organized violence, corrupt officials and their accomplices:

“May the message of mercy reach everyone, and may no one be indifferent to the call to experience mercy. I direct this invitation to conversion even more fervently to those whose behaviour distances them from the grace of God. I particularly have in mind men and women belonging to criminal organizations of any kind. For their own good, I beg them to change their lives. I ask them this in the name of the Son of God who, though rejecting sin, never rejected the sinner. Do not fall into the terrible trap of thinking that life depends on money and that, in comparison with money, anything else is devoid of value or dignity. This is nothing but an illusion! We cannot take money with us into the life beyond. Money does not bring us happiness. Violence inflicted for the sake of amassing riches soaked in blood makes one neither powerful nor immortal. Everyone, sooner or later, will be subject to God’s judgment, from which no one can escape.”^{^[18]}

“The same invitation is extended to those who either perpetrate or participate in corruption. This festering wound is a grave sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance, because it threatens the very foundations of personal and social life. Corruption prevents us from looking to the future with hope, because its tyrannical greed shatters the plans of the weak and tramples upon the poorest of the poor. It is an evil that embeds itself into the actions of everyday life and spreads, causing great public scandal. Corruption is a sinful hardening of the heart that replaces God with the illusion that money is a form of power. It is a work of darkness, fed by suspicion and intrigue. (...) If we want to drive it out from personal and social life, we need prudence, vigilance, loyalty, transparency, together with the courage to denounce any wrongdoing. If it is not combated openly, sooner or later everyone will become an accomplice to it, and it will end up destroying our very existence.”^{^[19]}

“This is the opportune moment to change our lives! This is the time to allow our hearts to be touched! When confronted with evil deeds, even in the face of serious crimes, it is the time to listen to the cry of innocent people who are deprived of their property, their dignity, their feelings, and even their very lives. To stick to the way of evil will only leave one deluded and sad. True life is something entirely different. God never tires of reaching out to us. He is always ready to listen.”^{^[20]}

“Mercy is not opposed to justice but rather expresses

God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe. The experience of the prophet Hosea can help us see the way in which mercy surpasses justice. The era in which the prophet lived was one of the most dramatic in the history of the Jewish people. The kingdom was tottering on the edge of destruction; the people had not remained faithful to the covenant; they had wandered from God and lost the faith of their forefathers. According to human logic, it seems reasonable for God to think of rejecting an unfaithful people; they had not observed their pact with God and therefore deserved just punishment: in other words, exile. The prophet’s words attest to this: “They shall not return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me.” (Hos 11:5) And yet, after this invocation of justice, the prophet radically changes his speech and reveals the true face of God: “... My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger, I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come to destroy” (Hos 11:8-9). Saint Augustine, almost as if he were commenting on these words of the prophet, says: “It is easier for God to hold back anger than mercy”. And so it is. God’s anger lasts but a moment, his mercy forever.”^{^[21]} In paragraph 22 appears the theme of indulgences:

“A Jubilee also entails the granting of indulgences. This practice will acquire an even more important meaning in the Holy Year of Mercy. God’s forgiveness knows no bounds. In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God makes even more evident his love and its power to destroy all human sin. Reconciliation with God is made possible through the paschal mystery and the mediation of the Church. Thus God is always ready to forgive, and he never tires of forgiving in ways that are continually new and surprising. Nevertheless, all of us know well the experience of sin. We know that we are called to perfection (cf. Mt 5:48), yet we feel the heavy burden of sin. Though we feel the transforming power of grace, we also feel the effects of sin typical of our fallen state. Despite being forgiven, the conflicting consequences of our sins remain. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God forgives our sins, which he truly blots out; and yet sin leaves a negative effect on the way we think and act. But the mercy of God is stronger even than this. It becomes indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin, enabling him to act with charity, to grow in love rather than to fall back into sin.”^{^[22]}

Mercy in various religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism)

“There is an aspect of mercy that goes beyond the confines of the Church. It relates us to Judaism and Islam, both of which consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes.” Throughout the Bible we are told of this mercy. It suffices to open the Book of Psalms to realize how much God exercises mercy towards his people. “Islamic attributes to the Creator are “Merciful and Kind”. This invocation is often on the lips of faithful Muslims who feel themselves accompanied and sustained by mercy in their daily weakness. They too believe that no one can place a limit on divine mercy because its doors are always open.” The Pope “trusts that this Jubilee Year celebrating the Mercy of God will foster an encounter “with these monotheistic religions and may it open us to even more fervent dialogue so that we might know and understand one another better; may it eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect, and drive out every form of violence and discrimination.”^{^[23]}

“The Church lives within the communion of the saints. In the Eucharist, this communion, which is a gift from God, becomes a spiritual union binding us to the saints and blessed ones whose number is beyond counting (cf. Rev 7:4). Their holiness comes to the aid of our weakness in a way that enables the Church, with her maternal prayers and her way of life, to fortify the weakness of some with the strength of others.”^{^[24]}

On this point, the two Saints Marie Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam of Jesus Crucified Baouardy, recently canonized, spontaneously come to mind as our guides on our earthly pilgrimage. These two women experienced deeply the mercy of God in their lives. Their experience was so rich that it has overflowed to others that, for them, mercy has become a lifestyle. So, let us immerse ourselves in the spirituality of this Jubilee year and ask the heavenly Father for the remission and forgiveness of our sins. His mercy fills our private and public, civil and ecclesiastical, familial and social life, becoming a sign of God’s mercy in all areas of life.

At the end of his letter, Pope Francis invites the Church to be the visible sign and instrument of this forgiveness: “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 they have been from of old” (Ps 25: 6).^{^[25]}

May the heavenly Father fills us with the torrent of His mercy and love through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit!

t Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch

[1] MisericordiaeVultus #3

[2] Ibid

[3] MisericordiaeVultus# 4

[4] cf. Catechism the Catholic Church, # 2447

[5] MisericordiaeVultus, #1

[6] #6)

[7] Ibid.

[8] #9

[9] MisericordiaeVultus, #9

[10] #10

[11] #15

[12] MisericordiaeVultus, #2

[13] #18

[14] Ibid

[15] Ibid

[16] MisericordiaeVultus, #20

[17] #21

[18] #19

[19] MisericordiaeVultus, #19

[20] Ibid

[21] #21)

[22] MisericordiaeVultus, #22

[23] #23)

[24] MisericordiaeVultus, #22

[25] #25)

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Lunedì, 22 Febbraio 2016 21:26

Deepen your commitment to express God's mercy

Written by

(Vatican Radio)

This was Pope Francis’ second “Jubilee Audience” in St. Peter’s Square and he used his catechesis to focus on the Year of Mercy, especially in this season of Lent.

Speaking to the thousands of pilgrims and visitors gathered on Saturday, the Holy Father said in these weeks before Easter the Church was inviting the faithful to deepen their commitment “to express God’s mercy in every aspect of their daily lives.”

He said that “such faithful Christian witness is our way of responding to God’s prior commitment to us, as expressed not only in his gift of creation, but above all in the sending of his Son.

He went on to say that in Jesus, God committed himself to offering hope and redemption to the poor, the sick, sinners and all those in need. God, the Holy Father continued, is committed to us, his first task was to create the world, and despite our attempts to ruin it, he is committed to keeping it alive.”

Jesus, the Pope underlined “is the living expression of God’s mercy and as Christians he added, we are called to bear witness to the Gospel message of hope and solidarity.

Following his catechesis the Holy Father greeted the Italian Federation of Blood Donors (FIDAS) who are holding their Jubilee Pilgrimage.

FIDAS is using the occasion to celebrate the success of their efforts since their participation in the 2000 Jubilee with St. John Paul II.

The Federation is hoping that people will consider giving blood voluntarily during the Jubilee Year.

Concluding his Audience, Pope Francis greeted all the English-speaking pilgrims present and expressed the hope that the Jubilee of Mercy would be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for them and for their families.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Venerdì, 19 Febbraio 2016 20:46

The Year of Mercy talks about Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

Written by

from New Advent

Mercy as it is here contemplated is said to be a virtue influencing one's will to have compassion for, and, if possible, to alleviate another's misfortune. It is the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas that although mercy is as it were the spontaneous product of charity, yet it is to be reckoned a special virtue adequately distinguishable from this latter. In fact the Scholastics in cataloguing it consider it to be referable to the quality of justice mainly because, like justice, it controls relations between distinct persons. It is as they say ad alterum. Its motive is the misery which one discerns in another, particularly in so far as this condition is deemed to be, in some sense at least, involuntary. Obviously the necessity which is to be succoured can be either of body or soul. Hence it is customary to enumerate both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The traditional enumeration of the corporal works of mercy is as follows:

To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.

It will be seen from these divisions that the works of mercy practically coincide with the various forms of almsgiving. It is thus that St. Thomas regards them. The word alms of course is a corruption of the Greek eleemosyne (mercy). The doing of works of mercy is not merely a matter of exalted counsel; there is as well a strict precept imposed both by the natural and the positive Divine law enjoining their performance. That the natural law enjoins works of mercy is based upon the principle that we are to do to others as we would have them do to us.

The Divine command is set forth in the most stringent terms by Christ, and the failure to comply with it is visited with the supreme penalty of eternal damnation (Matthew 25:41): "Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, in everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you covered me not; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me", etc. Here it is true there is mention directly and explicitly of only the corporal works of mercy. As, however, the spiritual works of mercy deal with a distress whose relief is even more imperative as well as more effective for the grand purpose of man's creation, the injunction must be supposed to extend to them also. Besides there are the plain references of Christ to such works as fraternal correction (Matthew 18:15) as well as the forgiveness of injuries (Matthew 6:14). It has to be remembered however that the precept is an affirmative one, that is, it is of the sort which is always binding but not always operative, for lack of matter or occasion or fitting circumstances. It obliges, as the theologians say, semper sed non pro semper. Thus in general it may be said that the determination of its actual obligatory force in a given case depends largely on the degree of distress to be aided, and the capacity or condition of the one whose duty in the matter is in question. There are easily recognizable limitations which the precept undergoes in practice so far as the performance of the corporal works of mercy are concerned. These are treated in the article on Alms and Almsgiving. Likewise the law imposing spiritual works of mercy is subject in individual instances to important reservations. For example, it may easily happen that an altogether special measure of tact and prudence, or, at any rate, some definite superiority is required for the discharge of the oftentimes difficult task of fraternal correction. Similarly to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, and console the sorrowing is not always within the competency of every one. To bear wrongs patiently, to forgive offences willingly, and to pray for the living and the dead are things from which on due occasion no one may dispense himself on the pleas that he has not some special array of gifts required for their observance. They are evidently within the reach of all. It must not be forgotten that the works of mercy demand more than a humanitarian basis if they are to serve as instruments in bringing about our eternal salvation. The proper motive is indispensable and this must be one drawn from the supernatural order.

Finally it is interesting to note that for the exercise of the sixth among the corporal works of mercy two religious orders have at different times in the history of the Church been instituted. In the year 1198 the Trinitarians were founded by St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois, and just twenty years later St. Peter Nolasco and St. Raymond of Pennafort established the Order of Our Lady of Ransom. Both of these communities had as their chief scope the recovery of Christians who were held captive by the infidels. In the religious body which owes its origin to St. Peter Nolasco, the members took a fourth vow to surrender their own persons in place of those whom they were not otherwise able to redeem from slavery.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Sabato, 13 Febbraio 2016 19:24

Living the Year of Mercy

Written by

Emily Stimpson

God’s mercy, of course, is ever-present and ever-abundant. A Year of Mercy doesn’t make God more merciful or more inclined to forgive. God can’t change. But we can ... and must. As Pope Francis explained in Misericordiae Vultus (“The Face of Mercy”), the bull of indiction that announced the Year of Mercy, “At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives” (No. 3).

The Year of Mercy is meant to be one of those times — a season for Christians to become “stronger and more effective” witnesses to the Faith we proclaim, changed both by contemplating the depths of God’s mercy and by imitating Christ in the world today (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 3).

To help make that possible, the Holy Father used Misericordiae Vultus not only to reflect on God’s mercy but also to outline a course of action. In it, he offered a series of practical suggestions for how Catholics should celebrate the Year of Mercy ahead.

Go to confession

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the sacrament of mercy. In the confessional, God freely offers his forgiveness to all who ask for it with a sincere heart and a genuine purpose of amendment. He requires no payment and no sacrifice; he took care of that himself long ago on Calvary. Instead, all God asks is that we show up. If we do our part, he does his.

During the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has granted extraordinary powers to all priests to forgive sins that, in some places, are still reserved to the bishop, such as abortion. He also has called for a special time of repentance during Lent. The initiative, 24 Hours for the Lord, will place special emphasis on the Sacrament of Reconciliation in dioceses around the world.

But the confessional isn’t just for those who’ve been involved with an abortion. The confessional is for every person who has broken faith with God in some way — who has yelled at their spouse, gossiped about a neighbor, skipped Mass on Sunday or wasted time at work. Which is to say, the confessional is for all of us.

We don’t need to wait until Lent to pay it a visit. Every week, in almost every parish across America, priests sit in those confessionals, waiting for us to come and tell God that we’re sorry. They know that when we do, we will, in the words of Pope Francis, “touch the grandeur of God’s mercy with [our] own hands” and experience “true interior peace” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 17).

Read conversion stories

In the late third century, St. Augustine penned the first known spiritual autobiography, “Confessions.” The book told of the recently ordained Bishop of Hippo’s journey from unbelief to belief, from lust to chastity, and from love of self to love of God. The tale captivated readers then, just as it captivates readers now. It also set the mold for all similar stories of conversion that would follow.

Through the centuries, conversion stories have challenged, comforted and encouraged millions of men and women on their journey to God. They offer enduring and concrete examples of God’s mercy in the lives of individual believers. They remind us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy, and they help us better understand our personal journey to holiness.

Above all, conversion stories witness to the fact that we all are called to conversion. Whether we were born and raised Catholic or not, every person must reject the world and give their heart to the Lord. Without choosing Christ once and then repeatedly thereafter — there can be no discipleship. There can be no living faith.

For those reasons and more, conversion stories are central to the forthcoming 24 Hours for the Lord initiative. During that time, and throughout the Year of Mercy, the Church wants the faithful to revisit famous converts of days past as well as familiarize themselves with more recent converts. Their testimonies of grace offer us guidance in how to give our own testimony of grace. They also, offer us, as Pope Francis wrote, “a new chance to look at [ourselves], convert, and believe” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 21).

Perform works of mercy

God call us to be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (Jas 1:22). This year and always, being a “doer” entails performing works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual.

The corporal works of mercy involve caring for the bodies and material needs of others: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, healing the sick, visiting the imprisoned and burying the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy involve caring for souls and the spiritual welfare of our fellow man: counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing sinners, comforting the afflicted, forgiving offences, bearing wrongs patiently and praying for the living and the dead.

Jesus, Pope Francis explained, “introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching, so that we can know whether or not we are living as his disciples” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 15).

He also tells us that we will be judged on how we cared for the least of our brothers and sisters (Mt 25:34-46).

But performing works of mercy doesn’t only offer us an escape plan from “eternal punishment”; it also helps us understand mercy from the inside. It reawakens our conscience, “too often grown dull,” and helps us learn to see our own spiritual poverty in the faces of the materially and spiritually poor (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 15).

Accordingly, throughout this Year of Mercy, the Holy Father asks us to heed Christ’s words and reach out to those in need. Practically speaking, that means we can donate food to a food pantry and clothes to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We can invite a new family in town to supper and donate our spare change to a nonprofit that provides children in Africa with clean water. We can also have Masses said for departed friends and loved ones, visit the sick and the dying in nursing homes or hospitals, offer up Rosaries for the conversion of family members who have lost the Faith, and just hold our tongues (and tempers) the next time someone cuts us off in traffic.

Go on pilgrimage

Mercy isn’t free. We always pay for it. Not with money, but with effort. Mercy, wrote Pope Francis, requires “dedication and sacrifice”; it requires that we reject sin, selfishness and destructive desires (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 14). In effect, it requires doing things God’s way, not our way. Thanks to our fallen natures, that’s rarely easy. But, since the most ancient of times, the Church has recommended that those seeking mercy go on pilgrimage, both to better understand what mercy requires and as a means of developing the discipline necessary to walk in God’s ways.

As the pope explained, when we travel to a sacred place, we remember “Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a viator, a pilgrim traveling along the road, making his way to the desired destination.” We also come to see mercy not as a cheap handout but rather as a priceless gift, which cost Christ his life, and is a “goal to reach” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 14).

For innumerable men and women throughout the ages, this experience of pilgrimage — to Rome and Jerusalem, Fatima and Lourdes, national basilicas and local shrines — has been an occasion of conversion and grace. It has offered them an opportunity to atone for sins, ask for forgiveness and draw closer to the Lord.

For this reason, during the Year of Mercy, the Church invites all believers to make a pilgrimage, whether to a nearby cathedral or to far away sacred ground, so that, while on pilgrimage, we might “find the strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 14).

Walk through a Holy Door

For at least 500 hundred years, Holy Doors and Jubilees have gone hand in hand.

During this Jubilee of Mercy, however, Holy Doors will take on an unprecedented significance. Not only will the Holy Doors in Rome open for pilgrims, but Pope Francis also has asked that every cathedral and basilica around the world set up a similar door, a Door of Mercy.

The tradition of Holy Doors dates back to the early 15th century, when Pope Martin V declared that one of the doors in the Basilica of St. John Lateran could only be opened during a jubilee year.

By the end of the century, all the major basilicas in Rome had similar Holy Doors, set aside for jubilee years.

The doors themselves symbolize Christ, who called himself “the gate” to eternal life (Jn 10:9). For pilgrims, to walk through the Holy Doors is to walk, in spirit, from sin to grace and from death to life, acknowledging Christ as the only way to the Father.

During this Year of Mercy, all the Holy Doors in Rome and across Europe will be flung open. Everyone who walks through them will have the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence for themselves or a departed loved one. For those who can’t travel across an ocean, the same graces will be available in any local cathedral or shrine with a “Door of Mercy,” where, Pope Francis said, “anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 3).

Obtain indulgences

When most people hear the word “indulgences,” they think of Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation and the few bad apples who, in the late Middle Ages, promised people a quick escape from purgatory in exchange for generous charitable donations.

But indulgences are so much more than their checkered medieval history suggests. They are an ongoing manifestation of God’s mercy in the world, freeing us “from every residue left by the consequences of sin,” and enabling us to “act with charity” and “grow in love” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 22).

As the Church understands it, through the centuries, by God’s grace, holy men and women have done good works. They’ve prayed, suffered, sacrificed and served. And the more they’ve done that — the more they’ve responded to God’s grace with faithful, loving obedience — the more grace God has poured out upon them.

Through this loving, fruitful exchange of grace and good works, something like an excess of merit and grace builds up. We call this excess “The Treasury of the Saints.” It is, in a sense, like a bank account of graced merit, which the rest of us can draw upon in order to escape temporal punishment for our sins.

Or, as Pope Francis put it, “[the saints’] holiness comes to the aid of our weakness in a way that enables the Church, with her maternal prayers and her way of life, to fortify the weakness of some with the strength of others” (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 22).

That aid can be plenary (meaning full remission from temporal punishment for sin), or just partial, and we can obtain it for both departed loved ones and for ourselves. As for how we go about obtaining it, there are many ways: walking through the Holy Doors, going on pilgrimages, even praying the Rosary and reading Sacred Scripture.

In every case, however, the conditions for obtaining an indulgence remain the same: complete detachment from sin, reception of the Eucharist, making a good confession that day or on a proximate day, praying for the intentions of the pope and being in a state of grace by the time the work for the indulgence is complete.

Contemplate God’s mercy in Scripture

Sacred Scripture is both the word of God and the story of God in time. It traces the history of God’s dealings with men, recalling his merciful provisions for humanity, from Eden to Calvary and beyond. God’s mercy cannot be understood apart from the Bible. Which is why Pope Francis has called upon the faithful to ponder its pages more closely this coming year, especially during the Lenten season.

“How many pages of Sacred Scripture are appropriate for meditation during the weeks of Lent to help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father!” the Holy Father asked (Misericordiae Vultus, No. 17). In Misericoriae Vultus, Francis pointed specifically to the prophets Micah and Isaiah as starting points for that meditation. But the psalms, which are ancient Israel’s songs of prayer, praise and thanksgiving, also offer almost endless insights into God’s mercy, as does the entire history of ancient Israel, from Genesis through Maccabees.

During Lent, or throughout the year, heeding the Holy Father’s advice to contemplate God’s mercy in Scripture is as simple as reading a chapter from the Bible each morning, praying the Divine Office with the Church or praying an abbreviated form of it with the Magnificat. Bible studies, like the St. Paul Center’s Journey Through Scripture and Ascension Press’s Bible Timeline, or books like Father Mitch Pacwa’s “Mercy: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics” (OSV, $9.95), also offer insights into God’s mercy through familiarizing people with the story of salvation history, while Pope Benedict XVI’s trilogy on Jesus of Nazareth can serve as a guide to seeing God’s mercy incarnated in the face of Christ.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Martedì, 09 Febbraio 2016 15:20

St. Thérèse´s self-offering to ´Merciful Love´

Written by

Thérèse of the Child Jesus

From Céline's (Sr. Geneviève's) testimony at the diocesan inquiry into the life of St. Thérèse, given as a part of the process for the cause of canonization.

Source: St. Thérése of Lisieux by Those Who Knew Her. Edited by Christopher O'Mahony. Dublin: Pranstown House, rep. 1989, pp. 128-129.

"On 9 June of the same year 1895, the feast of the Blessed Trinity, she received a very special grace during Mass, and felt within herself an urge to offer herself as a holocaust victim to Merciful Love. After Mass she took me with her to mother prioress; she seemed beside herself and did not say a word. When we found Mother Agnes, for it was she who was then prioress, she asked her if both of us could offer ourselves as victims to Merciful Love, and gave her a short explanation of what that meant. Mother Agnes was at a loss; she did not seem to understand too well what was going on, but she had such confidence in Sister Thérèse's discretion that she gave her full permission. It was then that she composed the act called 'An Offering to Love', which she carried next to her heart ever afterwards."

St. Thérèse's "Act of Oblation to Merciful Love"

Source: Story of A Soul, translated by Fr. John Clarke, O.C.D. Copyright (c) 1976 by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, ICS Publications, 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E., Washington, DC 20002 U.S.A., pp. 276-278.

ACT OF OBLATION TO MERCIFUL LOVE

J.M.J.T.

Offering of myself

as a Victim of Holocaust

to God's Merciful Love

O My God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love You and make you Loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. I desire, in a word, to be saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! to be Yourself my Sanctity!

Since You loved me so much as to give me Your only Son as my Savior and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. I offer them to You with gladness, begging You to look upon me only in the Face of Jesus and in His heart burning with Love.

I offer You, too, all the merits of the saints (in heaven and on earth), their acts of Love, and those of the holy angels. Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my Dear Mother. It is to her I abandon my offering, begging her to present it to You. Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, told us in the says of His mortal life: "Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you!" I am certain, then, that You will grant my desires; I know, O my God! that the more You want to give, the more You make us desire. I feel in my heart immense desires and it is with confidence I ask You to come and take possession of my soul. Ah! I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You not all-powerful? Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate Yourself from Your little victim.

I want to console You for the ingratitude of the wicked, and I beg of you to take away my freedom to displease You. If through weakness I sometimes fall, may Your Divine Glance cleanse my soul immediately, consuming all my imperfections like the fire that transforms everything into itself.

I thank You, O my God! for all the graces You have granted me, especially the grace of making me pass through the crucible of suffering. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the sceptre of Your Cross. Since You deigned to give me a share in this very precious Cross, I hope in heaven to resemble You and to see shining in my glorified body the sacred stigmata of Your Passion.

After earth's Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for Your Love Alone with the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally.

In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask You, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but You, my Beloved!

Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. You can, then, in one instant prepare me to appear before You.

In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, I OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLOCAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, Asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God!

May this martyrdom, after having prepared me to appear before You, finally cause me to die and may my soul take its flight without any delay into the eternal embrace of Your Merciful Love.

I want, O my Beloved, at each beat of my heart to renew this offering to You an infinite number of times, until the shadows having disappeared I may be able to tell You of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!

Marie, Françoise, Thérèse of the Child Jesus

and the Holy Face, unworthy Carmelite religious.

This 9th day of June,

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity,

In the year of grace, 1895

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Giovedì, 04 Febbraio 2016 14:54

Holy Door at National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middletown, NY

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National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Declared Place of Pilgrimage during the Year of Mercy

Pope Francis has announced an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy to be celebrated from December 8th, 2015—the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II— to the Solemnity of Christ the King on November 20, 2016.

During this special period of time in the Church, Pope Francis calls all Catholics to be witnesses to God’s mercy. Pope Francis has called on Catholics around the world to use the ongoing Jubilee year of mercy to “open wide” the doors of their hearts to forgive others and to work against social exclusion, even of those that may have caused them bother or upset.

Pope Francis said that walking through any of the holy doors open in dioceses around the world for the Jubilee year should be a sign of “true conversion of our heart.” He said: “When we go through that door, it is good to remember that we must also open wide the doors of our heart.

During this yearlong year of Mercy Pope Francis challenges all to put mercy before judgment.

Pope Francis said: "How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we affirm that sins are punished by his judgment before putting first that they are forgiven by his mercy.

While most Jubilees have been focused on calling pilgrims to Rome to receive an indulgence, Francis has widely expanded his Jubilee, asking that dioceses throughout the world open their own holy door at a cathedral or other church to expand the practice globally.

A holy door is a door normally designated in special churches -- like the four papal basilicas in Rome -- to be opened only during Jubilee years as a sign of the possibility of re-entering into God’s grace.

In the Archdiocese of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced that the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, NY is a one of five holy sites and places of pilgrimage where a Holy Door, a Door of Mercy, is opened to pilgrims who would like to receive a Jubilee Indulgence.

Parish groups and individuals are invited to come and enter the Door of Mercy at the National Shrine.

If you are interested in planning a day of pilgrimage to the Shrine please call 845-343-1879845-343-1879 or email Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo..

OLMC National Shrine
70 Carmelite Dr.
PO Box 2163
Middletown, NY 10940
http://www.ourladyofmtcarmelshrine.com

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Giovedì, 04 Febbraio 2016 11:27

Carmelites & the Year of Mercy

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by Fr. David Hofman, O.Carm.

The Church begins a Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Pope Francis’ idea is that the whole Church will spend the year practising mercy at every level – from priests celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation to people feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.

Christians are called to be the living presence of God in the world - people who uncover the face of God and the heart of God in the words and actions of their everyday life.

That's how Jesus is born, not only in one moment of history, but in every moment of history.

To live a merciful life is to see, love and act as Jesus himself does.

The practise of virtue is an integral part of the process of Christian transformation – of changing our minds and hearts, of allowing God’s grace to re-fashion us in the image of his Son.

That’s what contemplation is all about life – allowing the heart of God to grow within our own, our values and attitudes to be changed and transformed so that we come to see with God’s eyes, feel with God’s heart and act with God’s intentions toward the world and its peoples.

For us Carmelites, our contemplative experiences of God’s love enable us to see others as our brothers and sisters.

Our charism of ‘community’ is much more than just being part of a group. It’s about ‘fraternity’, becoming a brother or sister to others and acting towards them as a true brother or sister would – welcoming them into my life, standing with them in times of trouble and distress, looking after their needs, encouraging and affirming them, celebrating achievements. It’s about easing the burdens and lightening the load for each other. It’s about creating moments of grace in each other’s’ lives.

To act with mercy is to act with compassion, with the same depth of the feelings of love and concern a mother has for her child.

It is not an abstract, intellectual thing, but a real choice to live and act with deep respect and profound compassion towards others in the concrete circumstances of our daily lives.

It is not an exercise of the mind but a movement of the heart.

Concrete actions bring goodness into the lives of others. That’s the ‘action’ in the Carmelite Charism - a ‘ministry of mercy’, of respectful, compassionate behaviour towards other human beings.

So we do our best to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, do what we can for those in any kind of need. We refrain from the ‘terrorism of gossip’ (as Pope Francis put it), from the need to tear people down. We don’t make fun of people or put them down. We don’t use positions of power to ‘lord it over’ each other or control other peoples’ lives. We do everything we can to be a source of blessing for them – to be people who heal, build up, nourish, strengthen and love.

The Carmelite Way influences everything in our lives, from how we pray to how we drive our cars.

It takes practice and patience to become a merciful person. It begins with the realisation of how much God actually loves us in spite of how we often behave.

This Year of Mercy gives us new energy in our striving to allow the heart of God to be our own and to reveal that heart in the simple goodness of our lives.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Giovedì, 04 Febbraio 2016 11:16

Thoughts from the Carmelite Chaplain - Holy Door

Written by

Father Michael Manning, O.Carm.

Since the year 1300 when Pope Boniface VIII declared the first Holy Year, the Catholic Church has regularly celebrated “Holy Years,” usually every twenty-five years, except for special circumstances.

A major aspect of the Holy Year has been that of pilgrimage either to Rome or to a number of doors which have been opened in diocese around the world to make a symbolic entry through the Holy Door; to make reparation for sin and to renew the conversion of one’s life.

Christ identified Himself as the door, saying. “Truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10:7, 9). Using this symbolic image Jesus tells us that the only way to the father is through him, the only begotten Son, the saviour. Another aspect is the phrase ‘they…will come in and go out and find pasture’. In other words this going through the gate is not a one-way journey. We enter, are strengthened with grace and then go out to bring this grace to others through our actions. There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into this life of communion with God: This is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation.

Passing through the Holy Door is to open oneself to the transforming grace of God and to confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God, Lord and saviour who suffered, died and rose for our salvation.

Therefore to pass through the door from the outside of St. Peter’s into the basilica is to pass from this world into the presence of God, just as in the old Temple of Jerusalem, the High Priest on the Feast of Yom Kippur passed through the veil covering the doorway of the Holy of Holies to enter into the presence of God to offer the sacrifice of atonement. Moreover, to pass through the door is to confess with firm conviction that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord, and the Saviour who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation.

Pope Francis announcing the opening of the Holy Doors says “To experience and obtain the Indulgence, the faithful are called to make a brief pilgrimage to the Holy Door, open in every Cathedral or in the churches designated by the Diocesan Bishop, and in the four Papal Basilicas in Rome, as a sign of the deep desire for true conversion. Likewise, I dispose that the Indulgence may be obtained in the Shrines in which the Door of Mercy is open and in the churches which traditionally are identified as Jubilee Churches. It is important that this moment be linked, first and foremost, to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with a reflection on mercy. It will be necessary to accompany these celebrations with the profession of faith and with prayer for me and for the intentions that I bear in my heart for the good of the Church and of the entire world”. So we can see that the thoughts of Holy Father in his pastoral role as Bishop of Rome go “to all the faithful who, whether in individual Dioceses or as pilgrims to Rome, will experience the grace of the Jubilee. I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a genuine experience of God’s mercy, which comes to meet each person in the Face of the Father who welcomes and forgives, forgetting completely the sin committed”.

Photo: Fr Kevin Melody, O.Carm, represented the Prior Provincial of the British Province and opened our Door of Mercy at the National Shrine of Saint Jude on 13 December 2015. Photos below.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

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Giovedì, 28 Gennaio 2016 11:03

Pope Francis’ Address on Jubilee of Pilgrimage Organisers and Rectors of Sanctuaries

Written by

Paul VI Hall Thursday 21 January 2016

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

I cordially welcome all of you, people who work in pilgrimages and shrines. Going on pilgrimage to shrines is one of the most eloquent expressions of the faith of the people of God. It manifests the piety of generations of people who, with simplicity, have believed and entrusted themselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the saints. This popular religiosity is a genuine form of evangelisation, which needs to be increasingly promoted and valued, without minimising its importance. It’s interesting: Blessed Paul VI, in Evangellii nuntiandi, speaks of popular religiosity, but says it is better to call it “popular piety”; and then, the Latin American Bishops in their Aparecida Document go a step further and speak of “popular spirituality”. All three concepts are valid, but together. At shrines, in fact, our people live their profound spirituality, that piety which for centuries has shaped the faith with devotions that are simple but very meaningful. We think to how intensified, in some of these places, is prayer to Christ crucified, or that of the Rosary, or the Way of the Cross …

It would be a mistake to assume that those who go on pilgrimage live a spirituality that is not personal but rather “en masse”. In fact, the pilgrim carries with them their own story, their own faith, the lights and shadows of their lives. Each carries in their heart a special desire and a particular prayer. Whoever enters the shrine immediately feels at home, welcomed, understood and supported. I really like the biblical figure of Anna, the mother of the prophet Samuel. In the temple of Shiloh, her heart full of sadness, she prayed to the Lord to have a child. Eli the priest instead thought she was drunk and wanted to throw her out (cf. 1 Samuel 1:12-14). Anna represents well so many people we can meet in our shrines. Eyes fixed on the Crucifix or the image of the Virgin Mary, a prayer said with tears in his eyes, full of confidence. The sanctuary is really a privileged space to meet the Lord and touch his mercy with your hands. To go to confession in a shrine is to have the experience of touching the mercy of God with your hand.

This is the key word that I wish to underline together with you today: welcome. Welcome pilgrims. It could be said that everything depends on welcome. A welcome that is loving, festive, heartfelt, and patient. It also takes patience! The Gospels present Jesus as always welcoming towards those who approach him, especially the sick, the sinners, the marginalized. And remember that expression: “He who receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). Jesus spoke about welcome, but mostly he practiced it. When we are told that sinners – such as Matthew and Zacchaeus – welcomed Jesus into their homes and at their tables, it is first of all because they had felt welcomed by Jesus, and that had changed their lives. It’s interesting that the Book of the Acts of the Apostles ends with the scene of Saint Paul who, here in Rome, “welcomed all who came to him” (Acts 28:30). His home, where he lived as a prisoner, was the place where he announced the Gospel. Welcome is truly the determining factor for evangelisation. Sometimes, just a word or a smile is enough to make a person feel a heartfelt welcome.

The pilgrim who comes to the shrine is often tired, hungry, thirsty … And many times this physical condition also reflects the interior. Therefore, this person needs to be well received in both material and spiritual terms. It is important that the pilgrim who crosses the threshold of the sanctuary feels treated more like a member of the family than as a guest. He or she should feel at home, awaited, loved, and looked at with eyes of mercy. Anyone, young or old, rich or poor, sick or troubled, and curious tourists, can find the welcome due to them, because in each one there is a heart that seeks God, sometimes without being fully aware of it. We ensure that every pilgrim has the joy of finally feeling understood and loved. In this way, when they return home they will feel nostalgia for what they have experienced and a desire to come back, but also wanting to continue the journey of faith in their ordinary life.

A very special form of welcome is that given by the ministers of God’s forgiveness. The shrine is the home of forgiveness, where everyone encounters the tenderness of the Father who has mercy on everyone, without exception. Those who approach the confessional do so because they are repentant, repenting their sins. He or she feels the need to approach there. He/she clearly perceives that God does not condemn, but welcomes him/her and hugs him/her, like the father of the prodigal son, who restores his filial dignity (cf. Luke 15:20-24). Priests who carry out a ministry in sanctuaries must have hearts impregnated by mercy; their attitude must be that of a father.

Dear brothers and sisters, we live this Jubilee with faith and joy: let us live as one big pilgrimage. You, especially, live your service as a work of corporal and spiritual mercy. I assure you of my prayers for this, through the intercession of Mary our Mother. And please, with your prayers, accompany me in my pilgrimage. Thank you.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Giovedì, 04 Febbraio 2016 10:55

The British Carmelites in Rome for Year of Mercy Pilgrimage Jubilee

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from http://www.carmelite.org

Carmelites from Britain, the Philippines and Poland took part in a gathering held in Rome in mid-January 2016 of those involved in the work of pilgrimage and shrine ministry.

As part of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has invited people to come to Rome as pilgrims to reflect on some of the Church's particular ministries of mercy. Over the course of the Jubilee Year there will be gatherings of: people who are sick or disabled; those involved in the spirituality of Divine Mercy; priests; deacons; catechists; volunteers of Mercy; and others.

The Holy Father wanted the first gathering to be of those who are involved in the work of pilgrimages and shrines, since going on pilgrimage is often an experience that gives people a special encounter with the love and mercy of God.

Pilgrimage and shrine ministry are important apostolates of the Carmelite Family worldwide, and Carmelites were among the approximately 1,000 participants at the Jubilee which took place between 19th and 21st January.

The British Province of Carmelites was represented by: Fr. Francis Kemsley, O.Carm. from Aylesford Priory (a major site of pilgrimage in southern England); Mr. Matthew Betts, Development Manager at the National Shrine of Saint Jude (which the Carmelites established 60 years ago); and Mr. Johan Bergström-Allen, T.O.C., the Province's Communications & Outreach Manager who coordinates an annual Carmelite pilgrimage to Lourdes, organises special pilgrimage events (such as to Avila for the 'Teresa 500' celebrations last year), and is a Guardian of the Shrine of Our Lady of Doncaster.

Two Associates of the Carmelites in the Philippines, Butch and Marissa Cos Alcantara, travelled from Asia to take part in the gathering. These Lay Carmelites operate Pirkk & Troy Tours, a travel agency that organises pilgrimages to the shrines of Europe and the Holy Land. Marissa is very involved with the Order's Institute of Spirituality in Asia (ISA).

Another Carmelite taking part in the Jubilee was a Discalced friar from Poland.

The Jubilee programme consisted of talks, times for prayer, and the opportunity for those involved in pilgrimage ministry to meet one another and share ideas.

The three Carmelites from Britain began their pilgrimage to Rome by visiting the Carmelite Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina.

Fr. Francis Kemsley (left) and Matt Betts in front of the image of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Traspontina Church.

Directly opposite Traspontina Church is the Jubilee Year of Mercy Office where pilgrims officially register.

Collecting passes and programmes from the Jubilee Office.

Participants in the Jubilee were divided into language groups: Italian, English, Spanish, French and German.

The English-language delegates, who came from over 25 different nations, gathered in the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem). Coordinating the Year of Mercy - including the - has been entrusted to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, and a word of welcome was given to the delegates by Fr. Geno Sylva, an American priest who serves as the English-language representative at the Pontifical Council.

Fr. Geno Sylva welcoming English-language participants at the Jubilee.

The first presentation to the English-language group was given by Fr. Richard Gibbons, Rector of the Irish National Shrine at Knock. He spoke on the topic "Pilgrims in the Footsteps of Jesus: The Shrine as an Experience of Mercy". Father Gibbons said that where the Church is dwindling in numbers shrines should not be simply the last bastions of Catholic identity; rather they should be at the cutting edge of the deep questions in life, helping pilgrims to reflect on the meaning of life, and the need for conversion and forgiveness. He advised those involved in shrine ministry not to get caught up in the practicalities of projects, but to make the space and time to remember the purpose of a shrine, always bearing in mind Pope Francis' image of the Church as a field hospital located in the messiness and dirt of people's lives. Speaking of mercy from the sacramental perspective, Fr. Gibbons spoke of the confessional as the "engine room" of a shrine, helping people to encounter God's forgiveness. He described holy sites and sanctuaries as part of the everyday life of the Church, but having a special role where the sacrament of reconciliation can often happen more than in most parishes. This year in Knock, the acts of penance being given to pilgrims in the confessional are to do corporal works of mercy. He described the work of priests, religious and lay people working at shrines as a "ministry of hovering", being available for people to talk to, which is as much a work of evangelisation as going out to engage people elsewhere. Reflecting on the image of the "Holy Doors" that have been established at shrines around the world in this Jubilee Year, Fr. Gibbons spoke of the need to invite people through the door, rather than forcing them through, which requires a spirit of hospitality and patience.

Fr. Gibbons spoke to the English-language participants in the majestic setting of the Basilica that houses relics of Christ's passion brought back from the Holy Land by Saint Helena.

All the language groups gathered together for the first time at the cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. This is one of Rome's four "major basilicas", each of which has a Holy Door through which pilgrims can pass in this Jubilee Year as a sign of their entering into a deeper relationship with God.

Pilgrims passing through and touching the Holy Door at St. John Lateran.

At each Jubilee site in Rome pilgrims are welcomed by volunteers in distinctive tabards; many are from organisations that accompany pilgrims to Lourdes.

Pilgrims from all the language groups gathering at the Lateran Basilica.

The pilgrim delegates gathered at the Lateran for a celebration of Mass presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation.

Archbishop Rino preaching at the Eucharist.

Many pilgrimage organsations and shrines took part in the Jubilee gathering.
The Order of Malta, for example, accompanies pilgrims to Lourdes and elsewhere from many different parts of the world.

The British Province delegates took the opportunity of the Jubilee for Pilgrimage Supporters and Workers to build fraternal links with fellow Carmelites, and to make a pilgrimage to some of the Order's holy sites in the Eternal City. Warm hospitality was offered by the friars at the Basilica of San Martino ai Monti.

British Carmelites at San Martino ai Monti with brothers from Italy, Colombia and India.

Excavations under the Basilica of San Martino have revealed ancient architecture of the Roman Empire, and places where Christians have prayed for centuries.

The second day of the Jubilee gathering began with morning prayer in the various churches being used by the different language groups. The English-language delegates were given a reflection on the topic "From the Shrine to the Parish: Pilgrimage as an integral part of pastoral work in parishes" by Fr. John Armitage, Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham, England.

Fr. John Armitage, Rector of Walsingham

Father Armitage spoke of pilgrimages as grace-filled moments that lead people to conversion of heart, just as in the gospels people came to Jesus wanting to touch him and hear him speak. The impulse to go on pilgrimage often comes from a deep sense of either loss or fulness; a profound need for God, or a desire to thank God. Shrines and relics have a place in evangelisation because spreading the Good News of God's love is not a programme but an encounter with the Lord. Sometimes, he said, Christians feel too rational and sophisticated to go to particular sites and venerate relics, but we are incarnational people and whilst pilgrimage and relics are not essential to a Christian life, they can be helpful pointers towards God. The Rector spoke of how shrines, such as Lourdes, give us a glimpse of how the world can be; a reflection of God's kingdom. It is important, he said, for shrines to convey their story or message clearly, but to help people see the connection with their own life story; in this way curious tourists who come out of historical or artistic interest can become pilgrims who encounter the living God. Parishes have a responsibility to help people come on pilgrimage, especially the young who often find a deeper sense of community and commitment on visits to places like Lourdes or gatherings such as World Youth Day.

Fr. Francis responding to the presentations.

The final English-language presentation was a Catechesis on Mercy given by Archbishop Arthur Roche, now working at the Vatican as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, but known to the British delegates from his previous service as Bishop of Leeds.

Archbishop Arthur Roche spoke on the nature of Mercy.

Archbishop Roche began by observing that the work of pilgrimage is not simply a job but a vocation, a calling to draw people to Christ's mercy. God the Father gazes on each human being as a treasure, seeing in each the image of his Son, and therefore when we welcome pilgrims to shrines we welcome God's treasure, and give hospitality to those for whom God has given everything. Drawing on notions closely connected to Carmelite spirituality, the Archbishop invited the pilgrimage personnel to stop working for a moment and simply be loved in the presence of God. He encouraged pilgrimage workers to 'practice the presence of God', taking a few seconds throughout the day to consciously acknowledge and love the Lord.

Archbishop Roche's presentation was prayerful and informative.

Archbishop Roche went on to speak of the term 'Mercy' and its various derivative Hebrew and Greek terms in the Bible. He said it occurs some 500 times in the Bible, including the Psalms, compared with only 170 references to grace and just 54 references to Hell, which gives us a proper perspective on how - according to the title of the Pope's new book - "The name of God is Mercy". As an expert on liturgy, Archbishop Roche noted how every Mass begins with the 'Kyrie Eleison' calling on God's mercy. He spoke of Mercy as a tender and materal quality, which is fundamental to God's nature. The Archbishop spoke of the Gospel (especially Matthew 25) and Church Tradition as the basis for the 'Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy'. He said that mercy needs to be offered in our own time to refugees seeking asylum. He closed by talking about our need to offer as well as receive mercy, advising that if we have been hurt, wounded, or betrayed by another, and find it hard to forgive, we needn't worry; simply ask God for the grace to be able to forgive, since 'to err is human, but to forgive divine'.

Jubilee pilgrims from England and Wales. As well as the Carmelites, a number of groups and shrines were represented, including pilgrimages to Lourdes by dioceses and groups (such as HCPT), the Catholic Grandparents Association, and the newly-established Shrine of Saint Augustine in Ramsgate.

Among the speakers addressing the French-language group was
Fr. Horacio Brito, former Rector of Lourdes.

After the final language-group presentation the British Province pilgrims visited the Curia (international headquarters) of the Carmelite Order.

Matt and Francis with (left) the Vice Prior General of the Order Fr. Christian Körner,
and (right) the Councillor General for Europe Fr. John Keating.

The final afternoon of the Jubilee gathering was a time for prayer, with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation available in a number of 'Jubilee Churches' near the Vatican.

Jubilee pilgrims at prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

The British Province pilgrims visited a number of sites including the Holy Door at the Basilica of Saint Mary Majors (pictured), the shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and the Venerable English College.

On the final morning of the international gathering, priests, shrine rectors, religious, lay personnel, and all those involved in pilgrimage ministry passed through the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica.

Pilgrims processing past the Jubilee Office towards St. Peter's.

Johan Bergström-Allen and Fr. Francis Kemsley at the Holy Door in St. Peter's.

The Holy Door is normally only opened for jubilees every 25 years,
or extraordinary jubilees such as the Year of Mercy.

Going to St. Peter's was a special opportunity for the British Carmelites to pray at the altar of Saints Simon and Jude. It is from here that the relics of Saint Jude revered at his National Shrine in Faversham come.

Matt (Director of the National Shrine of Saint Jude at Faversham) and Fr. Francis (former Chaplain to the Shrine) in front of the Chapel of Simon and Jude in St. Peter's Basilica.

As Development Manager of the National Shrine of Saint Jude, Matt Betts took the opportunity to pray for the Shrine and its ministry in its Diamond Jubilee year (it was established by Carmelite friars 60 years ago). To mark the Jubilee, Matt had brought a statue of Saint Jude from Faversham to present to Pope Francis.

Matt holding the statue of Saint Jude from Faversham.

Next to the Chapel of Saints Simon and Jude in St. Peter's is the confessional staffed by friars of the Carmelite Order, a powerful symbol of God's love in this Year of Mercy.

From St. Peter's the Jubilee delegates walked to the Paul VI Auditorium for an audience with the Holy Father, which was preceded by a concert performed by an orchestra from Aquila, an Italian town devastated by an earthquake in 2009.

The orchestra from Aquila included many young people,
given hope by music after the devastation of their town.

When the Holy Father arrived to great applause from the Jubilee pilgrims, Archbishop Rino Fisichella told him about the gathering and the diversity of places from where participants had come.

Archbishop Fisichella addressing the Holy Father.

Pope Francis then spoke for a few minutes on the ministry of pilgrimage and shrine work. In his address the Holy Father spoke of how coming on pilgrimage allows people to express their Christian faith in simple but profound ways. He described religious sanctuaries as privileged spaces to meet the Lord and touch his mercy with your hands. The Pope said that the key word he wanted to underline is "welcome"; that pilgrimage and shrine personnel need to welcome the sick, the sinner, the marginalised just as Christ did, for in receiving them we receive Christ himself. Jesus not only spoke of welcome but practiced it, which transformed the lives of those he met. Welcoming is truly the determining factor for evangelisation, the Holy Father said. Speaking of the sacrament of reconciliation, the Pope said that "A very special form of welcome is that given by the ministers of God's forgiveness ... Priests who carry out a ministry in sanctuaries must have hearts impregnated by mercy; their attitude must be that of a father."

Pope Francis addressing the delegates at the Jubilee for Pilgrimage Workers.

Before imparting his apostolic blessing, Pope Francis asked the delegates to pray for him on his own pilgrimage through life.

Among the participants specially chosen to meet the Holy Father personally were the Lay Carmelites from the Philippines, Butch and Marissa Cos Alcantara.

Butch & Marissa Cos Alcantara meeting Pope Francis.

On behalf of the Carmelite Family, Matt Betts was able to present the Pope with a statue of Saint Jude from the Apostle's National Shrine at Faversham.

Matt presenting the statue of St. Jude to the Holy Father.

With delight Pope Francis asked Matt: "Is the statue for me?"

Pope Francis with the statue of Saint Jude from the Carmelites in Britain.

To watch video footage of the papal audience (in Italian) click on the arrow in the YouTube box below.

An ancient tradition of pilgrims to Rome is to get a certificate. The delegates from the British Province rounded off their experience by getting this document from the Jubilee Office.

The British Province delegates with their Year of Mercy pilgrimage certificates.

The Carmelites who took part in the Jubilee went home inspired and encouraged in their ministry of pilgrimage hospitality.

Photography:

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Lunedì, 01 Febbraio 2016 17:31

The Jubilee Indulgence for those living the contemplative life

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Religious Men and Women bound to the cloistered life can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence according to the now usual practices granted for Jubilees.

According to the indications given by the Holy Father’s letter dated 1 September, 2015, and addressed to S.E. Mons. Rino Fisichella, cloistered Religious are among the category of those “for whom, for various reasons it will be impossible to enter the Holy Door”. Therefore, they will obtain the Jubilee indulgence through a visit to the chapel of their own monastery, along with the profession of faith and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, as well as the usual conditions of sacramental Confession and Eucharistic Communion.

In addition, in the same letter, the Pope expressed this further instruction: “I have asked the Church in this Jubilee Year to rediscover the richness encompassed by the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The experience of mercy, indeed, becomes visible in the witness of concrete signs as Jesus himself taught us. Each time that one of the faithful personally performs one or more of these actions, he or she will certainly obtain the Jubilee Indulgence”.

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016

Lunedì, 01 Febbraio 2016 17:07

Pope Francis Message for the Jubilee of Mercy for Young Boys and Girls

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Pope Francis

Pope Francis: Message for the Jubilee of Mercy for Young Boys and Girls

“Merciful Like the Father”

Dear Young Friends,

The Church is celebrating the Holy Year of Mercy, a time of grace, peace, conversion and joy. It is meant for everyone: people of every age, from far and near. There are no walls or distances which can prevent the Father’s mercy from reaching and embracing us. The Holy Door is now open in Rome and in all the dioceses of the world.

This grace-filled moment also concerns you, dear young people. I encourage you to take an active part in this celebration and to realize that each of you is a child of God (cf. 1 Jn 3:1). I would like to invite you, one by one, calling you by name, as Jesus does each day. For you know that your names are written in heaven (Lk 10:20), in the heart of the Father, that Merciful Heart which is the source of all reconciliation and kindness.

The Jubilee is a year-long celebration, in which every moment becomes a chance for us to grow in holiness. It is a time when we can discover that life together as brothers and sisters is like a great party, perhaps the most beautiful party we can imagine, the endless party that Jesus has taught us to celebrate by his Spirit. The Jubilee is the party to which Jesus invites us all, without excluding anyone. That is why I also wanted to have some days of prayer and celebration with you. I am looking forward to seeing many of you in April.

“Merciful like the Father”. This is the theme of the Jubilee, but it is also the prayer we make for all of you as we welcome you in the name of Jesus. To be merciful means to grow in a love which is courageous, generous and real. It means to grow physically and spiritually. You are preparing to be Christians capable of making courageous choices and decisions, in order to build daily, even through little things, a world of peace.

Yours is a time of life which is full of amazing changes. Everything seems possible and impossible all at once. I repeat what I said to some of your friends: “Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus gives us this courage! … With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals” (Homily at the Conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmation, 2013).

Here I cannot forget those of you who are living in situations of war, extreme poverty, daily troubles and loneliness. Don’t ever lose hope! The Lord has a great dream which, with your help, he wants to come true! Your friends, young people your age living in less trying conditions than your own, have not forgotten you; they are working for peace and justice for everyone everywhere. Don’t be taken in by the messages of hatred or terror all around us. Instead, make new friends. Give of your time and always show concern for those who ask your help. Be brave and go against the tide; be friends of Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace (cf. Is 9:6). “Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in him is devoid of compassion” (Misericordiae Vultus, 8).

I realize that not all of you can come to Rome, but the Jubilee is truly for everyone and it is also being celebrated in your local Churches. You are all invited to this moment of joy. Don’t just prepare your rucksacks and your banners, but your hearts and your minds as well. Think carefully about the hope and desires you will hand over to Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and in the Eucharist which we will celebrate together. As you walk through the Holy Door, remember that you are committing yourselves to grow in holiness and to draw nourishment from the Gospel and the Eucharist, the Word and the Bread of life, in order to help build a more just and fraternal world.

May the Lord bless your journey towards the Holy Door. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your steps and enlighten you. For you and your families, and for all who help you to grow in goodness and in grace, may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of us all, be true Door of Mercy.

From the Vatican, 6 January 2016, Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Published in Jubille Year of Mercy 2016