Pastor's Points: The Jubilee Year of Mercy

The Jubilee Year of Mercy

We have entered into the holy season of Advent. It is a time to make ready the way of the Lord. We prepare heart, soul and mind for the Advent of our God. This year Advent takes on an added dimension as we mark the 50 ^th anniversary of the closing session of Vatican II and inaugurate the Jubilee Year of Mercy on Dec. 8 ^th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This Year of Mercy calls upon each of us to be merciful like the Father.

Incarnation—God with us—is very much about mercy. The Son enters the world to live as one of us in all things but sin. That Son would ultimately give his life for the forgiveness of our sin. From the cross the dying Christ would pray for the forgiveness of his executioners. He would forgive the repentant thief. The crib leads to the cross.

This Year of Mercy will provide us with a chance to look deep within and see where we need to extend mercy in our own life. We, too, will be called upon to recognize our constant need for mercy. We can receive this sacramentally in reconciliation. Our parish penance service will take place on Thursday, Dec. 3 ^rd at 7 PM. Bishop Burbidge will preside at this service and many priests will be available to extend the merciful arm of the Father. Regular times for Reconciliation are Wednesdays from 11:30-noon and Saturdays from 3:45-4:45 p.m.

We can observe this Year of Mercy in many other ways. One way is through the jubilee year tradition of passing through a holy door at a designated church. Usually these doors are found only at the 4 major papal basilicas in Rome. However, Pope Francis wanted Catholics everywhere to be able to walk through a holy door. And so each Bishop can designate certain churches in his diocese to have a holy door. The Faithful are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to that church during the jubilee year. In the Diocese of Raleigh, there are four churches with a holy door: Sacred Heart Cathedral, the mother church of our diocese; The Basilica-Shrine of St. Mary in Wilmington; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Newton Grove and Mother of Mercy in Washington. Pope Francis has said that The Holy Door “will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons and instills hope.” Perhaps you may want to plan a trip to one of the churches in our diocese where you can walk through a holy door and be reminded of that need to pass from sin to a new life of grace and salvation in Christ.

Finally, I wanted to share with you some practical suggestions for observing the Year of Mercy that I found in the December, 2016 edition of Celebration written by Donna Schaper:

1. Read Pope Francis’ invitation to the Holy Year entitled “Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy)". This could be your Advent devotion.
2. Become a walking Field Hospital.This is the Holy Father’s vision of what the Church should be.Go back and revisit the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Perhaps you can practice one every day.
3. If you are old, say something nice about a young person.If you are young, say a kind word about an older person.
4. Refuse to get involved in things like gossip.
5. Don’t worry so much about whether the person deserves mercy.Grant it.Mercy is given. Mercy is beyond deserving.
6. Francis loves to say “God never tires of forgiving us.It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.The Jesus we welcome at Advent and Christmas –the Incarnate Word—arrives and his himself the divine message of global amnesty and unconditional forgiveness.Forgive someone you have not been able to forgive.Just one person.

So, take to heart the work of this jubilee year. Let mercy overtake you. Let the Prince of Peace, whose coming we await, be your example. Mercy is one of our chief tasks as Christians. There can never be too much mercy, too much forgiveness in our lives.

Happy Advent