Jubilee Year of Mercy December 8th, 2015
Kathy Boh on 8th Dec 2015
JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY
December 8th, 2015 to November 20th, 2016
Here at Trinity Church Supply, we are preparing for the Jubilee Year of Mercy coming up very soon.
The motto that Pope Francis has chosen is “Merciful like the Father” [Luke 6:36]… “We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: ‘Be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful’ (cf. Luke 6:36).” The pope commented, “It is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be a living experience of the closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almost tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to it be ever more effective.”
WHAT IS THE JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY?
For those of us who would like to understand exactly what the Year of Mercy is, here is some helpful information…
The Jubilee Year of Mercy will begin on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th (2015) and end on the feast of Christ the King, on November 20 of the following year (2016).
It was May 5th, at a Vatican press conference (by Archbishop Fisichiella, representing Pope Francis as the President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization) that the early details and main events of the Jubilee Year of Mercy were first publicly outlined. That included the special logo, created by the Jesuit artist, Fr. Marko Rupnik. It is designed in such a way as to convey how “Christ sees with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ.”
Along with the announcement in May, the pope also wrote a “Jubilee Papal (Apostolic) Letter”. We will quote from that letter to give a bit of a flavor of Pope Francis’ thoughts and intentions regarding the year.
It is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be a living experience of the closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almost tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to it be ever more effective…
…God’s mercy… comes to meet each person in the Face of the Father who welcomes and forgives, forgetting completely the sin committed…
The experience of mercy, indeed, becomes visible in the witness of concrete signs as Jesus himself taught us...
From the Vatican,
1 September 2015
Franciscus
http://www.trinitychurchsupply.com/content/Jubilee...
The verbal portrait of the Year of Mercy would not be complete without mention of the prayer for this special year, also written by Pope Francis. We will print that in its totality.
PRAYER FOR THE JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY
Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,
and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him.
Show us your face and we will be saved.
Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money;
the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things;
made Peter weep after his betrayal,
and assured Paradise to the repentant thief.
Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman:
“If you knew the gift of God!”
You are the visible face of the invisible Father,
of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy:
let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified.
You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness
in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error:
let everyone who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing,
so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord,
and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed,
and restore sight to the blind.
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy,
you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen.
MERCY
Mary’s Magnificat speaks of how God lifts up the lowly and shows much mercy and does great and mighty things.
We have the “Magnificat Year of Mercy Companion” that includes scripture, prayer, stories, saints’ biographies/ quotes/ and writings… and other inspirational information. It is a rich resource for quiet times throughout this distinctly dedicated year. The following is a brief excerpt.
Magnificat Year of Mercy Companion, page 23, by Jean Vanier
“[Jesus] comes to make us free, to give us the freedom of the Spirit. …He takes away the yoke that crushes our shoulders… [H]e renders… problems very light if we let the Spirit come into us. ‘Come to Me, all you who labor, and rest.’
If we are firmly convinced how weak and incapable we are, how our decisions are frequently tainted by egocentric motivations, how unfaithful we are to the Spirit, how sinful and unloving we really are, he will transform our hearts and give us a new strength. Conscious of our weakness, we must at the same time maintain a living and burning hope, and a confidence that he is with us; that he helps us, that he loves us and guides us…
Only when I discover that [God] loves me in spite of all my infidelities, when I really discover the mercy of God to me, only then shall I discover the true, compassionate face of Jesus: only then shall I discover that I was a captive… I am the one who had the yoke on my shoulders and yet did not know it: I was blind.”
THE BLESSINGS OF MERCY
The Lord does not want us to dwell on our weaknesses and failures as the final focus of our gaze. He wants us to be mindful of our sins and faults and be honest—with ourselves and with Him—in order to turn quickly and continually to Him. He, Himself—in all His mercy, kindness and generous compassion—is the heart of our gaze! He desires to help us in and through our weaknesses and failures.
He so desires to forgive and help us with any need or lack, as any good and loving parent does. As we continue to lean on Him, we can learn just how much He loves us. We know that He always has graces available to those who ask. We can even find out how much He desires to work with us, and around obstacles to serving and following and obeying Him.
We all live standing on the foundations of the richness of God’s great mercy—the indescribable gift of love and continuous forgiveness that is vastly beyond our full understanding. But so often, we live oblivious to that fact. We find ourselves assuming many things, and blindly ungrateful for so much. We easily get caught up in the whirlwinds of the busy-ness of the world around us, and come to expect the gifts that God gives with amazing generosity and love.
In this Year of Mercy—we have a welcome opportunity to focus on the depth of kindness that the Father IS… and gives… and wants us to both receive and to give in this coming Year of Mercy...and for the rest of our lives!
PRODUCTS:
http://www.trinitychurchsupply.com/content/Jubilee...
Magnificat Year of Mercy Companion
You Did It to Me -- A Practical Guide to Mercy in Action
Walking with Jesus by Pope Francis
The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis—A Vision for the Church
A Year of Mercy with Pope Francis Daily Reflections
Mercy: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics by Mitch Pacwa
A Year of Mercy pamphlet
Year of Mercy Prayer Card