Jubilee Year of Mercy – April 2016

Discovering ways to live the Year of Mercу

In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis encourages us “to experience the opening of our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society” and to “keep alive the desire to know how to welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world and, above all, to those who suffer, who are alone and abandoned, without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father’s love” (Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis).

We know how the poor need help. We know how the sick need healing, how the oppressed need justice, how the grieving need comfort. We know how the spiritual life needs exercise, with daily prayer, meditation, study, and the companionship of kindred, seeking souls. Being people of the resurrection, graced with this knowledge, it is our calling to talk to people on the road and announce the Good News of the risen Christ to them. During this period of contemplating Christ’s mercy, we are reminded that Jesus not only preached mercy, but He put into action works of mercy as He assisted the poor, consoled the lonely and outcast, relieved suffering and affliction and taught the ignorant. No one person can give what they do not have, thus each one of us must know Christ personally.  We need to know Him personally so that we can go out and proclaim Him to every person we encounter.

Today is our time of joy and renewed evangelical spirit to proclaim the Good News of the risen Christ to others.  Our parish communities should become places to encounter the living Christ!   This is what Christ is inviting us to do!  This is the day that Lord has made, let us exalt and rejoice in it. This is the calling to each of us, so we may bring this joy of encountering, the risen Christ to others.  Will we be able to share this personal encounter with the risen Christ with our families, our friends, and people we encounter in our daily lives?  Let us experience this Easter season joy and let us radiate this joy in our lives.  Let the Mercy of Christ shine in our lives and deeds!

Our activities for the Easter Season:

Attached with this month column please find a practical suggestion for living in the Year of Mercy “Mercy begins with me”. Let us all incorporate the Corpral and Spiritual Works of Mercy into our daily lives!