The Holy Year of Mercy

12-13-2015Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Dec 8, 2015, the church begins a yearlong celebration of the ExtraordinaryJubilee of Mercy, announced by Pope Francis during a Lenten penance service lastMarch. United in heart and spirit with our Holy Father, let us enter this Holy yearfull of confidence in the inexhaustible mercy of the Father.

Announcement of the Jubilee of Mercy

Dear Brothers and sisters, I have often thought of how the Churchmay render more clearly her mission to be a witness to mercy; andwe have to make this journey. It is a journey which begins with spiritualconversion. Therefore I have decided to announce an ExtraordinaryJubilee which has at its center the mercy of God. It will be aholy year of mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of theLord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36) Andthis especially applies to confessors! So much mercy…

I am confident that the whole Church, which is in need of mercy forwe are sinners, will be able to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscoveringand rendering fruitful God’s mercy, with which we are allcalled to give comfort to every man and every woman of our time.Do not forget that God forgives all, and God forgives always. Let usnever tire of asking forgiveness. Let us henceforth entrust this Yearto the Mother of Mercy, that she turn her gaze upon us and watchover our journey: our penitential journey, our yearlong journey withan open heart, to receive the indulgence of God, to receive the mercyof God.

Pope Francis

This Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy begins December 8, 2015 up to November 20,2016. My dear brothers and sisters, in this Jubilee Year we are all asked to be likethe Merciful Father. But as Pope Francis says that this especially applies toconfessors: So pray that we your priests, your unworthy servants will always modelour lives to the Father of Mercy. Pray also that we here at St. Rose will all take thisExtraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy to heart - to teach ourselves to love theSacrament of Reconciliation and make it a mission to bring more people to meetGod in this wonderful Sacrament of Healing.

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