Director of the Apostleship of Prayer in Zambia, Jesuit priest, Father Charles Searson reflects on the Jubilee year of Mercy and what it entails of all:
Pope Francis has declared the period from 8 December 2015 to 29 November 2016 as a Jubilee Year of Mercy. It is also his prayer intention for December: “that all may experience the mercy of God, who never tires of forgiving.”
Appropriately enough the Holy Father anticipated the year on Sunday evening 29 November by opening the Door of Mercy at the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Bangui, in the Central African Republic.
Pope Francis wants the celebration of the Holy Year to be for all believers “a true moment of encounter with the mercy of God”. The Hebrew word for Mercy is “Hesed” which translates as “the loving kindness of the heart of our God.”
“My wish is 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 at that, as a result, they may witness to it be ever more effectively.”
“I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a genuine experience of God’s mercy..who welcomes and forgives, forgetting completely the sin committed.”
“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 churches designated by the Diocesan Bishop…This moment is to be linked..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.”
Pope Francis makes special provision for the sick and the elderly who cannot enter the Holy Door: “For them it will be of great help to live their sickness and suffering as an experience of closeness to the Lord who, in the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection, indicates the royal road which gives meaning to pain and loneliness.”
The Holy Father also includes Mercy for those in Prison who seek God’s mercy while conscious of the injustice they have done. “They may obtain the Indulgence in the chapels of the prisons. May the gesture of directing their thought and prayer to the Father each time they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their passage through the Holy Door because the mercy of God is able to transform hearts and is also able to transform their prison bars into an experience of freedom.”
Pope Francis invites us during the Jubilee to rediscover the richness of the spiritual works of mercy (teaching the ignorant, counselling the doubtful, admonishing the sinner, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving offences willingly, comforting the afflicted and praying for the living and the dead) and of the corporal works of mercy (feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick, ransoming the captive, burying the dead.)
“The Jubilee Indulgence can also be obtained for the deceased. We are bound to them by the witness of faith and charity that they have left us. Thus, as we remember them in the Eucharistic celebration, we can, in the great mystery of the Communion of Saints, pray for them, that the merciful Face of the Father free them of every remnant of fault and strongly embrace them in the unending beatitude.”
The Pope includes the tragedy of abortion. “I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonising and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope. The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented.”
In the Central African Republic Pope Francis extended the year of Mercy to all those who engage in violence. “To all those who make unjust use of the weapons of this world, I make this appeal: lay down these instruments of death! Arm yourselves instead with righteousness, with love and mercy, the authentic guarantors of peace.”
The Jubilee Year will be celebrated in different ways in different dioceses. In Rome, during 2016 there will be 12 celebrations spread throughout the year: for male and female religious, for Deacons and Priests, for Catechists, for the Sick, for Teenagers aged 13–16 (April 23-25th) and very appropriately for Prisoners on November 6th.
The Great Jubilee Door of St Peter’s will close on Sunday 20 November 2016.
By then we pray that this fragile earth and all its people have a deep experience of “the loving kindness of the heart of our God” (Luke 1:78).
(Charles Searson SJ in Zambia)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called on all the faithful to “assume their responsibility” for the care and discernment of vocations.
He made his appeal in his Message for the World Day of Vocations 2016, which was released on Monday with the theme “The Church, Mother of Vocations.”
“Vocations are born within the Church,” Pope Francis writes.
“From the moment a vocation begins to become evident, it is necessary to have an adequate ‘sense’ of the Church” – he continues – “No one is called exclusively for a particular region, or for a group or for an ecclesial movement, but rather for the Church and for the world.”
Pope Francis says priests are “especially important” in vocations discernment.
“The pastoral care of vocations is a fundamental part of their ministry,” he writes.
“Priests accompany those who are discerning a vocation, as well as those who have already dedicated their lives to the service of God and of the community,” continues the Holy Father.
The World Day of Prayer for Vocations is commemorated on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which in 2016 will be on 17 April.
The full Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is below
World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2016
MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER
The Church, Mother of Vocations
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is my great hope that, during the course of this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, all the baptized may experience the joy of belonging to the Church and rediscover that the Christian vocation, just like every particular vocation, is born from within the People of God, and is a gift of divine mercy. The Church is the house of mercy, and it is the “soil” where vocations take root, mature and bear fruit.
For this reason, on the occasion of the 53rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I invite all of you to reflect upon the apostolic community, and to give thanks for the role of the community in each person’s vocational journey. In the Bull of Indiction for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I recalled the words of the venerable Saint Bede, describing the call of Saint Matthew: “Miserando atque eligendo” (Misericordiae Vultus, 8). The Lord’s merciful action forgives our sins and opens us to the new life which takes shape in the call to discipleship and mission. Each vocation in the Church has its origin in the compassionate gaze of Jesus. Conversion and vocation are two sides of the same coin, and continually remain interconnected throughout the whole of the missionary disciple’s life.
Blessed Paul VI, in his exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, described various steps in the process of evangelisation. One of these steps is belonging to the Christian community (cf. no. 23), that community from which we first received the witness of faith and the clear proclamation of the Lord’s mercy. This incorporation into the Christian community brings with it all the richness of ecclesial life, particularly the sacraments. Indeed, the Church is not only a place in which we believe, but it is also an object of our faith; it is for this reason that we profess in the Credo: “I believe in the Church”.
The call of God comes to us by means of a mediation which is communal. God calls us to become a part of the Church and, after we have reached a certain maturity within it, he bestows on us a specific vocation. The vocational journey is undertaken together with the brothers and sisters whom the Lord has given to us: it is a con-vocation. The ecclesial dynamism of the call is an antidote to indifference and to individualism. It establishes the communion in which indifference is vanquished by love, because it demands that we go beyond ourselves and place our lives at the service of God’s plan, embracing the historical circumstances of his holy people.
On this day dedicated to prayer for vocations, I urge all the faithful to assume their responsibility for the care and discernment of vocations. When the Apostles sought someone to take the place of Judas Iscariot, Saint Peter brought together one hundred and twenty of the brethren (cf. Acts 1:15); and in order to chose seven deacons, a group of disciples was gathered (cf. 6:2). Saint Paul gave Titus specific criteria for the selection of presbyters (cf. Titus 1:5-9). Still today, the Christian community is always present in the discernment of vocations, in their formation and in their perseverance (cf. Apost. Ex. Evangelii Gaudium, 107).
Vocations are born within the Church. From the moment a vocation begins to become evident, it is necessary to have an adequate “sense” of the Church. No one is called exclusively for a particular region, or for a group or for an ecclesial movement, but rather for the Church and for the world. “A sure sign of the authenticity of a charism is its ecclesial character, its ability to be integrated harmoniously into the life of God’s holy and faithful people for the good of all” (ibid., 130). In responding to God’s call, young people see their own ecclesial horizon expand; they are able to consider various charisms and to undertake a more objective discernment. In this way, the community becomes the home and the family where vocations are born. Candidates gratefully contemplate this mediation of the community as an essential element for their future. They learn to know and to love their brothers and sisters who pursue paths different from their own; and these bonds strengthen in everyone the communion which they share.
Vocations grow within the Church. In the course of formation, candidates for various vocations need to grow in their knowledge of the ecclesial community, overcoming the limited perspectives that we all have at the beginning. To that end, it is helpful to undertake some apostolic experience together with other members of the community, for example: in the company of a good catechist, to communicate the Christian message; together with a religious community, to experience the evangelisation of the peripheries sharing in the life of the cloister, to discover the treasure of contemplation; in contact with missionaries, to know more closely the mission ad gentes; and in the company of diocesan priests, to deepen one’s experience of pastoral life in the parish and in the diocese. For those who are already in formation, the ecclesial community always remains the fundamental formational environment, towards which one should feel a sense of gratitude.
Vocations are sustained by the Church. After definitive commitment, our vocational journey within the Church does not come to an end, but it continues in our willingness to serve, our perseverance and our ongoing formation. The one who has consecrated his life to the Lord is willing to serve the Church wherever it has need. The mission of Paul and Barnabas is a good example of this readiness to serve the Church. Sent on mission by the Holy Spirit and by the community of Antioch (cf. Acts 13, 1-4), they returned to that same community and described what the Lord had worked through them (cf. 14: 27). Missionaries are accompanied and sustained by the Christian community, which always remains a vital point of reference, just as a visible homeland offers security to all who are on pilgrimage towards eternal life.
Among those involved in pastoral activity, priests are especially important. In their ministry, they fulfil the words of Jesus, who said: “I am the gate of the sheepfold […] I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10: 7, 11). The pastoral care of vocations is a fundamental part of their ministry. Priests accompany those who are discerning a vocation, as well as those who have already dedicated their lives to the service of God and of the community.
All the faithful are called to appreciate the ecclesial dynamism of vocations, so that communities of faith can become, after the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, like a mother’s womb which welcomes the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1: 35-38). The motherhood of the Church finds expression in constant prayer for vocations and in the work of educating and accompanying all those who perceive God’s call. This motherhood is also expressed through a careful selection of candidates for the ordained ministry and for the consecrated life. Finally, the Church is the mother of vocations in her continual support of those who have dedicated their lives to the service of others.
We ask the Lord to grant to all those who are on a vocational journey a deep sense of belonging to the Church; and that the Holy Spirit may strengthen among Pastors, and all of the faithful, a deeper sense of communion, discernment and spiritual fatherhood and motherhood.
Father of mercy, who gave your Son for our salvation and who strengthens us always with the gifts of your Spirit, grant us Christian communities which are alive, fervent and joyous, which are fonts of fraternal life, and which nurture in the young the desire to consecrate themselves to you and to the work of evangelisation. Sustain these communities in their commitment to offer appropriate vocational catechesis and ways of proceeding towards each one’s particular consecration. Grant the wisdom needed for vocational discernment, so that in all things the greatness of your merciful love may shine forth. May Mary, Mother and guide of Jesus, intercede for each Christian community, so that, made fruitful by the Holy Spirit, it may be a source of true vocations for the service of the holy People of God.
From the Vatican, 29 November 2015
First Sunday of Advent
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Before the recitation of the Marian Prayer on the second Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis referred to Sunday’s liturgy in which John the Baptist, preaches “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. The Holy Father pointed out that conversion is not just for atheists but also for those who already consider themselves Christians. Pope Francis continued by saying, “No one can say: I’m fine. Not true, it would be presumptuous, because “we must always be converted.” The Pope then invited the faithful ask themselves some questions. “Is it true that we feel how Jesus feels? For example, when we suffer some wrong or some affront, do we react without animosity of heart and forgive those who ask your forgiveness?” “When we are called to share joys and sorrows, do we sincerely weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice? When we express our faith, we do it with courage and simplicity, without being ashamed of the Gospel? “.
Pope Francis underlined that, We must always have the same sentiments that Jesus had, adding, John the Baptist’s voice cries out even in today’s deserts of humanity that are closed minds and stony hearts, and makes us wonder whether we are actually going the right way, and living a life according to the Gospel.” “Salvation, the Pope said, “is offered to every human, to every people, without exception, to each of us. None of us can say, ‘I am holy, I am perfect, I am already saved’. No. Again we must take this offer of salvation.” The Pope then stressed that, for this reason, we must use the Year of Mercy to go further on this path of salvation, the way that Jesus taught us, for God wants all humans to be saved through Jesus Christ, the only mediator . (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for the success of the Climate Change Conference currently underway in Paris. The Pope said, that as he follows the work of the Conference closely, he was reminded of a question he asked in his recent encyclical Laudato Si’, that being, “What kind of world do we want to pass on to those who come after us, to the children who are growing up? The Holy Father then urged that, “for the sake of the common home we share and for future generations, every effort should be made, in Paris to mitigate the impact of climate change and, at the same time, to tackle poverty and to let human dignity flourish.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report
Let us pray, the Pope added, that the Holy Spirit will enlighten all who are called to take such important decisions and give them the courage to do what is best for greater good of the whole human family.
Pope Francis was speaking following the recitation of the Angelus in St Peter’s Square, where he also recalled the fiftieth anniversary of a memorable event between Catholics and Orthodox.
It was the signing of a Joint Declaration between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, which took place on the eve of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, on December 7, 1965.
He noted that it was providential that this historic gesture of reconciliation, which has created the conditions for a new dialogue between Orthodox and Catholics in love and truth, should be remembered at the very beginning of the Jubilee of Mercy.
The Pope also recalled three priests killed in hatred of the faith, who were beatified on Saturday in Chimbote, Peru.
The Holy Father underlined how the loyalty of these martyrs in following Christ, gives strength to all of us, but especially Christians persecuted in different parts of the world, to be courageous witnesses of the Gospel.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged members of the Charismatic Renewal to “walk in the newness of life.”
In a Message sent on Saturday through the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father called on participants of the 39th Conference of the Rinnovamento nello Spirito (“Renewal of the Spirit”) taking place in Rimini, Italy, to “walk in the newness of life, and, made fruitful by personal and communitarian charismatic prayer, contribute with the renewing power of the Gospel to the Christian animation of the secular city.”
The Message said Pope Francis “invokes the abundant gifts of the divine Spirit” on all the groups, communities, and the entire Movement.
(from Vatican Radio)…