Continuing the Spirit of the Jubilee Year of Mercy

Continuing the Spirit of the Jubilee Year of Mercy 1

Jubilee Year of Mercy

Fr. Wade’s Blog, November 2016

“Continuing the Spirit of the Jubilee Year of Mercy”

Hello friends, Fr. Wade Menezes here of the Fathers of Mercy with another “Mercy Moment” for the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy called for by Pope Francis.

Well, this is it. We wrap it up this month. Or do we? While the Jubilee Year of Mercy officially ends this month on November 20^th – the Solemnity of Christ the King – the promotion of God’s greatest attribute is surely meant to be practiced, proclaimed and extended to all on a continuum by each one of us.

Let us always remember, friends, that mercy is Who God is. It’s love’s second name. God is more interested in our future than in our past. He’s more interested in the kind of person we can yet become, than in the kind of person we used to be. While indeed taking our sins seriously – no doubt – whether mortal or venial (because they have in someway severed or wounded our supernatural relationship with Him), God never, ever takes those sins as the last word. Why? Because He knows He’s made us in His image and likeness, He knows He calls us constantly to Himself to live a life of Sanctifying Grace, and He knows He is our God.

In the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #391 poses this question: “What does the acceptance of God’s mercy require form us?” The answer: “It requires that we admit our faults and repent of our sins. God Himself by His word and His Spirit lays bare our sins and gives us the truth of conscience and the hope of forgiveness.”

Mercy, my friends, is the disposition to be kind and forgiving – a disposition we no doubt want God to practice toward us. Founded on compassion, mercy is the ready willingness to help anyone in need, especially those in need of pardon or reconciliation. Now, if we want to receive this great gift from God, we have to be willing to give it to others – and this, on a continuum.

And that’s another Mercy Moment. I’m Fr. Wade Menezes of the Fathers of Mercy. Be sure to visit fathersofmercy.com and follow us on Facebook. God bless you.