Year of Mercy will provide opportunities for grace
Published on Tuesday, 10 November 2015 18:34 | 
Written by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond | |
Written by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond | | 
The archdiocese is preparing for the Year of Mercy, which was promulgated by Pope Francis and will begin throughout the universal church on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Can you talk about what the year will mean to the Archdiocese of New Orleans?
One of the hallmarks of Pope Francis’ pontificate has been his emphasis on the mercy of God. Day after day, the Holy Father, through his words and actions, has shown us what mercy and forgiveness are all about. In the footsteps of Jesus, he has washed the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday as a sign of God’s unconditional love. He has taken to the streets to greet people where they are. He has told us that a church that is closed in on itself is not fulfilling all that it must be. In many ways, the Holy Father is serving as the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, someone whose forgiveness and love know no bounds. Pope Francis wants the church to welcome back anyone who has been alienated by the church or who has been away from the church for any reason. And now is the acceptable time. The year will conclude on Nov. 20, 2016, the feast of Christ the King.
What will happen in the archdiocese during the Year of Mercy?
First of all, we will open the year in a symbolic fashion. Just as Pope Francis will open the holy door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Dec. 8, I will do the same thing after the 12:05 p.m. Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. We will have a special ceremony in which the front door of the cathedral will be opened. A special seal dedicated to the year of Mercy will be placed on the door. This is a simple door, but it is rich in symbolism during a
holy year. Jesus told us that he is the door through which we enter into the pasture of the Good Shepherd. It is a journey from a life of sin and death to a life filled with the boundless love, compassion and mercy of God. In order to reach the Holy Year door – whether it’s in Rome or in New Orleans – we are required to make a pilgrimage and embrace the call to conversion. During the Mass, we will ask God’s blessing on the archdiocese and its people. Each of us in some way is in need of God’s mercy for actions we have taken, attitudes that we have allowed to harden our hearts or the many times we have failed to take action when doing so would have comforted a loved one or a neighbor. We all need
to examine our conscience to determine where we have fallen short and where we are most in need of God’s mercy.
What can local Catholics expect during the year?
Dominican Father Dave Caron, who is our vicar of evangelization, and his staff and other colleagues in departments and offices at the archdiocese have worked extremely hard over the last several months to help parishes make the Year of Mercy a spiritually transforming experience. One of the innovative ideas they’ve come up with is a “Traveling Mercies” toolbox of resources that will be sent out to all parishes, Catholic schools and organizations. The toolbox will contain my letter of welcome and information on how the included resources can be used. The toolbox will have a prayer created for the Jubilee of Mercy by the Holy Father. It will describe and explain the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and indicate the scriptural and foundational texts that support them, along with practical suggestions for parishes and organizations. There will even be a glossary of terms explaining what a “jubilee” is all about. We will also have a list of “mercy” speakers available to address the Year of Mercy with parishes and schools. We have designated several churches and shrines around the archdiocese as pilgrimage sites. There will be preaching resources for priests and deacons to help them weave the theme of God’s mercy into their homilies. We also will have opportunities for outreach to the poor and theological reflection. I’m also very excited that we will have expanded opportunities for people to avail themselves of confession.
What will you be doing in terms of confession?
During Lent next year, we will designate three Wednesdays where all churches of the archdiocese will be open from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to hear people’s confessions. We’ll announce that schedule as Lent approaches.
What are some of other key dates?
We will have a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 18, 2016, and Abbey Youth Fest on March 12 will have a mercy theme. There will also be the Divine Mercy Mass on April 3 at St. Joseph Church in New Orleans. My prayer is that God’s mercy will shine on every heart in this jubilee year and that, we, as church, will be the conduits of that grace
No comments:
Post a Comment