PA Day - Sept 2015

For the last 7 years we have gathered the Staffs of our Elementary Schools on the Faith Day / PA Day in September. This year our topic was the Jubilee Year of Mercy...

In the last couple of years Pope Francis has been gaining the attention of people in the Church and outside the Church – he is able to get lots of media coverage – much of it would fall into the category of positive media coverage. On April 11, 2015 Pope Francis issued an Apostolic letter calling for an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy – 

What does a jubilee year mean?  In the Biblical sense a Jubilee Year was one year after 49 years (7 times 7 = 49 ... so every 50 years.) In 1983-84 Pope John Paul II (now St. John Paul II) announced a Holy Year of Salvation and Redemption (1950 years since the Death and Resurrection of Jesus) The most memorable item that flowed from this Jubilee year - was the World Youth Day Cross. Attached to the WYD Cross (which has travelled thru our community)  is:

My dear young people, at the conclusion of the Holy Year, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ's love for humanity, and announce to everyone that only in the death and resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption.

The Jubilee year of Mercy will begin on December 8th – the feast of the Immaculate Conception – and the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council and the year of Mercy will end on the Feast of Christ the King, Nov. 20 2016. 

What is mercy – we are talking about the mercy of God – how do we describe this? Mercy is the unearned and undeserved compassion - usually of one more powerful than oneself.

We are a door – others encounter God’s love and mercy through us 
If you think of many different doors – the classroom – the door into our school – into our home – the door we keep locked – so no one can enter without us being aware of their presence.  Walking through a door – or crossing a threshold takes us to a new place. 
A child (and even an adult) can be terrified of opening the door to a new room – a school. When we are on the other side of the door – literally or figuratively we are in a place of power – of leadership – of influence. 

Pope Francis said 

A Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope.  

Do we long to be able to offer this love of God and consolation – the love of God who pardons and gives hope to each person who walks through the door of our home – of this parish.
In listening to Pope Francis and the way others respond to him, we see that our image of God determines the way we reflect God’s love to others. 

Where does our image of God come from?

Who influenced your image of God? 

Does our image of God change  - what may lead it to change? In part my image of God changed when I first began to reflect on original grace – The story does not start with the eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden - It starts from Original Grace...

How are we able to reflect God’s mercy to others? 

Maybe when we can name how we have offered mercy or received mercy we will be able to recognise how we are called to reflect God’s mercy.

Before you come to Mass Sunday - I invite you to take a moment in silence and recall family, friends and strangers who have reflected God’s love and mercy to you. We gather with grateful hearts ready to praise our God. 
Peace.