Lent 2016: I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice

“Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Matthew 9:13

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After receiving the Good News told to her by the Archangel Gabriel, Mary, in her Magnificat, prophetically sings of the mercy whereby God chose her…. 

For all of us, then, the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year is a favourable time to overcome our existential alienation by listening to God’s word and by practising the works of mercy. In the corporal works of mercy we touch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters who need to be fed, clothed, sheltered, visited; in the spiritual works of mercy – counsel, instruction, forgiveness, admonishment and prayer – we touch more directly our own sinfulness. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy must never be separated. By touching the flesh of the crucified Jesus in the suffering, sinners can receive the gift of realizing that they too are poor and in need. By taking this path, the “proud”, the “powerful” and the “wealthy” spoken of in the Magnificat can also be embraced and undeservedly loved by the crucified Lord who died and rose for them….

Let us not waste this season of Lent, so favourable a time for conversion! We ask this through the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, who, encountering the greatness of God’s mercy freely bestowed upon her, was the first to acknowledge her lowliness (cf. Lk 1:48) and to call herself the Lord’s humble servant (cf. Lk 1:38).

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis

for Lent 2016

For the complete text please visit:

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/lent/documents/papa-francesco_20151004_messaggio-quaresima2016.html

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A local grocery chain recently had an advertisement encouraging shoppers to “Savor the Taste of Lent”... which I thought was not quite in keeping with the “sacrificial spirit” of the season!  Then I reread Pope Francis’ Message for Lent which takes the theme from Matthew’s Gospel:  “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” 

Giving up chocolate for Lent historically has not made me a better person--no doubt about it.  Savoring the blessings and mercy of God, however, offers me the great potential to draw closer to our Blessed Mother Mary and, through her intercession, to more fully experience the loving embrace of her Son, our Lord.

Our Holy Father is encouraging us to listen to God’s Word as well as to practice both corporal and spiritual works of mercy—a balanced, savory diet, if you will.  While I have discerned a call to particularly work on prayer, forgiveness, and visiting, I know that any small progress in those areas will only come by the grace of God’s mercy and the prayerful encouragement of dear “humble servants”.  Let's challenge, support and encourage each other to "live" mercy, worthy of Jesus' call.

You are remembered in prayer.  Please pray for me.  May our Blessed Mother Mary help us to encounter God’s mercy in new and deeper ways during this great and holy season of Lent.

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Gifts Given and Gifts Received

 

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod,

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled,

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod called the magi secretly

and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said,

“Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word,

that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star,

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

they departed for their country by another way.

Matthew 2: 1-12

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Blessed Sacrament Chapel, with Infant for Adoration.
Saint Catherine Church, Bethlehem

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We do well to repeat the question asked by the Magi: “Where is the child who has been born the King of the Jews?  For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage” (Mt 2:2).  We are impelled, especially in an age like our own, to seek the signs which God offers us, realizing that great effort is needed to interpret them and thus to understand his will.   We are challenged to go to Bethlehem, to find the Child and his Mother.  Let us follow the light which God offers us!  The light which streams from the face of Christ, full of mercy and fidelity.  And once we have found him, let us worship him with all our heart, and present him with our gifts: our freedom, our understanding and our love.  Let us recognize that true wisdom lies concealed in the face of this Child.  It is here, in the simplicity of Bethlehem, that the life of the Church is summed up.  For here is the wellspring of that light which draws to itself every individual and guides the journey of the peoples along the path of peace.

Pope Francis

Homily, Solemnity of the Epiphany, 2016

Saint Peter's Basilica

For the complete text, please visit:  http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-church-doesnt-shine-with-its-own-ligh

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Star marking the place where Jesus was born.
 Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

I hope and pray that you have been experiencing a most blessed Christmas season.  May the graces continue to flow in and through us as we return all-to-soon to Ordinary Time.  As the lights are still shining on our Christmas trees and the candles are still glowing let's contemplate once more the holy gifts we are giving as well as receiving:

What gifts do we personally bring to our newborn Savior?

What gifts do we receive from our Lord who cannot be outdone in generosity?

How have we been transformed by our encounter at the manger so that we will return to our daily lives in a different way?

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Christmas Blessings

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,

and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son,

full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

May our newborn Saviour grant you

the gift of Love,

the blessing of Hope,

and the fullness of His Peace.

Blessed Christmas

Joyeux Noël

Feliz Navidad

Fröhliche Weihnachten

                                                                                    In Christ Jesus,

                                                                                    Karen

                                                                                   

Karen M. Hurley, DSS

k.m.hurley1@gmail.com

Jubilee Year to Contemplate Divine Mercy

Pope Francis dedicated the general audience of December 9, 2015, the first of the Holy Year, to explaining why he convoked a Jubilee of Mercy. “The Church is called upon to offer her special contribution, making visible the signs of God's presence and closeness. And the Jubilee is a propitious time for all, as contemplating Divine Mercy, that exceeds all human limits and shines onto the darkness of sin, we can be surer and more effective witnesses”.

“Celebrating a Jubilee of Mercy means restoring the specifics of Christian faith to the centre of our personal life and of our communities. … This Holy Year is offered to us so that we are able to experience in our life the sweet and gentle touch of God's forgiveness, His presence next to us and His closeness, especially in our moments of greatest need. … This Jubilee is therefore a special moment for the Church to learn to choose solely 'what God likes the most'. … Forgiving His children, having mercy on them, so that they can in turn forgive their brethren, to shine like beacons of God's mercy in the world. … The Jubilee will be a propitious moment for the Church if we learn to choose what God likes the most, without giving in to the temptation to think that there is something else more important or that takes priority. Nothing is more important than choosing what God likes most, His mercy”.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/shine-like-beacons-of-gods-mercy-in-the-world

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Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica
by Dnalor 01

“This Extraordinary Year is itself a gift of grace.  To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.  It is he who seeks us!  It is he who comes to encounter us!  This will be a year in which we grow ever more convinced of God’s mercy….  In passing through the Holy Door, then, may we feel that we ourselves are part of this mystery of love, of tenderness.  Let us set aside all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved.  Instead, let us experience the joy of encountering that grace which transforms all things.”

His Holiness Pope Francis

8 December 2015

For the complete Homily, please visit:

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20151208_giubileo-omelia-apertura.html

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Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother, Saint Anne.

You were chosen to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I believe the teaching of Holy Mother Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race and your beloved Son, you were preserved from all stain of original sin.  I thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you as I honor your Immaculate Conception.

Look graciously upon me as I implore this special favor:  (Mention your request).

Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, please intercede for me as these prayers now rise before God.  Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, I ask you to help me in this journey of life and to preserve me from all that is displeasing to God.  I entrust myself entirely to you, knowing that you will help me to avoid sin and to always live a humble and pure life.  I consecrate myself to you forever, for my firm desire is to love your Divine Son Jesus.  Mary, since those devoted to you have never been known to perish, pray that I too may be saved.

Amen.

Novena Prayer in Honor of the Immaculate Conception

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Stand Erect

Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

Luke 21:  28

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Advent is the season of the presence and expectation of the eternal. For this very reason, it is in a particular way a period of joy, an interiorized joy that no suffering can diminish. It is joy in the fact that God made himself a Child. This joy, invisibly present within us, encourages us to journey on with confidence. A model and support of this deep joy is the Virgin Mary, through whom we were given the Infant Jesus. May she, a faithful disciple of her Son, obtain for us the grace of living this liturgical season alert and hardworking, while we wait.

His Holiness Benedict XVI

28 November 2009

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“Stand erect and raise your heads”.  I’ve been hearing and reading these words from Sacred Scripture frequently in the past few weeks.  Have you also heard them?  They remind me a bit of my parents admonishing me in my teenage years to “stand up straight” when I was slouching.  So perhaps these Advent days the words serve the dual purpose of exercising good posture as well as living as a grown woman of faith. 

I’ve been personally interpreting these words as “stand up straight and tall, hold your head up high, and smile!”  I think the smile is especially important to show the joy of knowing that my redemption is at hand.  It is a blessing to believe that our Saviour Jesus Christ is coming in a special way.  I feel the confidence and encouragement of our Blessed Mother Mary to journey through these days of Advent.

Do you feel the joy and confidence?  Do you feel richly blessed?  Let’s remind each other to keep smiling and sharing the gifts we have already received in this life as we anticipate the eternal life to come.

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Pray for Wisdom and Peace

Pope Francis condemned the violence and hatred behind the terror attacks in France which left 129 people dead and several hundred others injured. Speaking to the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, November 15, the Pope said he wished to express his deepest condolences to the French President and especially to all those whose family members were killed or wounded in the multiple attacks on Friday night.

Pope Francis said such barbarity leaves us stunned as we wonder how human hearts can think up and carry out such atrocities which “have shocked not only France but the whole world”. The Pope stressed again that “the way of violence and hatred does not resolve the problems of humanity”, adding that whoever uses God’s name to justify that path is guilty of blasphemy.

Pope Francis invited all those listening to his words to join him in prayer, entrusting to God’s mercy the innocent victims of this tragedy. Leading the faithful in the recitation of the Ave Maria, he prayed that Mary, the Mother of Mercy, would inspire all our hearts with wisdom and peace.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-says-using-gods-name-to-justify-violence-is-b

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-condolences-to-france-after-terror-at

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