EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCYthe Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. It is a devotional guide, a companion, designed to assist you in contemplating the face and the mystery of mercy.
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EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE
OF MERCY
“Merciful Like the Father”
Celebrating the Year of Mercy
INTRODUCTION
It’s all about MERCY.
This booklet is an introduction to the universal call to celebrate
the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. It is a devotional guide, a
companion, designed to assist you in contemplating the face and
the mystery of mercy.
It is an instrument to help you achieve a rich, rewarding and
healing experience of God’s mercy throughout the year.
It is a catechetical tool which brings to the fore and magnifies
centuries-old practices of the Church which aim at reconciling the
individual with God and the Body of Christ.
Finally, it is a facilitator to transformation, whereby the reader is
drawn in, saturated and steeped in mercy, so as to be amply filled
apostles ready to administer the balm of mercy to those in need.
Come one and come all. The Door remains open for you. Enter
and experience the fruits of Divine Mercy.
i
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We give all glory, praise, honor and thanksgiving to the Holy
Spirit, Who inspired creativity in each one of us in our particular
tasks, to bring this work to completion: worship committee
members on content, design, development, publication, and
implementation; intercessors, translators; pastoral staff on
scheduling, publication and integration; ladies’ altar society on
funding, design and adornment of the mercy corner; facility
manager’s construction and installation of the mercy corner;
printing assistant’s advisement and procurement on publicity
material; social services ministry on food drive, parish
catechetical leaders and youth ministers on integration of jubilee
activities over the course of the year; choir & music ministers on
lyrics and other musical adaptations; parish leadership who will
encourage the use of this booklet in their communities and
ministries; retreat participants who will partake of the Medicine
of Mercy in order to administer the same to others; the many
volunteers whose participation and collaboration have yet to be
discerned, and the various extra-parochial resources from which
valuable material and insight were gleaned.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..................................................................... i
Acknowledgements ......................................................... ii
Prayers
Prayer of Pope Francis ............................................... 1
Salve Regina .............................................................. 2
Memorare ................................................................... 3
Merciful Lord ............................................................. 3
Chaplet of Divine Mercy ........................................... 4
Praises of the Divine Mercy ....................................... 6
What is the Jubilee Indulgence? ..................................... 8
Basic requirements ..................................................... 9
Conditions .................................................................. 9
Frequency ................................................................... 10
The Sick, Elderly or Imprisoned ................................ 11
iii
The Holy Door of Mercy ................................................ 12
The Holy Door of Mercy—Symbolism .......................... 14
The Practice of Pilgrimage .............................................. 15
What is Mercy? ............................................................... 16
Works of Mercy .............................................................. 17
Mercy Scripture .............................................................. 18
Mercy Quotations ............................................................ 20
St, Faustina, Apostle of Mercy………………………….21
What is the Mercy Corner? ............................................. 22
Year of Mercy Logo ........................................................ 24
Pastor’s Jubilee Prayer .................................................... 26
iv
PRAYER OF POPE FRANCIS FOR THE JUBILEE
Lord Jesus Christ,
You have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and
have told us that whoever sees you sees Him. Show us your face
and we will be saved. Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and
Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and
Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things; made
Peter weep after his betrayal, and assured Paradise to the
repentant thief. Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, the
words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the
gift of God!”
You are the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who
manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy: let the
Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and
glorified. You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in
weakness in order that they may feel compassion for those in
ignorance and error: let everyone who approaches them feel
sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its
anointing, so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace
from the Lord, and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may
bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the
oppressed, and restore sight to the blind.
We ask this of you, Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary,
Mother of Mercy; you who live and reign with the Father and the
Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Amen.
1
SALVE REGINA~~Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and
our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to
thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale
of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy
toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit
of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
℣ Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
℟ that we may be made worthy of the promises of
Christ.
Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, who by the cooperation
of the Holy Spirit did prepare the body and soul of the glorious
Virgin Mother Mary to become a dwelling place meet for thy
Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration; so by her
fervent intercession we may be delivered from present evils and
from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy
and your Mother. ~~ Our Lady to Saint Faustina (330)
2
MEMORARE
REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it
known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this
confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee
do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of
the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy
hear and answer me. Amen.
MERCIFUL LORD ~~ St. Catherine of Siena
Merciful Lord, it does not surprise me that you forget completely
the sins of those who repent. I am not surprised that you remain
faithful to those who hate and revile you. The mercy which pours
forth from you fills the whole world. It was by your mercy that
we were created, and by your mercy that you redeemed us by
sending your Son. Your mercy is the light in which sinners find
you and good people come back to you. Your mercy is
everywhere, even in the depths of hell where you offer to forgive
the tortured souls. Your justice is constantly tempered with
mercy, so you refuse to punish us as we deserve. O mad Lover! It
was not enough for you to take on our humanity; you had to die
for us as well.
COMMUNITY PRAYER 1 ~~ Psalm 51:3-12
Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your
abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash
away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. For I know my
transgressions; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone
have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes so that you are just
in your word, and without reproach in your judgment. Behold, I was
born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire true
sincerity and secretly you teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop,
that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You will
let me hear gladness and joy; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities. A
clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.
3
THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY (476)
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of
five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers
from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing
prayer.
1. Make the Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Opening Prayers You expired, Jesus, but the source of life
gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the
whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
(Repeat three times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth
from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in
You!
3. Our Father Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4
4. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
5. The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our
Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He
descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He
ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life
everlasting. Amen.
6. The Eternal Father on each large bead Eternal Father, I
offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly
beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and
those of the whole world.
7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade For the sake of
His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8. Repeat for the remaining decades The "Eternal Father" on
the "Our Father" bead and then ten "For the sake of His sorrowful
Passion" on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
9. Concluding prayer (repeat three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on
us and on the whole world.
10. Closing Prayer Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and
the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and
increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not
despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit
ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.
(950)
5
PRAISES OF THE DIVINE MERCY
(Diary, 948-949)
The Love of God is the flower—Mercy the fruit.
Let the doubting soul read these considerations on
Divine Mercy and become trusting.
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father,
.......................................................................... I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, ..............................
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, ...........................
Divine Mercy, fountain gushing forth from the mystery of the
Most Blessed Trinity, ...........................................................
Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic,
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness,
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, ................................
Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, ...................
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, ...............
Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the
Incarnate Word, .....................................................................
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the
Heart of Jesus, .......................................................................
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and
especially for sinners, ............................................................
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host,..
Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, ...................
Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, ...............
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, ......
6
Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, ....
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death,
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, ...................
Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life,
Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, .................
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, .........
Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to
Saints, ....................................................................................
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, .......
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, .......................
Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, ..................
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence,
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, .........
Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, .................
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, ......................
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, .................
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, ......................
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, ..............
Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, .................
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.
Amen.
7
WHAT IS THE JUBILEE INDULGENCE?
The Jubilee of Mercy features a very special plenary indulgence
(the complete remission of all temporal punishment due to
sin). All the faithful, properly prepared, can fully enjoy,
throughout the Jubilee of Mercy, the gift of the indulgence.
Pope Francis is seeking to make the indulgence as widely
available as possible. In the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, a
Holy Door is to be opened in every cathedral around the world, as
well as in particular shrines where large numbers of pilgrims
come to honor the mercy of God.
The Jubilee is a year of grace. Therefore, Christians can gain
Jubilee indulgence. An indulgence is a decrease of the temporal
punishment that resulted from sins you committed and sought
forgiveness for. “Temporal punishment" means temporary time
spent in the condition of purgatory (purging or purification) and
may be accomplished in actual purgatory after death or here on
earth now. An indulgence is partial or plenary, as it removes
either part or all of the temporal punishment due sin.
Purification is needed even after receiving the sacrament of
reconciliation and obtaining God's forgiveness. Often, we still
have to pay the consequences of our sins and learn to avoid
returning to the same sin. With the indulgence, the repentant
sinner receives a remission of the temporal punishment due for
the sins already forgiven.
8
WHAT ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR
OBTAINING AN INDULGENCE?
Primarily, the person must be in a position to receive them. They
must be baptized, that is, a member of the Church. The person
must not have been excommunicated because if they were they
would not be able to participate in the Church’s indulgences and
moments of public prayer. The state of grace is another
requirement, because the debt of temporal punishment cannot be
“written off” unless the guilt of sin and with it eternal punishment
are removed through the sacrament of confession. The person
requiring the indulgence must have the intention of acquiring it.
Indulgence is not granted to those who do not want it.
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR GAINING
THE JUBILEE PLENARY INDULGENCE?
HOW DOES ONE ACQUIRE AN INDULGENCE?
To receive the Jubilee indulgence, one must fulfill the usual
conditions outlined and perform the indulgenced act, that is,
passing through a designated Holy Door during the extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy (between Dec. 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception, and Nov. 20, 2016, the Solemnity of
Christ the King) or performing one of the corporal or spiritual
works of mercy.
Be in the state of grace at least at the time the
indulgenced act of passing through a designated Holy
Door, is completed.
Have the interior disposition of sincere repentance and
complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;
Have sacramentally confessed sins;
Receive Holy Communion; and
9
Pray for the intentions of the Pope. This prayer is left
to the choice of the faithful, but an Our Father and a
Hail Mary are suggested.
It is appropriate, but not necessary, that
sacramental confession, Holy Communion and the
prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the
same day that the indulgenced act is performed,
but it is sufficient that these be carried out within
several days (about 20) before or after the
indulgenced act.
One sacramental confession suffices for several
plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy
Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy
Father's intentions are required for each plenary
indulgence.
For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors
can commute both the work prescribed and the
conditions required (except, obviously, detachment
from even venial sin).
Indulgences can be applied either to oneself or to the
souls of the deceased in purgatory, but they cannot be
applied to other persons living on earth.
HOW OFTEN CAN ONE OBTAIN AN INDULGENCE?
Even though we can only obtain one plenary indulgence a day, if
you perform the required actions for other plenary indulgences on
the same day, you can still obtain multiple partial indulgences.
10
HOW CAN THE SICK, ELDERLY OR IMPRISONED
OBTAIN AN INDULGENCE?
As for the Sick and the Elderly, the Holy Father says, "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. Living with faith and
joyful hope this moment of trial, receiving communion or
attending Holy Mass and community prayer, even through the
various means of communication, will be for them the means of
obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence."
For the Imprisoned, the Holy Father says, "They may obtain the
Indulgence in the chapels of the prisons. May the gesture of
directing their thoughts and prayers 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 bars into an
experience of freedom."
WELL WISHES FROM THE POPE
“I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a
genuine experience of God's mercy, which comes to meet each
person in the face of the Father who welcomes and forgives,
forgetting completely the sin committed.” ~~ Pope Francis
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150901_lettera-indulgenza-
giubileo-misericordia.html
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/jubilee/thebasics/indulgence.php
http://www.oursaviours.faithweb.com/Jubilee/indulgence.htm
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/giubileo-jubilee-jubielo-indulgenze-indulgences-
indulgencias-39771/
11
THE HOLY DOOR OF MERCY
"There will be the Holy Door, but it will be the door of God’s
great mercy! May it also be the door of our heart for us all to
receive God’s forgiveness and for us in turn to forgive,
welcoming all those that knock on our door." ~~ Pope Francis
Dear Brothers and Sisters: As the extraordinary Holy Year of
Mercy approaches, today we consider the great open door of
God’s mercy, symbolized by the Holy Doors which will open in
Churches throughout the world. The recent Synod of Bishops on
the Family encouraged families in a particular way to enter this
door of mercy and to open the doors of their hearts to others.
12
Jesus tells us that he stands knocking at our door, asking that we
open it to him (Rev 3:20). How important it is for us to be good
doorkeepers, capable of opening our doors and making our homes
places of encounter and welcome, especially to our brothers and
sisters in need! Jesus also tells us that he himself is the door (Jn
10:9) which leads to salvation; if we pass through him, we will
find lasting security and freedom. As guardians of that door, we
in the Church are called to be welcoming to all who seek to enter
the fold of the Good Shepherd. May the doors of our Christian
homes be signs and symbols of the door of God’s mercy, a door
ever open to all who knock and desire to meet Jesus.
We have arrived at the threshold of the Jubilee, it is close. Before
us is the door, but not only the Holy Door, the other – the
great door of God’s Mercy, and it is a beautiful door! – which
receives our repentance, offering the grace of His forgiveness.
The door is generously open; a bit of courage is needed on our
part to cross the threshold. Each one of us has within himself
things that burden him. All of us. We are all sinners! Let us take
advantage of this moment that is coming and cross the threshold
of this mercy of God, who never tires of forgiving, never tires of
waiting for us! He looks at us, He is always beside us. Courage!
Let us go in through this door!
Pope Francis
General Audience
November 18, 2015
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/general-audience-on-the-door-of-mercy?
utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_content=[ZE151118]%20The%20world%20seen%20from%
20Rome&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch&utm_term=Image
13
HOLY DOOR OF MERCY—SYMBOLISM
“Doors are very symbolic. They can represent passage: sin to
redemption, life to death, disbelief to faith, and so on. Jesus
describes himself as The Door. People have to enter through
Christ to get to the Father. The door is the path to salvation.
There is also Marian symbolism, since The Blessed Mother is the
door through which salvation entered the world. Thus, opening
the doors on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has
double meaning.
The doors of a Church mark the boundary between the sacred and
the profane. By throwing them open, Pope Francis is emphasizing
his desire to throw open the doors of the faith to the world.
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and
will come in and go out and find pasture.” John 10:9
http://aleteia.org/2015/11/30/when-is-a-door-not-a-door-when-its-a-holy-door/?
utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=topnews_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL
14
THE PRACTICE OF PILGRIMAGE
The practice of pilgrimage has a special place in the Holy Year,
because it represents the journey each of us makes in this life.
Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a viator, a
pilgrim travelling along the road, making his way to the desired
destination. Similarly, to reach the Holy Door in Rome or in any
other place in the world, everyone, each according to his or her
ability, will have to make a pilgrimage. This will be a sign that
mercy is also a goal to reach and requires dedication and
sacrifice. May pilgrimage be an impetus to conversion: by
crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we will find the strength
to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful
with others as the Father has been with us.
Misericordiae Vultus, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, para 14
15
WHAT IS MERCY?
MERCY, noun, mer·cy \ˈmər-sē\
compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or
to one subject to one's power; also: lenient or compassionate
treatment
imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-
degree murder
blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy
among the poor>
Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin
merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid
Merriam Webster on-line dictionary @ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy
MERCY. The disposition to be kind and forgiving. Founded on
compassion, mercy differs from compassion or the feeling of
sympathy in putting this feeling into practice with a readiness to
assist. It is therefore the ready willingness to help anyone in need,
especially in need of pardon or reconciliation.
Modern Catholic Dictionary @ http://www.therealpresence.org/cgi-bin/getdefinition.pl
M is for Mercy.
16
SPIRITUAL & CORPORAL
WORKS OF MERCY
from the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2447
The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid
of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Admonish sinners
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive offenses willingly
Comfort the afflicted
Pray for the living and the dead
Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead
Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to
fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your
spiritual worship. Romans 12:1
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the
glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill
and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.
Matthew 25:35-36
17
MERCY SCRIPTURE
So the LORD passed before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the
LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and
abounding in love and fidelity.
Exodus 34:6
Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my
life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6
Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD, for they
are ages old. Remember no more the sins of my youth; remember
me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, LORD.
Psalm 25:6-7
Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, Who
pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, Who redeems your
life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion,
Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed
like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
For with the LORD is mercy, with him is plenteous redemption,
and he will redeem Israel from all its sins.
Psalm 130:7-8
Praise the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.
Psalm 136:1
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and
abounding in mercy.
Psalm 145:8
Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who
confess and forsake them obtain mercy.
Proverbs 28:13
18
With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy
toward you.
Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is
not spent; they are renewed each morning—great is your
faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:22-23
You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD
requires of you: only to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly
with your God.
Micah 6:8
Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the
remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever,
but instead delights in mercy, and will again have compassion on
us, treading underfoot our iniquities? You will cast into the
depths of the sea all our sins…
Micah 7:18-19
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7
“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
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
Luke 1:50
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend
expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you
will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the
ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your heavenly
father is merciful.
Luke 6:35-36
19
MERCY QUOTATIONS
It is easier for God to hold back anger than mercy.
~~ St. Augustine
The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals
them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others
when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to
exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as
soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.
~~ St. Anthony of Padua
Mercy is more than simply being compassionate. Mercy is the
overflow of charity, which brings with it also an overflow of
justice. Mercy means keeping one’s heart totally alive, throbbing
in a way that is both human and divine, with a love that is strong,
self-sacrificing and generous. ~~ St. Josemaria Escriva
Mary, then, is the one who has the deepest knowledge of the
mystery of God’s mercy. She knows its price; she knows how
great it is. In this sense, we call her the Mother of Mercy: Our Lady of Mercy, or Mother of Divine Mercy. ~~ Pope St. John Paul II
It is not easy to entrust oneself to God's mercy, because it is an
abyss beyond our comprehension. But we must! Oh, I am a great
sinner! All the better! Go to Jesus: He likes you to tell him these
things! He forgets, He has a very special capacity for forgetting.
He forgets, He kisses you, He embraces you and He simply says
to you: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more." (John
8:11) ~~ Pope Francis
God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can
restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). ... Let us be renewed by
God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of
his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of
this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth,
protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.
~~ Pope Francis
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St. Faustina, Apostle of Mercy
“Our prayer also extends to the saints and blessed ones who
made divine mercy their mission in life. I am especially thinking
of the great apostle of mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska. May she,
who was called to enter the depths of divine mercy, intercede for
us and obtain for us the grace of living and walking always
according to the mercy of God and with an unwavering trust in
His love.” ~~ Pope Francis
Misericordiae Vultus, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, para 24
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WHAT IS THE MERCY CORNER?
The Mercy Corner is an attractively decorated
area in the church lobby where parishioners can
reflect on the meaning of the Holy Year of
Mercy.
It is a devotional area for parishioners of all ages.
Children, individually or in groups such as
families or those in the faith formation program,
may be guided by adults (i.e., parents, teachers
and volunteers) to join in a mini-pilgrimage and
recite a brief prayer.
It is a focal area where youth, young adults and
mature parishioners may pause in reverence for a
brief moment of prayer. Amid the hectic and
hurried course of daily life, the Mercy Corner
offers a refreshing respite, an opportunity to
immerse oneself in the Oasis of mercy.
Our parish community is named after the Lord's
Divine Mercy; hence, having a Mercy Corner is
an active expression and celebration of this
Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in union with
Catholics all over the world.
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THE YEAR OF MERCY LOGO
The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of
what the Jubilee Year is all about. The motto Merciful Like the
Father (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an
invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks
us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and
forgiveness without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38).
The logo – the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik – presents a
small summa theologiae of the theme of mercy. In fact, it
represents an image quite important to the early Church: that of
the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul
demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to
completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in
redemption. The logo has been designed in such a way so as to
express the profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches
the flesh of humanity and does so with a love with the power to
change one’s life. One particular feature worthy of note is that
while the Good Shepherd, in his great mercy, takes humanity
upon himself, his eyes are merged with those of man. Christ sees
with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ. Every
person discovers in Christ, the new Adam, one’s own humanity
and the future that lies ahead, contemplating, in his gaze, the love
of the Father.
The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of
an almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval
iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine
and human. The three concentric ovals, with colors progressively
lighter as we move outward, suggest the movement of Christ who
carries humanity out of the night of sin and death. Conversely, the
depth of the darker color suggests the impenetrability of the love
of the Father who forgives all.
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PASTOR’S JUBILEE PRAYER
O God, fount of life and holiness,
give us the grace to experience
the fullness of your love and mercy
upon all humanity
through the passion, death and resurrection
of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
by which you have redeemed us from sin.
Help us to be merciful to one another
as you have shown mercy upon us.
During this Jubilee Year of Mercy,
fill the darkness of our lives
with the light of your grace
and make us holy as you are holy.
We ask you this through
the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and all your saints in glory, in the name of your Son
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD OF DIVINE MERCY.
AMEN!
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PARISH MISSION
We, the Divine Mercy of Our Lord Catholic Church, are a
culturally diverse community that seeks to grow in faith and in
fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As the Body of Christ, we celebrate
together and witness to others God’s Divine Mercy both in word
and in service. We proclaim His infinite love by teaching, through
evangelization and formation, and by ministering to the needs of
all people, in fulfillment of our common baptismal commitment
to love one another as God loves us.
Divine Mercy of Our Lord Catholic Church
Parish Council, Worship Committee
1585 E. Cartwright Rd., Mesquite, TX 75149
www.divinemercyofourlord.org
2016
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