The Jubilee of Mercy officially opened on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December 2015 with the symbolic event of opening of the Door of Mercy at St. Peter’s cathedral.  Then, all dioceses worldwide opened their Doors of Mercy in their cathedrals.  We are to experience the merciful embrace of God in the sacrament of reconciliation. God is ever rich in mercy, loving the sinner! He doesn’t tire of us. (Pope Francis)

     Announcing the Jubilee of Mercy, the Pope urged the following: “I am confident that the whole Church, which is in such need of mercy for we are sinners, will be able to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscovering and rendering fruitful God’s mercy, with which we are all called to give comfort to every man and every woman of our time. Do not forget that God forgives all, and God forgives always. Let us never tire of asking forgiveness. Let us henceforth entrust this Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she turn her gaze upon us and watch over our journey: our penitential journey, our year-long journey with an open heart, to receive the indulgence of God, to receive the mercy of God.”

     This invitation by the Pope served like the compass to guide us to achieve the maximum blessings of God as we humbly journeyed this wonderful moment of spiritual renewal and conversion! And yes, each one of us, through retreats, acts of mercy, pilgrimages and the sacrament of reconciliation, has made personal efforts to live the Jubilee of Mercy.

     Next week, the year of mercy comes to and end!  I invite you to close this year by making a quick and prayerful “revisit” of the year to examine how you journeyed with our loving God.  To this end, let me suggest you try the Ignatian EXAMEN to assist in your reflection. Through this basic spiritual exercise, you might better evaluate the blessings of the Year of Mercy!  The prayer takes no more than 10 minutes to do.  To help you, St. Ignatius suggest these five steps:

 PRESENCE: In a quiet, still place, become aware of God’s presence as you sit. Give God thanks simply for having this brief time to reflect and BE with God.

1. REVIEW: Next, using your memory, look back on the year with gratitude: What were the blessings and graces you experienced in the past 12 months?
2. FEELINGS: Pay attention to personal emotions – how you felt as you experienced those blessings – joys; confidence; wondering, confusion etc.
3. FOCUS: Choose one particular event or blessing of the year that stands out for you – then pray from it.
4. RESOLVE: Look forward to next year. Ask God to give you his light and wisdom for the year to come. What remains as your spiritual hunger? Where you feel great, thank God. Where you feel you went wrong, ask for pardon and future graces. And as we journey into the new liturgical year, may God continue to shower us with his blessings and mercy at St X!

 Fr. Sossy Luyembe, SJ, Associate Pastor