St. Boniface & St. Peters Parishes Advent 2015 Mini Mission: A - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• St. Boniface & St. Peter’s Parishes’

Advent 2015 Mini‐Mission: A Plan for Mercy

So Far:

• The word “mercy” is a blessing (Misericordiae

Vultus #2);

• The deliberate timing of the Year of Mercy:

– Immaculate Conception as beginning of Christ’s mission of mercy; – 50 years since the closing of Vatican II – Sunday Lectionary Cycle “C”: the year of Luke “Merciful Love”= most correct term (Fr. F. O’Connor)

Misericordiae Vultus (part I)

• Reversal of focus: not “them” learning “us”;

new phase of the same evangelization (#4);

• New language of the Council: “the medicine of

mercy”; “service of mankind” (#4.2)

• Charity understood as caritas (loving kindness)
• Theological Insight: mercy of omnipotent God
• vs. “Oh, it’s nothing” (#6)

– better for a confessor to hear “Thanks be to God.”

Misericordiae Vultus (part I)

• Psalm 136 = predominant image of God for

the People of Israel in the Old Testament (#7):

– The “Great Hallel”; – “Hessed”: mercy; faithful or steadfast love; – Christ places “supreme act of revelation in the light of his mercy” (#7.2) – Our image of God in the O.T.?

Misericordiae Vultus (part I)

• Calling of Matthew (via St. Bede the

Venerable: miserando atque eligendo);

• New Testament Parables from Luke 15;

Matthew’s “ruthless servant” in ch. 18:

– Mercy as criterion for ascertaining who God’s true children are (#9.3) – Mercy/pardon the instrument for serenity of heart – “Sundown of anger” vs. Beatitude (Mt. 5:7) – Love can never be just an abstraction (#9.4)

Misericordiae Vultus (part I)

• Spiritual Insight: the difference between this

Holy Year and every one that preceded it

– There is only one standard to gauge the success of the Year: I will be more merciful than I was.

Misericordiae Vultus (part I)

• Quotes from Dives in Misericordia:

– “present‐day mentality excludes the idea of mercy”; – “mastery of the earth, domination = no room” (#11.1); – “The mystery of Christ… obliges me to proclaim”; – “the most stupendous attribute of the Creator”; the Church as “trustee and dispenser” of mercy (#11.2).

Misericordiae Vultus (part I)

• Questions for Reflection & Sharing:

– Which sorts of situations make it more difficult to find or offer mercy? Which make it easier? – How will you proclaim mercy this year? How could

• ur parishes?