Year of Mercy

Many initiatives made in society and within the Church often remain slogans that sound and make us feel good, but with little follow-up or change in what we do.  

"Merciful Like the Father" is the motto for the Jubilee of Mercy, we  began last year on Dec. 8th, and will continue to Nov. 20th. We try to reflect God's mercy in our everyday actions and as Pope Francis stressed to bring about a "revolution of tenderness."

Both Catholic paper gave us a report on the  priests in one diocese, who decided at a general meeting, as a group of 114 priests, to show mercy in three different ways. They discussed this among themselves in deanery meetings and on their own, initiative concluded with three distinct actions.   

They will love the Sacrament of Penance and  experience the mercy of God in their time in the confessional. Secondly, they will tithe and give the money to the needy, and  in their  dealings with parishioners will show kindness, make efforts to be warm and  work for understanding  with all those they meet.

As messengers of mercy, they will  make this known to all the religious working in the diocese and all the parishes. The  motto is "Happiness of the Merciful."
 
After the visit of Pope Francis in 2014, the bishops of Korea also decided to prepare a bank book to help the poorer churches in Asia. This year they will help four of the churches, and continue in the future. Bishops and clergy of one of the dioceses, have set an example for the whole church. This has great meaning for all of us, were the words used in one of the editorials.

'Beads gathered together need to be threaded to be precious,' is a Korean proverb that the editorial mentions.  We need actions on these movements  if  thy are not to remain only slogans. The editorial  notes that the parishioners will be very happy to hear of the resolution, and hopes the example  will spread to other dioceses. The editorial concludes with applause for the bishops and priests.