The ‘Year of Mercy’

On December 8th last year, in response to Pope Francis’s declaration of the ‘Year of Mercy’, the Archdiocese opened the Holy Doors of Emmanuel Cathedral. The main purpose of this Holy Year is to inspire every Christian to get to know and experience God’s mercy, revealed to us by Jesus Christ, who is the face of the Father’s mercy.

This mercy is there for each one of us, in every aspect of our lives. We only have to reach out for it, what’s more if we look carefully we will see signs of how God is revealing that mercy to us.

But what of those who don’t know God, or His Son, Jesus? That’s where you and I come in! It is our task to spread the message of God’s mercy. And through the Missions – the work of every religious, and every lay person, and friends like you who support the Missions, this can be accomplished.

What better way of making this special year than by making God’s mercy visible through the Spiritual Works of Mercy. These are:
To instruct the ignorant.
To counsel the doubtful.
To admonish sinners.
To bear wrongs patiently.
To forgive offences willingly.
To comfort the afflicted.
To pray for the living and the dead.

Whilst primarily, God’s mercy is directed at our sinfulness, I’m also conscious of the works of mercy that tend to the bodily needs of those around us. Let us keep them in mind throughout this year through our partnership in missionary work which improves the lives of all His children:
To feed the hungry.
To give drink to the thirsty.
To clothe the naked.
To shelter the homeless.
To visit the sick.
To visit the imprisoned.
To bury the dead.

It will be my goal to report back to you at the end of this Year of Mercy, just how much has been achieved in the lives of people on the Zulu Missions.

Please will you also pray with us to receive the grace to make this year particularly meaningful.