RBWords - Volume 29 - Number 2: February 2016
Something to Think About
RBWORDS - VOLUME 29 - NUMBER 2 - FEBRUARY 2016
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I am caught in the middle of two "jubilees." The first is the 800th Jubilee of the foundation of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) which was officially recognized and given its name by Pope Honorius III on December 22, 1216. I have been a member of the Order of Preachers for the last 50 years (a priest 45 of those). The second jubilee is the special Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, which began in December 2015 and will end just before Advent 2016. Only those familiar with Dominicans might be aware of the 800th Jubilee, but it is hard to avoid the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis has made it the signature topic of his pontificate. Legions of books are being published on the subject. I will give a retreat in Lubbock, TX at the cathedral on March 12 on the subject. All of this is to the good, although I worry a bit about mercy-fatigue or mercy-inflation when a subject is stretched to cover anything and everything or is talked about too much. This is too important to be a passing spiritual fad to be forgotten when Pope Francis is no longer around.
As a Dominican my own attention is drawn to great figures of mercy in the history of the Order: Martin De Porres (after whom the Southern Dominican Province, to which I belong, is named). Juan Macias, Rose of Lima, Catherine of Siena. These Dominican brothers and sisters of mine engaged in direct and skin-on-skin ministries of mercy to the hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned and homeless of their time. I cannot say that I have come close to doing what they did. I have as my guides, Matthew 25:31-45 (where Jesus speaks of doing for him whatever we do for the least of our brethren) and the traditions of the church, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. In regard to the spiritual works of mercy, Pope Francis speaks of the "apostolate of the ear." I hope I'll be able to find my niche there and in my preaching. Each of us has to reach into ourselves and see where our "history of mercy" is and perhaps intentionally bring it back to life if necessary. IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
It Has Been Said
IT HAS BEEN SAID "We have received freely, we give freely. We are called to serve Christ the Crucified through every marginalized person. We touch the flesh of Christ in he who is outcast, hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, ill, unemployed, persecuted, in search of refuge. That is where we find our God, that is where we touch the Lord. Jesus himself told us, explaining the protocol for which we will all be judged: "whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did it for me" (Matthew 25:40)
Pope Francis, THE NAME OF GOD IS MERCY
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