Convoking the Holy Year

Following the first announcement of the coming extraordinary Holy Year which was announced by Pope Francis on March 13 of this year, the Holy Father will officially convoke the Year of Mercy with the publication of the Decree of Convocation (otherwise referred to as a Bull) on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 5:30pm local time in Saint Peter's Basilica.

The rite of publication includes the reading of a few excerpts from the Bull in front of the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica.  Pope Francis will then preside at the celebration of First Vespers of Divine Mercy Sunday, thus emphasizing in a particular way the fundamental theme of the extraordinary Holy Year: the Mercy of God.

The term Bull (from the latin bulla, which means bubble or, in a more general sense, a round object) originally referred to the metal capsule used to protect the wax seal which was attached by a lanyard to a document of particular importance, in order to certify its authenticity and consequent authority.  In time, the term was used to indicate the first seal, then the document itself.  Today, it is used to refer to all pontifical documents of particular importance which bear, or which have traditionally borne the Pontifical seal.

The Bull of Convocation for a jubilee, especially in the case of an extraordinary Holy Year, in addition to indicating the times, with the dates of the opening and closing of the year, is the principal mode of announcing the Year: that is to say that it is the fundamental document for recognizing the spirit in which the intentions and fruits hoped for by the Pontiff are outlined for the entire Church.

In the case of the last two extraordinary Holy Years, in 1933 and in 1983, the Bull of Convocation was published on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.  For the forthcoming extraordinary Holy Year, the choice of the timing in which the Bull will be published also clearly indicates the precise intentions of the Holy Father toward the theme of Mercy.

A good life lived

Here is the text of the homily I prepared for the funeral we celebrated this morning in memory of a long-standing and well-known personality in the city.

Funeral homily for Ronald (Butch) Degagne

Today is Monday of Holy Week.  Throughout this week, we will recall the final days of the earthly life of Jesus and we will re-tell the details of his final few days.  We will also see in the coming days how everything that Jesus did and said was focused outward (toward the good of others) or upward (in prayer to the Father).  This morning, we are here in this church to pray for our brother Butch, and to reflect for us a moment on the ways in which he, throughout his life, also strove to focus his efforts outward and upward.

Butch grew up in what might be termed today as a large family.  At the time, families of ten children were not unheard of at the time.  Even before they entered any schoolhouse, children learned some valuable lessons about life: the value of sharing, the importance of taking on responsibility, and the importance of getting along with one another.  Saint Matthew refers to this as the virtue of poverty of spirit, and Jesus says that those who learn this virtue will be rewarded: theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3).

As an adult, Butch met and married the love of his life.  With his wife Anne, he had the great joy of witnessing the birth of his two children: Rhonda and Ron.  When we celebrate baptisms, we are reminded that parents are the first and best teachers for their children in the ways of faith, but while parents might teach their children the lessons they themselves once learned (about sharing and taking responsibility and getting along with one another), I’m also convinced that children end up teaching their parents as well: about such virtues as gentleness and patience.  Jesus says that our reward for gentleness is that we will have the earth for our heritage (Mt 5:5).

When I first began to tell people in this community that Ronald Degagne had died, no one seemed to know about whom I was speaking, but as soon as I used his nickname: Butch, everyone knew immediately who he was.  For almost fifty years, Butch’s Gateway Garage has been a part of the fabric of this city.  The life of a mechanic has never been an easy one: there are long hours involved and you need to be quick with your hands as well as with your mind.  Along with his long-time associate Rick, who he loved as a brother or a son, Butch spent many happy hours at the shop.  While he tinkered away with various automobiles, he learned other lessons too: like the virtue of hungering and thirsting for righteousness (cf Mt 5:6), and peacemaking (cf Mt 5:9).

Life was not easy for Butch.  He was still very young when he lost the love of his life, and tragedy struck again when Ronda’s earthly life ended.  We never recover from the pain of losing the people we love.  In fact, such loss always leaves emptiness in our hearts and wrinkles on our faces as though we never stop mourning for what was and what could have been, but Jesus says that even in the depth of grief, he is there to bring us comfort (cf Mt 5:4).

Butch loved his family very deeply.  Admittedly, he was a feisty fellow at times, but under the gruff exterior beat the heart of a man who was generous to a fault and kind-hearted toward anyone who needed his help.  He was very proud of his children Ron and Rhonda, but his special joy was to spend time with his precious grandsons.  After Rhonda died, he did everything he could to help Josh, Zack and Matthew to have the love and support they needed; and this same love, he willingly shared also with Evan, Nathan and Carson.

What advice can we find today to help soothe our aching souls?  The words of Saint Paul's letter to the Thessalonians might help: be quite certain ... about those who have died (1 Thes 4:13), he told them.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died  in Jesus (1 Thes 4:14).

Having laughed and cried in this world, having known the joy of loving and of being loved, having crossed through the deepest valleys of doubt, Butch now stands atop the mountain of the Lord.  Breathing deeply the air of heaven, he is now participating in a banquet of rich food (Is 25:6), a banquet of which we have a foretaste here at this table.

Receiving this special food that is capable of comforting our aching souls, we trust that God will wipe away the tears from our cheeks (Is 25:8), help us too to look outward, responding to the needs of others, and upward in prayer toward heaven, and fill us with the gift of hope.

For Palm/Passion Sunday

Here is the reflection I shared with those who gathered in prayer to begin Holy Week this year.

The best is yet to come

There is something about the liturgy of Palm Sunday that captures the heart as soon as it begins.  Like a good book or a good movie, we become instantly immersed into the adventure that is unfolding, one scene, one gesture, one word at a time.

The drama begins right away.  Today the liturgy did not begin with a word of welcome; it began with the distribution of palms as soon as you walked through the door; it began, not with an opening hymn but with an explanation: today, we have gathered to herald with the whole Church the beginning of the celebration of our Lord’s Paschal Mystery.  On a normal day, someone would be arrested for trying to steal another person’s property, but today we recall a day in history when a simple word: The Lord needs it (Mk 11:6), was enough to change accusation into acquiescence.

An unexpected parade began this liturgy, complete with joyful Hosannas and the waving of palm branches, but as soon as the parade reached its destination, reality set in, as though the festivities had caught us off guard and before we knew it we were trapped in a different reality that we could no longer deny.  The words of the prophet Isaiah foretell the truth of the situation: I gave my back to those who struck me … I did not hide my face from insult and spitting (Is 50:6) and Saint Paul’s words to the Philippians point out the deeper meaning of Jesus’ actions: he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave … obedient to the point of death (Phil 2:8).

Throughout his final day on earth, Jesus’ attitude was very different from any other man; he was already focused outward and upward.  His concern was always for the other people involved in the drama.  When the guests around the dinner table were about to judge the woman who poured oil on his feet, he replied: Leave her alone; she has done a good service for me (Mk 14:6).  In the garden, the fruit of his prayer said it all: Not what I want, but what you want (Mk 14:36).

The story of Palm Sunday is our story, because there is suffering in all our lives: sickness, loneliness, even ridicule.  In moments such as these, we can choose to focus on ourselves, or we can focus outward and upward like Jesus did, although it’s not easy to do that.  Like Jesus, we can choose not to strike back, not to retaliate, but to focus on the positive, creative virtues of justice, forgiveness and peace.

The story of the Lord’s passion is not just a really well written story.  It is an invitation to focus outward and upward when trials come.  The liturgy of Palm Sunday is an invitation to enter into Holy Week with great anticipation.   Let us enter more fully into the heart and mind of Christ this week.  It’s easy to be a disciple when Jesus and we are walking on level ground but this week will be filled with all kinds of hills and valleys, but if we journey together, right beside Jesus, we’ll see that we are never alone, even in the deepest valleys and every valley, no matter how dark and foreboding it might be, always leads to the hilltop on the other side.

Angelus for Palm Sunday

At the conclusion of the liturgical celebration for Passion-Palm Sunday, His Holiness, Pope Francis recited the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who were present in Saint Peter's Square.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

prior to the recital of the Angelus

At the conclusion of this celebration, I affectionately greet all of you who are present, especially the young people.  Dear young people, I urge you to continue your journey either in your dioceses or on your pilgrimage across the continents - the voyage which will take you next year to Krakow, the country of Saint John Paul II, who began the World Youth Days.  The theme of that great encounter: Blessed are the merciful, for they will find mercy (Mt 5:7) fits well with the Year of Mercy.  Allow yourselves to be filled with the tenderness of the Father, and share this gift with everyone you meet!

And now we will offer a prayer to Mary our Mother, asking her to help us to live Holy Week with deep faith.  She too was present when Jesus entered Jerusalem to the shouts of the crowd; but her heart, like that of her Son, was ready for the sacrifice.  Let us learn from her, the faithful Virgin, to follow the Lord even when his path leads to the cross.

I entrust to her protection the victims of the airline tragedy which occurred last Tuesday.  Among them was a group of German students.

Angelus Domini ...

After blessing the crowd, the Holy Father added:

I wish you a Holy Week of contemplation of the Mystery of Jesus Christ.

Palm Sunday in Rome

At 9:30am today in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over the liturgical celebration for Palm/Passion Sunday.  The Mass was celebrated in Saint Peter's Square.

In the centre of the piazza, near the obelisk, the Pope blessed the palms and the olive branches and, at the conclusion of the procession to the altar, he celebrated the Mass for the Passion of the Lord.

Present at today's Mass - on the occasion of the diocesan celebration of the XXX World Youth Day which has the theme: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Mt 5:8) - were youth from the Diocese of Rome and from other dioceses from various parts of the world.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Mass of the Lord's Passion

At the heart of this celebration, which seems so festive, are the words we heard in the hymn of the Letter to the Philippians: He humbled himself (Phil 2:8). Jesus’ humiliation.

These words show us God’s way and, consequently, that which must be the way of Christians: it is humility. A way which constantly amazes and disturbs us: we will never get used to a humble God!

Humility is above all God’s way: God humbles himself to walk with his people, to put up with their infidelity. This is clear when we read the the story of the Exodus. How humiliating for the Lord to hear all that grumbling, all those complaints against Moses, but ultimately against him, their Father, who brought them out of slavery and was leading them on the journey through the desert to the land of freedom.

This week, Holy Week, which leads us to Easter, we will take this path of Jesus’ own humiliation. Only in this way will this week be holy for us too!

We will feel the contempt of the leaders of his people and their attempts to trip him up. We will be there at the betrayal of Judas, one of the Twelve, who will sell him for thirty pieces of silver. We will see the Lord arrested and carried off like a criminal; abandoned by his disciples, dragged before the Sanhedrin, condemned to death, beaten and insulted. We will hear Peter, the “rock” among the disciples, deny him three times. We will hear the shouts of the crowd, egged on by their leaders, who demand that Barabas be freed and Jesus crucified. We will see him mocked by the soldiers, robed in purple and crowned with thorns. And then, as he makes his sorrowful way beneath the cross, we will hear the jeering of the people and their leaders, who scoff at his being King and Son of God.

This is God’s way, the way of humility. It is the way of Jesus; there is no other. And there can be no humility without humiliation.

Following this path to the full, the Son of God took on the form of a slave (cf. Phil 2:7). In the end, humility also means service. It means making room for God by stripping oneself, emptying oneself, as Scripture says (Phil 2:7). This – the pouring out of oneself - is the greatest humiliation of all.

There is another way, however, opposed to the way of Christ. It is worldliness, the way of the world. The world proposes the way of vanity, pride, success… the other way. The Evil One proposed this way to Jesus too, during his forty days in the desert. But Jesus immediately rejected it. With him, and only by his grace, with his help, we too can overcome this temptation to vanity, to worldliness, not only at significant moments, but in daily life as well.

In this, we are helped and comforted by the example of so many men and women who, in silence and hidden ways, sacrifice themselves daily to serve others: a sick relative, an elderly person living alone, a disabled person, the homeless…

We think too of the humiliation endured by all those who, for their lives of fidelity to the Gospel, encounter discrimination and pay a personal price. We think too of our brothers and sisters who are persecuted because they are Christians, the martyrs of our own time – and there are many. They refuse to deny Jesus and they endure insult and injury with dignity. They follow him on his way. In truth, we can speak of a cloud of witnesses – the martyrs of our own time (cf. Heb 12:1).

During this week, let us set about with determination along this same path of humility, with immense love for him, our Lord and Saviour. Love will guide us and give us strength. For where he is, we too shall be (cf. Jn 12:26).

Condolences to Chile and Perù

Today, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of a telegram of condolence for the victims of the flooding which occurred in recent days along the coast of Chile and Perù which was sent by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, on behalf of the Holy Father to His Excellency, Ivo Scapolo, Apostolic Nuncio in Chile and to His Excellency, James Patrick Green, Apostolic Nuncio in Perù.

Telegram of Condolence

sent on behalf of the Holy Father

Following the severe flooding that has taken place in areas of Chile and Perù, causing deaths and claiming much property damage, the Holy Father offers his prayers for the eternal repose of the victims and implores the Lord that he might grant comfort and strength to all those who have been affected by this disaster.

Also, Pope Francis calls on the institutions and on all men of good will, that inspired by sentiments of fraternal solidarity and Christian charity, to provide effective assistance where ever possible to overcome these difficult moments, while imparting his heartfelt blessings.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness

Greetings to the Carmelites

On Thursday morning of this week, Pope Francis marked the 500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila.  Today, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of a letter which the Holy Father has sent to the Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites to mark the occasion.

Letter of His Holiness, Pope Francis

on the occasion of the 500th anniversary

of the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila

To our venerable brother

Father Saverio Cannistrà

Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites

Dear brother,

Having completed five hundred years since the birth of Saint Teresa of Jesus, I wish to unite myself with all the Church, in giving thanks to the great family of discalced Carmelites - religious men and women and secular members - for the charism of this remarkable woman.

I consider it a providential grace that this anniversary coincides with the Year dedicated to Consecrated Life, in which the Saint of Avila shines as a solid guide and model of total self-giving to God.  It is a matter of another reason to look toward the past with gratitude and to rediscover the inspiring spark that gave energy to the founders and the members of the first community (cf Letter to Consecrated Persons, November 21, 2014).

The witness of her consecration continues to do so much good for all of us, a witness born directly out of an encounter with Christ, on her experience of prayer as a continual dialogue with God and on her community life, rooted in the maternity of the Church!

Above all else, Saint Teresa is a master of prayer.  In her experience, the discovery of Christ's humanity was of primary importance.   Moved by the desire to share this personal experience with others, she describes it in vivid and simple terms, making it available to everyone, since it consists simply in a relationship of friendship ... with the one we know loves us (Life, 8, 5).  Many times, the narration itself is transformed in prayer, as though to introduce the reader to his interior dialogue with Christ.  Teresa's narration was not only a prayer reserved to a specific space or moment during the day; it sprang forth spontaneously on various occasions: It would be very difficult if prayer was something that could only be done in specific places (Foundations, 5, 16).  She was convinced of the value of continual prayer, even though it might not always be perfect.  The Saint asks us to be steadfast, faithful, even in the midst of aridity, personal difficulty or present needs that call upon us.

In order to renew consecrated life today, Teresa has left us a great treasure, filled with concrete proposals, ways and methods of prayer which, far from closing in upon ourselves or leading only to an interior balance, makes us always begin with Jesus and constitutes an authentic school for growth in love for God and for others.

Beginning with her encounter with Jesus, Saint Teresa lived another life, was transformed into an untiring communicator of the Gospel (cf Life, 23, 1).  Wishing to serve the Church, and facing grave problems of her time, she was not limited to being a spectator of the reality that surrounded her.  In her condition as a woman and with her health difficulties, she decided - she says - to do what little they expected of me ... that is to follow the evangelical councils with all the perfections possible and to make it possible for these few sisters who are present to do the same (The Way, 1, 2).  Thus began the Carmelite reform, in which she asked her Sisters not to waste so much time addressing to God interests of little importance while the world is ablaze (The Way, 1, 5). This missionary and ecclesial dimension has always distinguished the Discalced Carmelite women and men.

As she did then, so today the Saint opens new horizons for us, she calls us to a great endeavour, to look at the world with Christ’s eyes, to seek what He seeks and to love what He loves.

Saint Teresa knew that neither prayer nor the mission can be sustained without a genuine community life. Therefore, the foundation she laid in her convents was fraternity: All must love one another here, love each other and help one another mutually (The Way, 4, 7). And she was very attentive in admonishing her Religious about the danger of self-reference in fraternal life, which consists entirely or almost entirely in denying ourselves and our leisure (The Way, 12, 2) and putting ourselves at the service of others. To avoid such a risk, the Saint of Avila recommended to her Sisters, first of all, the virtue of humility, which is not exterior neglect or interior timidity of soul, rather each one should know his/her own possibilities and what God can do in us (cf Relations, 28). The contrary is what she calls a false point of honour (Life, 31, 23), the source of gossip, of jealousies and of criticisms, which seriously harms relations with others. Carmelite humility consists in acceptance of oneself, awareness of one’s dignity, missionary audacity, gratitude and abandonment in God.

With these noble roots, the Carmelite communities are called to become houses of communion, capable of witnessing the fraternal love and maternity of the Church, presenting to the Lord the needs of the world, lacerated by divisions and wars.

Dear Brother, I do not want to end without thanking the Teresian Carmelite Community that entrusts the Pope with special tenderness to the protection of the Virgin of Carmel, and which accompanies with their prayer the great trials and challenges of the Church. I ask the Lord that your testimony of life, like that of Saint Teresa, will let the joy and beauty of living the Gospel shine and attract many young people to closely follow Christ.

To all the Teresian Family, I impart my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican
March 28, 2015

Francis

Words that run deep

Here is the homily I prepared for the funeral we celebrated today in memory of one of the parishioners who was quietly present and always at work.

Funeral homily for Tom O’Reilly

Every Sunday, when people gather here in this church to pray, the priest stands here and looks out upon a sea of faces.  Over time, we come to know at least some of the people to whom those faces belong, and if we’re truly lucky, we get to know a few of the stories that are unfolding behind the faces too.   Tom’s was one of the faces that looked back at me here in this church, but Tom’s was not one of the voices I heard very often.

Over the past few days, through the voices of others, I have learned a bit about the life this wonderful man lived:

• his extraordinary ability to look at almost any mechanical challenge and to find a solution for it – this is truly a dying art, one that endeared him to all those who had the privilege to know him and to work with him;
• his constant willingness to help in any way he possibly could – evidence of a willing heart that has been cultivated from a very young age to be on the lookout for the wellbeing of others;
• his boundless patience, especially with children and with curious minds – he never grew tired of spending time with them, for perhaps they always reminded him of his own curiosity;
• his undying love for his wife Maureen who he married here in this very church, for Jordan and for Amanda, and for all the other special people who were privileged to be part of his family.

 On the outside, Tom was always a very patient, soft-spoken individual, but on the inside, there was always something going on.  Most often his concern was not for himself but for others.  Having never been sick a day in his life, until very recently, I can imagine that he would not have been too concerned at the first signs of trouble, yet these past two weeks or so must have roused many questions in the minds of others.  Even now, we are still wondering what has happened.

It’s at times like these that we come to realize that we are not the ones who are ultimately in charge of our lives.  Even Jesus knew that he had had come from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of the one who had sent him (cf  Jn 6:38), and the will of the Father who sent Jesus is that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life (Jn 6:40).

We are here in this Church today to witness something that is much bigger than any of us.  Tom’s earthly life is now ended, and all of us who have had the privilege to know him and to love him are bewildered, but when his earthly life ended, his heavenly life began.  We believe that Jesus died … that’s the truth that we remember especially during Holy Week … but we also believe that Jesus rose again, and that it will be the same for those of us who have died (cf 1 Thes 4:14).  Jesus has taken Tom by the hand and led him home to heaven where he will now live with the Lord forever (cf 1 Thes 4:17).

I can imagine that even from heaven, Tom is continuing to work quietly but with determination.  No challenge was ever too great for him here on earth.  Why should we believe that things should be any different in heaven?  We may not be able to hear him speak, but he is still at work, with different tools now, patiently teaching us, carving into the depths of our hearts the message he wants us all to hear: I know that my Redeemer lives (Job 19:25).

Condolences to the Assyrian Church of the East

The Holy Father, has sent a telegram of condolence to express his sympathy at the death of His Holiness, Mar Dinkha IV, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.

His Holiness, Mar Dinkha IV

Telegram of Condolence sent by His Holiness, Pope Francis

to His Beatitude, Mar Aprem Mooken

Metropolitan for India

locum tenens of the Assyrian Church of the East

Having learned with sadness of the death of His Holiness, Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to Your Beatitude, to the Bishops, clergy and all the faithful and to assure you of the spiritual closeness of all Catholics at this time.

The Christian world has lost an important spiritual leader, a courageous and wise pastor who faithfully served his community in extremely challenging times. His Holiness Mar Dinkha suffered greatly because of the tragic situation in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and in Syria, resolutely calling attention to the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters and other religious minorities suffering daily persecution. I recall how we spoke of this at length during the recent visit of His Holiness to Rome.

I give heartfelt thanks to Almighty God for the enduring commitment of His Holiness to improving relations among Christians and in particular between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. May the Lord receive him into his kingdom and grant him eternal rest, and may the memory of his long and devoted service to the Church live on as a challenge and inspiration to us all.

Franciscus

United with Teresa

Yesterday morning at the Casa Santa Marta in Rome, the Holy Father's morning Mass began with a special prayer for peace as part of the celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila.

The Pope led the hour of prayer along with the Superior General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Father Saverio Cannestra, OCD and Father Eugene McCaffrey, O.Carm. from the Avila Carmelite Centre in Dublin (Ireland), who has written about the life of Saint Teresa.

Words spoken by His Holiness, Pope Francis

to introduce the hour of prayer for peace

Dear brothers and sisters:

The Order of Discalced Carmelites, friars, nuns, and seculars, the entire Teresian family, in union with the whole Church, today celebrates the 500th anniversary of the birth of its foundress, Saint Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church.

At the request of the Father General of the Order, during the span of this day a world hour of prayer for peace will take place in all convents, monasteries, and fraternities. I unite myself joyfully to this initiative and begin with these words our supplication to God, Father of all of us, so that, through the intercession of Christ Jesus, he will pour his Spirit over all the nations, so that dialogue among men will triumph over violence and the conflicts that scourge our world. To this prayer I invite all faithful Catholics, all Christians of other denominations, and also members of other religions and men and women of good will.

The world is all in flames ... and are we to waste time asking for things that if God were to give them we would have one soul less in heaven? No, my Sisters, this is not the time to be discussing with God matters that have little importance" (Teresa of Jesus, Way of Perfection, 1, 5).

The world is all in flames is the sorrowful cry of Teresa as she contemplates the conflicts, wars, and divisions in society and the Church of her time. Today we also make this our cry and present it to Jesus as a supplication: Lord, the world is all in flames!

We, like Saint Teresa, know that by our own efforts we will not attain the precious gift of peace. Therefore, with our petition let us hold tightly to the power of the redeeming Cross of Christ: Oh my Lord and my Mercy, my only Good! What more do I seek in this life than a union so close to you, that there can be no distinction between you and me? With such a companion, what can be difficult? With you so close to me, what dare I not attempt for your sake?

Joined to the Cross of Christ and from the hand of the Virgin, his Mother and our Mother, and from the hand of Teresa, we beseech God to increase the opportunities for dialogue and encounter among men, that we learn to ask for forgiveness so that peace may grow in the world like the fruit of the reconciliation that he has come to bring to us.

Let us pray: