By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
This extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy offers us Catholics the opportunity to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of Jesus Christ. The motto for this special Holy Year, “Merciful like the Father,” reminds us that we can experience the Father’s infinite love revealed to us in the face of Jesus Christ through our openness to mercy, both in seeking forgiveness from those we have hurt and in giving it to those who have hurt us.
For this reason, Pope Francis urges us to put front and center in our observance of this Year of Mercy our recourse to the Sacrament of Penance, in which we experience the Father’s mercy through the forgiveness of our sins committed after baptism. This year, each of our parishes will celebrate a Weekend of Mercy on Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5 with extended hours for confessions.
Having received mercy, we are also called to be merciful. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy provide us with direction on how to practice this authentic love in our daily lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists seven “corporal” works and seven “spiritual” works. The Corporal Works of Mercy are 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 and to bury the dead. The Spiritual Works of Mercy are also seven in number and include: to admonish the sinner, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubtful, to comfort the sorrowful, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive all injuries and to pray for the living and the dead.
In essence, we are called to give of ourselves to others, most especially to those who need it, and if we open our hearts, we will find countless chances to do so. And, of course, one opportunity to practice these works of mercy is through your support of the Archbishop’s Charities and Development Drive (ABCD). ABCD represents your participation in spiritual and corporal works of mercy above and beyond what one can do individually or just at the parish level.
The money you entrust to the Archdiocese of Miami through your pledge to the ABCD is used to support the works of mercy. Together we are able to educate and evangelize; support struggling parishes and schools; assist in the formation of families and priests. And, through multiple charities, we are able to care for the sick, the elderly, the immigrants, the less fortunate, and the spiritually poor—all of us who need God’s word, the sacraments, and the teachings of the Church.
Our ABCD appeal anticipates the Lenten Season when we are called upon to do personal acts of sacrifice and to almsgiving. Sacrificial giving, especially to benefit those most in need, has always been a hallmark of our Catholic faith. St. Vincent de Paul, the apostle of charity, insisted that we “strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings…of other people, and pray continually that God may grant us that spirit of compassion which is truly the spirit of God.”
As Pope Francis said. “…the Church, in this time of great historical change, is called to offer more evident signs of God’s presence and closeness.”Through your support of the ABCD you do just that. Together, called to be “merciful like the Father,” we are One in Faith, One in Hope and One in Charity.
