EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE

OF MERCY

“Merciful Like the Father”

Celebrating the Year of Mercy

INTRODUCTION

It’s all about MERCY.

This booklet is an introduction to the universal call to celebrate

the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. It is a devotional guide, a

companion, designed to assist you in contemplating the face and

the mystery of mercy.

It is an instrument to help you achieve a rich, rewarding and

healing experience of God’s mercy throughout the year.

It is a catechetical tool which brings to the fore and magnifies

centuries-old practices of the Church which aim at reconciling the

individual with God and the Body of Christ.

Finally, it is a facilitator to transformation, whereby the reader is

drawn in, saturated and steeped in mercy, so as to be amply filled

apostles ready to administer the balm of mercy to those in need.

Come one and come all. The Door remains open for you. Enter

and experience the fruits of Divine Mercy.

i

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We give all glory, praise, honor and thanksgiving to the Holy

Spirit, Who inspired creativity in each one of us in our particular

tasks, to bring this work to completion: worship committee

members on content, design, development, publication, and

implementation; intercessors, translators; pastoral staff on

scheduling, publication and integration; ladies’ altar society on

funding, design and adornment of the mercy corner; facility

manager’s construction and installation of the mercy corner;

printing assistant’s advisement and procurement on publicity

material; social services ministry on food drive, parish

catechetical leaders and youth ministers on integration of jubilee

activities over the course of the year; choir & music ministers on

lyrics and other musical adaptations; parish leadership who will

encourage the use of this booklet in their communities and

ministries; retreat participants who will partake of the Medicine

of Mercy in order to administer the same to others; the many

volunteers whose participation and collaboration have yet to be

discerned, and the various extra-parochial resources from which

valuable material and insight were gleaned.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ..................................................................... i

Acknowledgements ......................................................... ii

Prayers

Prayer of Pope Francis ............................................... 1

Salve Regina .............................................................. 2

Memorare ................................................................... 3

Merciful Lord ............................................................. 3

Chaplet of Divine Mercy ........................................... 4

Praises of the Divine Mercy ....................................... 6

What is the Jubilee Indulgence? ..................................... 8

Basic requirements ..................................................... 9

Conditions .................................................................. 9

Frequency ................................................................... 10

The Sick, Elderly or Imprisoned ................................ 11

iii

The Holy Door of Mercy ................................................ 12

The Holy Door of Mercy—Symbolism .......................... 14

The Practice of Pilgrimage .............................................. 15

What is Mercy? ............................................................... 16

Works of Mercy .............................................................. 17

Mercy Scripture .............................................................. 18

Mercy Quotations ............................................................ 20

St, Faustina, Apostle of Mercy………………………….21

What is the Mercy Corner? ............................................. 22

Year of Mercy Logo ........................................................ 24

Pastor’s Jubilee Prayer .................................................... 26

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PRAYER OF POPE FRANCIS FOR THE JUBILEE

Lord Jesus Christ,

You have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and

have told us that whoever sees you sees Him. Show us your face

and we will be saved. Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and

Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and

Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things; made

Peter weep after his betrayal, and assured Paradise to the

repentant thief. Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, the

words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the

gift of God!”

You are the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who

manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy: let the

Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and

glorified. You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in

weakness in order that they may feel compassion for those in

ignorance and error: let everyone who approaches them feel

sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.

Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its

anointing, so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace

from the Lord, and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may

bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the

oppressed, and restore sight to the blind.

We ask this of you, Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary,

Mother of Mercy; you who live and reign with the Father and the

Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Amen.

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SALVE REGINA~~Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and

our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to

thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale

of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy

toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit

of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

℣ Pray for us O holy Mother of God,

℟ that we may be made worthy of the promises of

Christ.

Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, who by the cooperation

of the Holy Spirit did prepare the body and soul of the glorious

Virgin Mother Mary to become a dwelling place meet for thy

Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration; so by her

fervent intercession we may be delivered from present evils and

from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy

and your Mother. ~~ Our Lady to Saint Faustina (330)

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MEMORARE

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it

known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help,

or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this

confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee

do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of

the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy

hear and answer me. Amen.

MERCIFUL LORD ~~ St. Catherine of Siena

Merciful Lord, it does not surprise me that you forget completely

the sins of those who repent. I am not surprised that you remain

faithful to those who hate and revile you. The mercy which pours

forth from you fills the whole world. It was by your mercy that

we were created, and by your mercy that you redeemed us by

sending your Son. Your mercy is the light in which sinners find

you and good people come back to you. Your mercy is

everywhere, even in the depths of hell where you offer to forgive

the tortured souls. Your justice is constantly tempered with

mercy, so you refuse to punish us as we deserve. O mad Lover! It

was not enough for you to take on our humanity; you had to die

for us as well.

COMMUNITY PRAYER 1 ~~ Psalm 51:3-12

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your

abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash

away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. For I know my

transgressions; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone

have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes so that you are just

in your word, and without reproach in your judgment. Behold, I was

born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire true

sincerity and secretly you teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop,

that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You will

let me hear gladness and joy; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities. A

clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.

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THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY (476)

The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of

five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers

from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing

prayer.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. Opening Prayers You expired, Jesus, but the source of life

gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the

whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,

envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

(Repeat three times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth

from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in

You!

3. Our Father Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy

name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in

heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our

trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead

us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

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4. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy

womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

5. The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our

Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He

descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He

ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father

almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I

believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of

saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life

everlasting. Amen.

6. The Eternal Father on each large bead Eternal Father, I

offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly

beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and

those of the whole world.

7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade For the sake of

His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

8. Repeat for the remaining decades The "Eternal Father" on

the "Our Father" bead and then ten "For the sake of His sorrowful

Passion" on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

9. Concluding prayer (repeat three times)

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on

us and on the whole world.

10. Closing Prayer Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and

the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and

increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not

despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit

ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.

(950)

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PRAISES OF THE DIVINE MERCY

(Diary, 948-949)

The Love of God is the flower—Mercy the fruit.

Let the doubting soul read these considerations on

Divine Mercy and become trusting.

Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father,

.......................................................................... I trust in You.

Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, ..............................

Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, ...........................

Divine Mercy, fountain gushing forth from the mystery of the

Most Blessed Trinity, ...........................................................

Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic,

Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness,

Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, ................................

Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, ...................

Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, ...............

Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the

Incarnate Word, .....................................................................

Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the

Heart of Jesus, .......................................................................

Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and

especially for sinners, ............................................................

Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host,..

Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, ...................

Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, ...............

Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, ......

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Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, ....

Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death,

Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, ...................

Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life,

Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, .................

Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, .........

Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to

Saints, ....................................................................................

Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, .......

Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, .......................

Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, ..................

Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence,

Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, .........

Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, .................

Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, ......................

Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, .................

Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, ......................

Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, ..............

Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, .................

Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.

Amen.

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WHAT IS THE JUBILEE INDULGENCE?

The Jubilee of Mercy features a very special plenary indulgence

(the complete remission of all temporal punishment due to

sin). All the faithful, properly prepared, can fully enjoy,

throughout the Jubilee of Mercy, the gift of the indulgence.

Pope Francis is seeking to make the indulgence as widely

available as possible. In the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, a

Holy Door is to be opened in every cathedral around the world, as

well as in particular shrines where large numbers of pilgrims

come to honor the mercy of God.

The Jubilee is a year of grace. Therefore, Christians can gain

Jubilee indulgence. An indulgence is a decrease of the temporal

punishment that resulted from sins you committed and sought

forgiveness for. “Temporal punishment" means temporary time

spent in the condition of purgatory (purging or purification) and

may be accomplished in actual purgatory after death or here on

earth now. An indulgence is partial or plenary, as it removes

either part or all of the temporal punishment due sin.

Purification is needed even after receiving the sacrament of

reconciliation and obtaining God's forgiveness. Often, we still

have to pay the consequences of our sins and learn to avoid

returning to the same sin. With the indulgence, the repentant

sinner receives a remission of the temporal punishment due for

the sins already forgiven.

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WHAT ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR

OBTAINING AN INDULGENCE?

Primarily, the person must be in a position to receive them. They

must be baptized, that is, a member of the Church. The person

must not have been excommunicated because if they were they

would not be able to participate in the Church’s indulgences and

moments of public prayer. The state of grace is another

requirement, because the debt of temporal punishment cannot be

“written off” unless the guilt of sin and with it eternal punishment

are removed through the sacrament of confession. The person

requiring the indulgence must have the intention of acquiring it.

Indulgence is not granted to those who do not want it.

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR GAINING

THE JUBILEE PLENARY INDULGENCE?

HOW DOES ONE ACQUIRE AN INDULGENCE?

To receive the Jubilee indulgence, one must fulfill the usual

conditions outlined and perform the indulgenced act, that is,

passing through a designated Holy Door during the extraordinary

Jubilee of Mercy (between Dec. 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the

Immaculate Conception, and Nov. 20, 2016, the Solemnity of

Christ the King) or performing one of the corporal or spiritual

works of mercy.

Be in the state of grace at least at the time the

indulgenced act of passing through a designated Holy

Door, is completed.

Have the interior disposition of sincere repentance and

complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;

Have sacramentally confessed sins;

Receive Holy Communion; and

9

Pray for the intentions of the Pope. This prayer is left

to the choice of the faithful, but an Our Father and a

Hail Mary are suggested.

It is appropriate, but not necessary, that

sacramental confession, Holy Communion and the

prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the

same day that the indulgenced act is performed,

but it is sufficient that these be carried out within

several days (about 20) before or after the

indulgenced act.

One sacramental confession suffices for several

plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy

Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy

Father's intentions are required for each plenary

indulgence.

For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors

can commute both the work prescribed and the

conditions required (except, obviously, detachment

from even venial sin).

Indulgences can be applied either to oneself or to the

souls of the deceased in purgatory, but they cannot be

applied to other persons living on earth.

HOW OFTEN CAN ONE OBTAIN AN INDULGENCE?

Even though we can only obtain one plenary indulgence a day, if

you perform the required actions for other plenary indulgences on

the same day, you can still obtain multiple partial indulgences.

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HOW CAN THE SICK, ELDERLY OR IMPRISONED

OBTAIN AN INDULGENCE?

As for the Sick and the Elderly, the Holy Father says, "For them it

will be of great help to live their sickness and suffering as an

experience of closeness to the Lord who in the mystery of his

Passion, death and Resurrection indicates the royal road which

gives meaning to pain and loneliness. Living with faith and

joyful hope this moment of trial, receiving communion or

attending Holy Mass and community prayer, even through the

various means of communication, will be for them the means of

obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence."

For the Imprisoned, the Holy Father says, "They may obtain the

Indulgence in the chapels of the prisons. May the gesture of

directing their thoughts and prayers to the Father each time

they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their

passage through the Holy Door, because the mercy of God is able

to transform hearts, and is also able to transform bars into an

experience of freedom."

WELL WISHES FROM THE POPE

“I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a

genuine experience of God's mercy, which comes to meet each

person in the face of the Father who welcomes and forgives,

forgetting completely the sin committed.” ~~ Pope Francis

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150901_lettera-indulgenza-

giubileo-misericordia.html

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/jubilee/thebasics/indulgence.php

http://www.oursaviours.faithweb.com/Jubilee/indulgence.htm

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/giubileo-jubilee-jubielo-indulgenze-indulgences-

indulgencias-39771/

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THE HOLY DOOR OF MERCY

"There will be the Holy Door, but it will be the door of God’s

great mercy! May it also be the door of our heart for us all to

receive God’s forgiveness and for us in turn to forgive,

welcoming all those that knock on our door." ~~ Pope Francis

Dear Brothers and Sisters: As the extraordinary Holy Year of

Mercy approaches, today we consider the great open door of

God’s mercy, symbolized by the Holy Doors which will open in

Churches throughout the world. The recent Synod of Bishops on

the Family encouraged families in a particular way to enter this

door of mercy and to open the doors of their hearts to others.

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Jesus tells us that he stands knocking at our door, asking that we

open it to him (Rev 3:20). How important it is for us to be good

doorkeepers, capable of opening our doors and making our homes

places of encounter and welcome, especially to our brothers and

sisters in need! Jesus also tells us that he himself is the door (Jn

10:9) which leads to salvation; if we pass through him, we will

find lasting security and freedom. As guardians of that door, we

in the Church are called to be welcoming to all who seek to enter

the fold of the Good Shepherd. May the doors of our Christian

homes be signs and symbols of the door of God’s mercy, a door

ever open to all who knock and desire to meet Jesus.

We have arrived at the threshold of the Jubilee, it is close. Before

us is the door, but not only the Holy Door, the other – the

great door of God’s Mercy, and it is a beautiful door! – which

receives our repentance, offering the grace of His forgiveness.

The door is generously open; a bit of courage is needed on our

part to cross the threshold. Each one of us has within himself

things that burden him. All of us. We are all sinners! Let us take

advantage of this moment that is coming and cross the threshold

of this mercy of God, who never tires of forgiving, never tires of

waiting for us! He looks at us, He is always beside us. Courage!

Let us go in through this door!

Pope Francis

General Audience

November 18, 2015

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/general-audience-on-the-door-of-mercy?

utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_content=[ZE151118]%20The%20world%20seen%20from%

20Rome&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch&utm_term=Image

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HOLY DOOR OF MERCY—SYMBOLISM

“Doors are very symbolic. They can represent passage: sin to

redemption, life to death, disbelief to faith, and so on. Jesus

describes himself as The Door. People have to enter through

Christ to get to the Father. The door is the path to salvation.

There is also Marian symbolism, since The Blessed Mother is the

door through which salvation entered the world. Thus, opening

the doors on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has

double meaning.

The doors of a Church mark the boundary between the sacred and

the profane. By throwing them open, Pope Francis is emphasizing

his desire to throw open the doors of the faith to the world.

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and

will come in and go out and find pasture.” John 10:9

http://aleteia.org/2015/11/30/when-is-a-door-not-a-door-when-its-a-holy-door/?

utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=topnews_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL

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THE PRACTICE OF PILGRIMAGE

The practice of pilgrimage has a special place in the Holy Year,

because it represents the journey each of us makes in this life.

Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a viator, a

pilgrim travelling along the road, making his way to the desired

destination. Similarly, to reach the Holy Door in Rome or in any

other place in the world, everyone, each according to his or her

ability, will have to make a pilgrimage. This will be a sign that

mercy is also a goal to reach and requires dedication and

sacrifice. May pilgrimage be an impetus to conversion: by

crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we will find the strength

to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful

with others as the Father has been with us.

Misericordiae Vultus, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, para 14

15

WHAT IS MERCY?

MERCY, noun, mer·cy \ˈmər-sē\

compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or

to one subject to one's power; also: lenient or compassionate

treatment

imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-

degree murder

blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion

compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy

among the poor>

Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin

merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid

Merriam Webster on-line dictionary @ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy

MERCY. The disposition to be kind and forgiving. Founded on

compassion, mercy differs from compassion or the feeling of

sympathy in putting this feeling into practice with a readiness to

assist. It is therefore the ready willingness to help anyone in need,

especially in need of pardon or reconciliation.

Modern Catholic Dictionary @ http://www.therealpresence.org/cgi-bin/getdefinition.pl

M is for Mercy.

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SPIRITUAL & CORPORAL

WORKS OF MERCY

from the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2447

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid

of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

Instruct the ignorant

Counsel the doubtful

Admonish sinners

Bear wrongs patiently

Forgive offenses willingly

Comfort the afflicted

Pray for the living and the dead

Corporal Works of Mercy

Feed the hungry

Give drink to the thirsty

Clothe the naked

Shelter the homeless

Visit the sick

Visit the imprisoned

Bury the dead

Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to

fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.

I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,

to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your

spiritual worship. Romans 12:1

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the

glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me

drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill

and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.

Matthew 25:35-36

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MERCY SCRIPTURE

So the LORD passed before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the

LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and

abounding in love and fidelity.

Exodus 34:6

Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my

life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23:6

Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD, for they

are ages old. Remember no more the sins of my youth; remember

me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, LORD.

Psalm 25:6-7

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, Who

pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, Who redeems your

life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion,

Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed

like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5

For with the LORD is mercy, with him is plenteous redemption,

and he will redeem Israel from all its sins.

Psalm 130:7-8

Praise the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.

Psalm 136:1

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and

abounding in mercy.

Psalm 145:8

Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who

confess and forsake them obtain mercy.

Proverbs 28:13

18

With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy

toward you.

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is

not spent; they are renewed each morning—great is your

faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:22-23

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD

requires of you: only to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly

with your God.

Micah 6:8

Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the

remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever,

but instead delights in mercy, and will again have compassion on

us, treading underfoot our iniquities? You will cast into the

depths of the sea all our sins…

Micah 7:18-19

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7

“Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not

sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Matthew 9:13

His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.

Luke 1:50

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend

expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you

will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the

ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your heavenly

father is merciful.

Luke 6:35-36

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MERCY QUOTATIONS

It is easier for God to hold back anger than mercy.

~~ St. Augustine

The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals

them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others

when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to

exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as

soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.

~~ St. Anthony of Padua

Mercy is more than simply being compassionate. Mercy is the

overflow of charity, which brings with it also an overflow of

justice. Mercy means keeping one’s heart totally alive, throbbing

in a way that is both human and divine, with a love that is strong,

self-sacrificing and generous. ~~ St. Josemaria Escriva

Mary, then, is the one who has the deepest knowledge of the

mystery of God’s mercy. She knows its price; she knows how

great it is. In this sense, we call her the Mother of Mercy: Our Lady of Mercy, or Mother of Divine Mercy. ~~ Pope St. John Paul II

It is not easy to entrust oneself to God's mercy, because it is an

abyss beyond our comprehension. But we must! Oh, I am a great

sinner! All the better! Go to Jesus: He likes you to tell him these

things! He forgets, He has a very special capacity for forgetting.

He forgets, He kisses you, He embraces you and He simply says

to you: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more." (John

8:11) ~~ Pope Francis

God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can

restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). ... Let us be renewed by

God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of

his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of

this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth,

protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.

~~ Pope Francis

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St. Faustina, Apostle of Mercy

“Our prayer also extends to the saints and blessed ones who

made divine mercy their mission in life. I am especially thinking

of the great apostle of mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska. May she,

who was called to enter the depths of divine mercy, intercede for

us and obtain for us the grace of living and walking always

according to the mercy of God and with an unwavering trust in

His love.” ~~ Pope Francis

Misericordiae Vultus, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, para 24

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WHAT IS THE MERCY CORNER?

The Mercy Corner is an attractively decorated

area in the church lobby where parishioners can

reflect on the meaning of the Holy Year of

Mercy.

It is a devotional area for parishioners of all ages.

Children, individually or in groups such as

families or those in the faith formation program,

may be guided by adults (i.e., parents, teachers

and volunteers) to join in a mini-pilgrimage and

recite a brief prayer.

It is a focal area where youth, young adults and

mature parishioners may pause in reverence for a

brief moment of prayer. Amid the hectic and

hurried course of daily life, the Mercy Corner

offers a refreshing respite, an opportunity to

immerse oneself in the Oasis of mercy.

Our parish community is named after the Lord's

Divine Mercy; hence, having a Mercy Corner is

an active expression and celebration of this

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in union with

Catholics all over the world.

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THE YEAR OF MERCY LOGO

The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of

what the Jubilee Year is all about. The motto Merciful Like the

Father (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an

invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks

us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and

forgiveness without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38).

The logo – the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik – presents a

small summa theologiae of the theme of mercy. In fact, it

represents an image quite important to the early Church: that of

the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul

demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to

completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in

redemption. The logo has been designed in such a way so as to

express the profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches

the flesh of humanity and does so with a love with the power to

change one’s life. One particular feature worthy of note is that

while the Good Shepherd, in his great mercy, takes humanity

upon himself, his eyes are merged with those of man. Christ sees

with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ. Every

person discovers in Christ, the new Adam, one’s own humanity

and the future that lies ahead, contemplating, in his gaze, the love

of the Father.

The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of

an almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval

iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine

and human. The three concentric ovals, with colors progressively

lighter as we move outward, suggest the movement of Christ who

carries humanity out of the night of sin and death. Conversely, the

depth of the darker color suggests the impenetrability of the love

of the Father who forgives all.

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PASTOR’S JUBILEE PRAYER

O God, fount of life and holiness,

give us the grace to experience

the fullness of your love and mercy

upon all humanity

through the passion, death and resurrection

of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

by which you have redeemed us from sin.

Help us to be merciful to one another

as you have shown mercy upon us.

During this Jubilee Year of Mercy,

fill the darkness of our lives

with the light of your grace

and make us holy as you are holy.

We ask you this through

the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and all your saints in glory, in the name of your Son

JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD OF DIVINE MERCY.

AMEN!

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PARISH MISSION

We, the Divine Mercy of Our Lord Catholic Church, are a

culturally diverse community that seeks to grow in faith and in

fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As the Body of Christ, we celebrate

together and witness to others God’s Divine Mercy both in word

and in service. We proclaim His infinite love by teaching, through

evangelization and formation, and by ministering to the needs of

all people, in fulfillment of our common baptismal commitment

to love one another as God loves us.

Divine Mercy of Our Lord Catholic Church

Parish Council, Worship Committee

1585 E. Cartwright Rd., Mesquite, TX 75149

www.divinemercyofourlord.org

2016