Denver Catholic

B4 NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 11, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC Year of Mercy PRAYER FOR THE HOLY YEAR OF MERCY 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 for ever and ever. Amen. M uch like Lent, Advent is a time of preparation. It's also a time traditionally in which Ameri- cans spend quite a bit of time with their extended families. This makes it a per- fect time to practice the spiritual works of mercy. Father Luis Granados, is an associate professor at St. John Vianney Seminary, and a member of the Disciples of the Heart of Jesus and Mary, the order that runs St. Mary's Parish in Littleton. He gave us some practical tips for living the spiritual works of mercy with one's families. PRAYING FOR THE LIVING AND THE DEAD' Father Granados recommended the family gather and pray for all those who have died during the year, espcially mem- bers of their own family. "There can be a moment when you gather and you realize who is missing. That's a beautiful time to o…er Masses for the dead," Father Granados said. COMFORT THE AFFLICTED "The aºicted during Christmas are the lonely. They don't have anyone to cele- brate with. It would be great if the family invites the lonely to their home," Father Granados said. "Go to a nursing home. Bring some joy to those who are alone and elderly." WILLINGLY FORGIVE OFFENSES It can be easy to try and save this for big hurts, but it can be just as import- ant during the little o…enses that crop up whenever a bunch of people with blood ties spend several days in a house together. "The family is together, which is great, but it can also awaken all those past o…enses," Father Granados said. "Christ- mas is the day of forgiveness because it was the moment when Mercy came into the world. So pray for that person, and pray that you may forgive." TO BEAR WRONGS PATIENTLY' Again, while being around family is a beautiful thing, there can be many little (or even big) moments in which one feels wronged. Father Granados recommends frequently turning to Jesus and Mary, and to say small prayers to them, espe- cially during the first flash of anger. "Invoke the name of Jesus… Say simple prayers like 'Jesus, remember me' or 'Jesus, help me be patient'," Father Granados said. ADMONISH SINNERS Father Granados warned about mis- understanding this work of mercy, which should be seen as fraternal correction, with an emphasis on fraternal. Father Granados recommends inviting them to come to Confession with you. "I think it's more fruitful to go together," Father Granados said. "In this case you're not just admonishing, but inviting." COUNSEL THE DOUBTFUL Again, this one can be easy to misun- derstand. Father Granados recommends not lecturing family members on aspects of the faith they may not understand or not be practicing, but to instead spend time together and open a space for°dialog, and especially the questions they have.° "Build the relationship and open a space. Jesus really listened and focused on what [people] were saying. Then after all that, he counseled," Father Granados said. INSTRUCTING THE IGNORANT Father Granados said that it is ulti- mately the parent's job to make sure children understand the importance of Advent and Christmas. He recommended that parents spend time explaining who is coming at the end of Advent. He also recommended that the family incorporate a few traditional Advent liturgical year practices. For example, there are traditional hymns, called the "O Antiphons" that can easily be found on Youtube. These songs anticipate Jesus' arrival and build up to Christmas day, and are a part of evening prayer for every priest and religious during this time in Advent. The first letter of each O Antiphon forms an acrostic, spelling out Ero cross, or, "tomorrow I come". "The heart of Mary is preparing this. She is saying all of this. The wisdom who created everyting is here," Father Grana- dos said. Practicing the spiritual works of mercy with family BY MELISSA KEATING 303-715-3123 | melissa.keating@archden.org www.twitter.com/mkeats42 BY MELISSA KEATING 303-715-3123 | melissa.keating@archden.org www.twitter.com/mkeats42 F ather James Thermos, director of the Spirituality Year at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, shared some of his favorite mercy-themed spiritual readings. "Spiritual reading allows us to receive the insights and truths and lives of our brothers and sisters who have a lived rela- tionship with Jesus," Father Thermos said. 1.' ENCYCLICAL ON THE MERCY OF GOD (DIVES IN MISERICORDIA) byµPopeµSt.µJohn Paul II. Available from the Vatican website. "Mercy is love in response to an o…ense. We love one another, but when I o…end you, when I rupture our relationship uni- laterally, to repair it requires your love in return, which is an act of mercy," Father Thermos said. "In the encyclical, John Paul II goes on to show us the mercy of God in the Prodi- gal Son (Lk 15), and then how this is made manifest in the Church." 2. THE FIRST 48 PAGES OF'SOUL MENDING by John Chryssavgis. Available from Holy Cross Orthodox Press. This book is by a Greek Orthodox priest. The rest of the book deals with spiritual direction, but Father Thermos recommends the first 48 pages because they are about mercy. "He helps us understand the healing dimension of the sacrament of Confes- sion," Father Thermos said. 3.' DIARY: DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL byµSt. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Available from Marian Press. Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Faustina, and is responsible for spread- ing her devotion to Divine Mercy and her inspiration of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. "It's not often that we are able to wit- ness the lived relationship of a person, in this case a saint, with the Risen Lord. She very generously records it, and in so doing we get an insight into the beautiful relationship of her being able to receive the mercy of Jesus. Lest mercy just be an abstract notion, this is just so help- ful because it's a concrete witnessing of the life of mercy lived out between St. Faustina and Jesus in his Sacred Heart," Father Thermos said. Spiritual reading for the Year of Mercy SPITITUAL READINGS For more Year of Mercy readings, visit http://denvercatholic.org

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