Pope Francis declared the year 2016 to be an "Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy," which is kind of a big deal in the Catholic world. Traditionally, a pope announces a jubilee year only every 25 years, but this one is an "extraordinary" one, which means it doesn't coincide with a 25 year mark. To me, that means that Pope Francis must have had some special inspiration to declare an extraordinary jubilee this year, and a specific reason to focus it on mercy. Pope Francis said that he wanted to make it evident that the Church's mission is to be "a witness of compassion." He said, "Let us not forget that God forgives and God forgives always. Let us never tire of asking for forgiveness." The Pope continued, "I am convinced that the whole Church--which has much need to receive mercy, because we are sinners--will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time."
Personally, I was thrilled to hear the Pope's announcement of the Year of Mercy, because this past year Jesus has been teaching me all about the "ocean of His mercy"--in ways I never expected...and quite frankly in ways that I didn't ever wish to learn, but He knew it was needed for my heart to become more like His. It has been a painful process, but full of grace and healing. At first I felt like I would drown in the ocean, but slowly He has been teaching me how to swim in it and how to invite others to jump on in to the healing waters of His mercy. So, here comes an invitation... :) The following prayer is kind of like an awesome life-boat for your family to use to float in the ocean of mercy this year. I found it in Fr. Michael Gaitley's book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," and I think it is such a fitting family prayer for this special Jubilee Year.
The following explanation and prayer can be found in Fr. Gaitley's book or at the DivineMercy.org website. I truly believe this prayer consoles Jesus' Heart very much and will bring so many graces to your heart and your family too. HAVE HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A HOLY YEAR FULL OF MERCY!
Family Offering to Merciful Love
A Family Offering to Merciful Love is basically where a family
makes a "mercy deal" with Jesus. In other words, they ask Jesus to
pour out on them the rejected mercy other families refuse, and for their part,
they strive to accept this rejected mercy and share it with others. In our
time, when the family is so much under attack, when, sadly, so many families
refuse God's mercy, Jesus' Heart is especially wounded. A Family Offering to
Merciful Love is meant to give Jesus the consolation of a family that chooses
to receive his rejected merciful love. This doesn't mean the family has to be
perfect. In fact, the more imperfect they are, the more Jesus longs to pour out
his mercy on them. They simply need to be open to receiving and sharing his
merciful love. I suggest the following formula for making a Family Offering to
Merciful Love, which begins with Jesus' words to St. Faustina:
Jesus, you said to St. Faustina: The flames of mercy are
burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause
Me when they do not want to accept them!(1074). You, at least, come
to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In
this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much
goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude
and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything,
but they have no time to come to Me for graces (367). My
daughter, take the graces that others spurn; take as many as you can
carry (454). I want to give myself to souls and to fill them
with My love, but few there are who want to accept all the graces My love has
intended for them. My grace is not lost; if the soul for whom it was intended
does not accept it, another soul takes it (1017).
Lord Jesus, if you want to pour your mercy out on souls, how much
more must you desire to pour it out on whole families, especially in our time
when so many families reject you. Therefore, we the ______________ Family offer
ourselves to your merciful love and ask for the graces and mercy that other
families refuse. We ask this in order to console your Heart and because we need
your mercy. Fill us with your mercy, Lord. Please forgive us our sins, and give
us the grace to be merciful to one another in our deeds, words, and prayers.
May the rays of mercy that go forth from your Heart reign in our home and in
our hearts. Please make our home a place where your mercy can rest and where
we, too, can find rest in your mercy. Bless us with your mercy when we leave
our home and bless us again when we return. Bless everyone we meet with the
mercy you pour into our hearts. Especially bless those who visit our home — may
they experience your mercy here.
Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us to faithfully live our Offering to
God's Merciful Love. We give ourselves to you and ask you to share with us your
Immaculate Heart. Help us to accept your Son's mercy with your own openness of
heart at the Annunciation. Help us to be grateful for God's mercy with your own
joyful heart at the Visitation. Help us to trust in God's mercy, especially
during times of darkness, with your own steadfast faith at Calvary. Finally,
Mary, protect and preserve our family in love, so that one day we may rejoice
together with you and all the saints in the communion of the eternal Family of
Love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Faustina, pray for us.
St. Thérèse, pray for us.
Divine Mercy Enthronement
I further recommend that the Family Offering be accompanied by a
Divine Mercy Enthronement, meaning that the family put up in their home an
Image of Divine Mercy (if there isn't one already) and ask Jesus to reign
there. An appropriate prayer for such an enthronement is as follows:
Jesus, you said to St. Faustina: "I am offering people a
vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy.
That vessel is this image with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You' (327). By
means of this image I shall be granting many graces to souls" (570).
Lord Jesus, through this image of your mercy, please grant us your
grace. Whenever we look at it, help us to remember your love and mercy and fill
our hearts with trust. Just as your mercy is depicted in this image as going
forth from your pierced Heart, surround our home with the rays of your mercy.
May the blood and water that flows forth from your Heart always be upon us!
Jesus, we trust in you.
I recommend concluding such a prayer by praying a Divine Mercy
Chaplet. Also, it might be a good idea to invite a priest to bless your home
and your Image of Divine Mercy.
Excerpt taken from Father Michael Gaitley's book, "Consoling the Heart of Jesus."
This text can also can be found at Fr. Gaitley's website: http://www.thedivinemercy.org/chj/prayers/familyoffering.php
No comments:
Post a Comment