Join the diocese's Year of Mercy celebration

Friday, Jan. 08, 2016

By Susan Dennin

 

The Christmas season is drawing to a close and the new year is upon us, providing an opportunity to help us focus our attention more fully on the Holy Year of Mercy. The celebration of the Jubilee Year, which began on Dec. 8, and will last through November, gives us ample time to reflect and engage. There will be many special events and commemorations to help us get closer to mercy as “an extraordinary moment of grace and spiritual renewal.” 

The opening of the Holy Door at the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Dec. 13 brought the meaning of the Year of Mercy close to home. Pope Francis hoped that each Holy Door would become a “Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons and instills hope.” As we physically opened the door we helped to create a moment of encounter. Encountering God and his abundant mercy reminds us to be merciful like the Father. Standing on the doorway of 2016 opens a door of possibility for each of us to embrace the mercy of God and encounter Christ in others. 

Here in the Diocese of Salt Lake City we hope to journey together and celebrate this Jubilee through actively committing to seeing the face of Christ in those around us. Whether you are providing or receiving mercy, take a moment to think of how you will spend this Jubilee Year and incorporate the works of mercy into your daily life. As you look to feed the hungry, educate yourself about world hunger and avoid wasting food. In sheltering the homeless and clothing the naked, look to ways that you advocate for public policies and legislation that assist those in need. When you commit to caring for the sick, think about sending a card or an email to someone who is ill. You can care for the imprisoned by championing efforts to abolish the death penalty and by praying for the families of inmates. Honor the dead by offering daily prayers for those who are ill or who have died. 

The Diocese of Salt Lake City looks forward to celebrating this Holy Jubilee Year. We hope you “Journey with us – Camine con Nosotros” and share #SLCMercy! 

We’ve created the #SLCMercy hashtag to provide a way to share our diocese’s journey on social media. Our hope is to use it to connect us throughout the diocese as we participate in this living encounter with the mercy of God. We plan to highlight how the diocese shares mercy in the Intermountain Catholic, on our website (dioslc.org), Facebook page (Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City) and Twitter (@Diocese_of _SLC). Tag your photos with #SLCMercy when you post and please also send some our way to: communications@dioslc.org. We look forward to seeing your posts and pictures whether they be with your family, friends, parish or school. 

Through practicing the works of mercy you help our commitment in the diocese to follow the words of Pope Francis as he asks us to “go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness and tenderness of God.” Ask yourself: How can I open my heart in a special way this year to share #SLCMercy with those in need around me?