As we prepare to conclude the Christmas season (next Sunday, the Baptism of the Lord, is the final act of Christmas) I want to express my thanks for the many ways you have shown your generosity, to the parish, to the poor, and to us friars who live and work here. Gift tags flew off the giving tree in early December; as a result, several nursing homes experienced a special Christmas, thanks to your gifts. xxx of Christmas dinners were distributed to those most in need; many children received toys who would likely not have found many presents under the tree. The youth group's coat drive, the first of its kind in our parish, exceeded expectations.
We friars are grateful for many packages of Christmas treats and other gifts. I estimate that we have at least a two month supply of cookies on hand. Our daily prayers for our benefactors will certainly continue.
We have entered fully into the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and most weeks I will include a selection of the Pope's letter for your reflection. It would be sad if we let our attention slip away from this opportunity to be anchored in God's mercy. Don't forget that we will be featuring in our church bulletin your experiences of giving and receiving mercy.
"With our eyes fixed on Jesus and his merciful gaze, we experience the love of the Most Holy Trinity. The mission Jesus received from the Father was that of revealing the mystery of divine love in its fullness. 'God is love' (1 Jn 4:8,16), John affirms for the first and only time in all of Holy Scripture. This love has now been made visible and tangible in Jesus’ entire life. His person is nothing but love, a love given gratuitously. The relationships he forms with the people who approach him manifest something entirely unique and unrepeatable. The signs he works, especially in favour of sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are all meant to teach mercy. Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in him is devoid of compassion." [par. 8]