RICH IN MERCY, RICH IN MUSIC Misericordiae Vultus - The Face of Mercy

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1 Lent 2016: with Mary in the Year f Mercy RICH IN MERCY, RICH IN MUSIC Misericrdiae Vultus - The Face f Mercy 1. Jesus Christ is the face f the Father s mercy. The Father, rich in mercy (Eph 2:4), after having revealed his name t Mses as a Gd merciful and gracius, slw t anger, and abunding in steadfast lve and faithfulness (Ex 34:6), has never ceased t shw, in varius ways thrughut histry, his divine nature. Whever sees Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus f Nazareth, by his wrds, his actins, and his entire persn reveals the mercy f Gd. El Shaddai by Jhn Thmsn El Shaddai, El Shaddai, El-elyn na Adna. Age t age, Yu're still the same By the pwer f the name. El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Erkamka na Adnai We will praise, And lift Yu high, El Shaddai 2. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which Gd cmes t meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart f every persn wh lks sincerely int the eyes f his brthers and sisters n the path f life. Mercy: the bridge that cnnects Gd and man, pening ur hearts t the hpe f being lved frever despite ur sinfulness. Turn t me by Jhn Fley, SJ Turn t me, O turn and be saved, says the Lrd; Fr I am Gd. There is n ther, nne beside me, I call yur name. I am Gd wh cmfrts yu. Wh are yu t be afraid, Of flesh that fades, Is made like the grass f the field, Sn t wither. 3. And s he turned his gaze t Mary, hly and immaculate in lve (cf. Eph 1:4), chsing her t be the Mther f man s Redeemer. (Mther f Mercy!)When faced with the gravity f sin, Gd respnds with the fullness f mercy. Gentle Wmen by Carey Landry Hail Mary, full f grace, the Lrd is with yu. Blessed are yu amng wmen and blest is the fruit f yur wmb, Jesus. Hly Mary, Mther f Gd, pray fr us sinners nw and at the hur f death. Amen. Refrain Gentle wman, quiet light, mrning star, s strng and bright, gentle Mther, peaceful dve, teach us wisdm; teach us lve. Yu were chsen by the Father; yu were chsen fr the Sn. Yu were chsen frm all wmen and fr wman, shining ne. Br. Mel Meyer, SM 4. Recall the wrds f Saint Jhn XXIII when, pening the Cuncil, he indicated the path t fllw: - Nw the Bride f Christ wishes t use the medicine f mercy.. - We pint ut the ld stry f the Gd Samaritan has been the mdel f the spirituality f the Cuncil - We shall crss the threshld f the Hly Dr fully cnfident that the strength f the Risen Lrd, wh cnstantly supprts us n ur pilgrim way, will sustain us. Which One? By Nick Cardilin (Nickcardilin.cm) Once there was a man wh was rbbed and beaten. On the rad t Jerich A priest came by in a hurry and thught, I shuld help, but I really must g. Alng came a Samaritan wh saw the beaten man. And was mved with pity S, he picked him up and tk him t be cared fr. At an inn in the clsest city And Jesus asked, Which ne? Which ne? Which ne was the neighbr?

2 5. Hw much I desire that the year t cme will be steeped in mercy, s that we can g ut t every man and wman, bringing the gdness and tenderness f Gd! May the balm f mercy reach everyne, bth believers and thse far away, as a sign that the Kingdm f Gd is already present in ur midst! 6. Gd s mercy, rather than a sign f weakness, is the mark f his mniptence. - Patient and merciful. These wrds ften g tgether in the Old Testament t describe Gd s nature. - he crwns yu with steadfast lve and mercy (Ps103:3-4). Befre yu g frm the musical Spectacle Befre I g, please listen Befre I g, hear my prayer My faith in Gd is nt shaken I'll fllw Gd anywhere This I knw, Gd will prvide This I knw, yur faith must be strng Carry n with yur gd wrks A magnificent wrk is brn. Oh Fr. Chaminade please dn't g Our fears are high and ur faith is lw Wh can we turn t wh can we seek N ne t fllw n prmises t keep Yu my children will save suls Yu my children must pray daily I place yu and all my children In the safe keeping f Jesus and Mary Smeday, I will return Which day, I wish I knew Until that time, pray fr me Until that time, I'll pray fr yu (J. Frd, Nvember 2015) 7. Fr his mercy endures frever. This is the refrain that repeats after each verse in Psalm 136 as it narrates the histry f Gd s revelatin. Dust in the wind (Kansas) I clse my eyes nly fr a mment, and the mment's gne All my dreams pass befre my eyes, a curisity Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind Nw, dn't hang n, nthing lasts frever but the earth and sky It slips away, and all yur mney wn't anther minute buy Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind 8. Gd is lve (1 Jn 4:8,16), Jhn affirms fr the first and nly time in all f Hly Scripture. This lve has nw been made visible and tangible in Jesus entire life. His persn is nthing but lve, a lve given gratuitusly. The relatinships he frms with the peple wh apprach him manifest smething entirely unique and unrepeatable. The signs he wrks, especially in favur f sinners, the pr, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are all meant t teach mercy. Everything in him speaks f mercy. Nthing in him is devid f cmpassin. There is nly Christ. He is everything. He is in everything. (Frd, 1975) After freeing the demniac in the cuntry f the Gerasenes, Jesus entrusted him with this missin: G hme t yur friends, and tell them hw much the Lrd has dne fr yu, and hw he has had mercy n yu (Mk 5:19). Saint Bede the Venerable, cmmenting n this Gspel passage, wrte that Jesus lked upn Matthew with merciful lve and chse him: miserand atque eligend. This expressin impressed me s much that I chse it fr my episcpal mtt. - Lwly but chsen / By having mercy, by chsing him (Latin) / Mercifying (Ppe s wrd) and Chsing - Describes the visin f Jesus / Wh gives gift f Mercy and chses and takes unt himself

3 9. In the parables devted t mercy: lst sheep, lst cin and father with 2 sns. In these parables, Gd is always presented as full f jy, especially when he pardns. In them we find the cre f the Gspel and f ur faith, because mercy is presented as a frce that vercmes everything, filling the heart with lve and bringing cnslatin thrugh pardn. Father, Mercy by Bb Duffrd, SJ Father Mercy; Father, hear me. Why have yu gne frm me? Brken, humbled, waiting, hpeful, Father return t me. Anther parable: Shuld nt yu have had mercy n yur fellw servant, as I had mercy n yu? (Mt 18:33). Jesus cncludes, S als my heavenly Father will d t every ne f yu, if yu d nt frgive yur brther frm yur heart (Mt 18:35). In shrt, we are called t shw mercy because mercy has first been shwn t us. Pardning ffences becmes the clearest expressin f merciful lve, and fr us Christians it is an imperative frm which we cannt excuse urselves. At times hw hard it seems t frgive! And yet pardn is the instrument placed int ur fragile hands t attain serenity f heart. T let g f anger, wrath, vilence, and revenge are necessary cnditins t living jyfully. Let us therefre heed the Apstle s exhrtatin: D nt let the sun g dwn n yur anger (Eph4:26). Abve all, let us listen t the wrds f Jesus wh made mercy an ideal f life and a criterin fr the credibility f ur faith: Blessed are the merciful, fr they shall btain mercy (Mt 5:7): the beatitude t which we shuld particularly aspire in this Hly Year. Blessed are the Merciful Blessed Are the merciful, mercy shall be theirs. Mercy is a blessing Lrd, I t shws in thse wh care. When we are the victims, Lrd, Mercy seems s hard. Shwer us with yur graces Lrd, especially when we re scarred. Help me t be merciful, life just ges s fast. I have hurt s many Lrd, frgive me fr my past. Mst f all, I m in need f yur mercy Lrd. Frgive me fr all the hurt I ve caused yu my Lrd. Frgive me fr wrngs I have dne. As I frgive the hurts f everyne, I m merciful. Be merciful. Shwer me with yur Mercy Lrd in my final hur. Open up yur heart h Lrd like a blming flwer. Yur prmise t be merciful fills my heart with glee. I prmise t be merciful till yu I will see. Frgive me fr wrngs I have dne. As I frgive the hurts f everyne. I m merciful. Be merciful. (Frm A Way T Life Music by Declan Duffy Lyrics by Ray Duffy) 10. Hwever, withut a witness t mercy, life becmes fruitless and sterile, as if sequestered in a barren desert. The time has cme fr the Church t take up the jyful call t mercy nce mre. It is time t return t the basics and t bear the weaknesses and struggles f ur brthers and sisters. Mercy is the frce that reawakens us t new life and instils in us the curage t lk t the future with hpe. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brther The rad is lng. With many a winding turn. That leads us t wh knws where. Wh knws when But I'm strng. Strng enugh t carry him. He ain't heavy, he's my brther She ain't heavy, She s my sister 11. The Church lives an authentic life when she prfesses and prclaims mercy... St. Jhn Paul II I still haven t fund what I m lking fr by U2 I believe in the Kingdm Cme. Then all the clurs will bleed int ne. Bleed int ne. But yes, I'm still running. Yu brke the bnds. And yu lsed the chains. Carried the crss f my shame Oh my shame, yu knw I believe it. But I still haven t fund what I m lking fr. 12. It is abslutely essential fr the Church and fr the credibility f her message that she herself live and testify t mercy. Her language and her gestures must transmit mercy, s as t tuch the hearts f all peple and inspire them nce mre t find the rad that leads t the Father.

4 City f Gd (Dan Schutte) Let us build a city f Gd. May ur tears be turned int dancing. Fr the Lrd ur light and ur lve. Has turned the night int day. In ur parishes, cmmunities, assciatins and mvements, in a wrd, wherever there are Christians, everyne shuld find an asis f mercy. 13. We want t live this Jubilee Year in light f the Lrd s wrds: Merciful like the Father. The Evangelist reminds us f the teaching f Jesus wh says, Be merciful just as yur Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). In rder t be capable f mercy, therefre, we must first f all dispse urselves t listen t the Wrd f Gd. This means rediscvering the value f silence in rder t meditate n the Wrd that cmes t us. In this way, it will be pssible t cntemplate Gd s mercy and adpt it as ur lifestyle. Well I came hme. Like a stne And I fell heavy int yur arms These days f dust. Which we've knwn Will blw away with this new sun But I'll kneel dwn. Wait fr nw And I'll kneel dwn. Knw my grund And I will wait, I will wait fr yu S break my step. And relent Yu frgave and I wn't frget I will wait fr yu by Mumfrd and Sns, 2012 Knw what we've seen. And him with less Nw in sme way. Shake the excess I will wait, I will wait fr yu Nw I'll be bld. As well as strng. And use my head alngside my heart. S take my flesh. And fix my eyes. A tethered mind free frm the lies And I'll kneel dwn. Wait fr nw I'll kneel dwn. Knw my grund Raise my hands. Paint my spirit gld And bw my head. Keep my heart slw I will wait, I will wait fr yu 14. The practice f pilgrimage has a special place in the Hly Year, because it represents the jurney each f us makes in this life. Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a viatr, a pilgrim travelling alng the rad, making his way t the desired destinatin. Similarly, t reach the Hly Dr in Rme r in any ther place in the wrld, everyne, each accrding t his r her ability, will have t make a pilgrimage. This will be a sign that mercy is als a gal t reach and requires dedicatin and sacrifice. May pilgrimage be an impetus t cnversin: by crssing the threshld f the Hly Dr, we will find the strength t embrace Gd s mercy and dedicate urselves t being merciful with thers as the Father has been with us. Turn (Frd, 1997, frm the play ACTS) I'm n a jurney, searching fr the answers, t the questins that fill my life. Where did my lve g, hw can my friends knw? I'm reaching ut and n ne is there t help me s. Turn - Turn Gals: Judge nt; frgive and t give; Merciful like the Father, therefre, is the mtt f this Hly Year. In mercy, we find prf f hw Gd lves us. 15. It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian peple may reflect n the crpral and spiritual wrks f mercy. It will be a way t reawaken ur cnscience, t ften grwn dull in the face f pverty. And let us enter mre deeply int the heart f the Gspel where the pr have a special experience f Gd s mercy. Whatsever yu d t the least f my peple, that yu d unt me. By Willard Jabusch, May the wrds f the Apstle accmpany us: he wh des acts f mercy, let him d them with cheerfulness (cf. Rm 12:8). Happy Tgether by the Turtles Imagine me and yu, I d. I think abut yu day and night. It's nly right. T think abut the Gd yu lve. And hld Gd tight. S happy tgether I can't see me lvin' nbdy but yu fr all my life. When yu're with me, Oh Gd, the skies will be blue fr all my life.

5 17. The seasn f Lent during this Jubilee Year shuld als be lived mre intensely as a privileged mment t celebrate and experience Gd s mercy. - Micah: Yu, O Lrd, are a Gd wh takes away iniquity and pardns sin, wh des nt hld yur anger frever, but are pleased t shw mercy. (cf. 7:18-19) Ashes by Tm Cnry We rise again frm ashes, frm the gd we ve failed t d. We rise again frm ashes, t create urselves anew. If all ur wrld is ashes, then must ur lives be true, an ffering f ashes, an ffering t yu. - Isaiah: Then shall yur light break frth like the dawn if yu pur yurself ut fr the hungry and satisfy the desire f the afflicted, then shall yur light rise in the darkness and yur glm be as the nnday (58:6-11). A time will cme fr singing when all yur tears are shed, when srrws chains are brken, and brken hearts will mend. The deaf will hear yur singing when silent tngues are freed. The lame will jin yur dancing when blind eyes learn t see. A time will cme fr singing by Dan Schutte, 1977 A time will cme fr singing when trees will raise their bughs, when all lay dwn their armr and hammer their swrds int plws, when beggars live as princes, and rphans find their hmes, when prisn cells are emptied and hatred has grwn ld. Let us place the Sacrament f Recnciliatin at the centre nce mre in such a way that it will enable peple t tuch the grandeur f Gd s mercy with their wn hands. In shrt, cnfessrs are called t be a sign f the primacy f mercy always, everywhere, and in every situatin, n matter what. 18. Missinaries f Mercy. They will be, abve all, living signs f the Father s readiness t welcme thse in search f his pardn. One Lve, One heart. Let s get tgether and it will be alright. (Bb Marley, 1965) 19. This is the pprtune mment t change ur lives! This is the time t allw ur hearts t be tuched! When faced with evil deeds, even in the face f serius crimes, it is the time t listen t the cry f inncent peple wh are deprived f their prperty, their dignity, their feelings, and even their very lives. The Lrd hears the cry f the pr. Blessed by the Lrd. (Jhn Fley, SJ, 1978) 20. The relatinship between justice and mercy. In Sacred Scripture, justice is cnceived essentially as the faithful abandnment f neself t Gd s will. I desire mercy nt sacrifice. (Mt 9:13) I desire lve and nt sacrifice (Hsea 6:6) Jesus is bent n revealing the great gift f mercy that searches ut sinners and ffers them pardn and salvatin. Gd s justice is his mercy (cf. Ps 51:11-16). See See I am Gd. See! I am in everything. See I d everything. (Wrds; Julian f Nrwich, 1373 / music, Frd, frm the play CTS) 22. Let us live this Jubilee intensely, begging the Father t frgive ur sins and t bathe us in his merciful indulgence. Wash (Frd, 2010) Wash away my feelings, wash away my sins. What am I believing, can I start again? D yu have the pwer t heal and give grace? Believe in miracles with the crashing f the waves. Wash me, and tss me in the tide. Heal me, and let me feel s I can t hide.

6 23. Amng the privileged names that Islam attributes t the Creatr are Merciful and Kind. This invcatin is ften n the lips f faithful Muslims wh feel themselves accmpanied and sustained by mercy in their daily weakness. I trust that this Jubilee year celebrating the mercy f Gd will fster an encunter with these religins and with ther nble religius traditins; may it pen us t even mre fervent dialgue s that we might knw and understand ne anther better; may it eliminate every frm f clsedmindedness and disrespect, and drive ut every frm f vilence and discriminatin. Everyday Peple (Sly and the family Stne, 1968) Smetimes I'm right and I can be wrng. My wn beliefs are in my sng The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then. Makes n difference what grup I'm in I am everyday peple, yeah yeah There is a yellw ne that wn't accept the black ne That wn't accept the red ne that wn't accept the white ne And different strkes fr different flks And s n and s n and scby dby d. I am everyday peple. 24. My thughts nw turn t the Mther f Mercy. Her entire life was patterned after the presence f mercy made flesh. The Mther f the Crucified and Risen One has entered the sanctuary f divine mercy because she participated intimately in the mystery f His lve. Her hymn f praise was dedicated t the mercy f Gd which extends frm generatin t generatin (Lk 1:50). We t were included in thse prphetic wrds f the Virgin Mary. Let it Be (Beatles) And when the night is cludy, there is still a light n me. Shine n tmrrw, Let it be. I wake up t the sund f music, Mther Mary cmes t me, speaking wrds f wisdm, Let it be. Let us address her in the wrds f the Salve Regina, a prayer ever ancient and ever new, s that she may never tire f turning her merciful eyes upn us, and make us wrthy t cntemplate the face f mercy, her Sn Jesus. Hail Hly Queen Hail hly queen enthrned abve, Oh Maria. Hail mther f mercy and f lve, Oh Maria. Triumph all ye cherubim, Sing with us ye seraphim. Heaven and earth resund the hymn. Salve, salve, salve regina. Our life, ur sweetness here belw, Oh Maria. Our hpe in srrw and in we, Oh Maria. Triumph all ye cherubim cherubim Sing with us ye seraphim seraphim Heaven and earth resund the hymn Salve, salve, salve regina. 25. I present, therefre, this Extrardinary Jubilee Year dedicated t living ut in ur daily lives the mercy which the Father cnstantly extends t all f us. In this Jubilee Year, let us allw Gd t surprise us. Church s life is authentic and credible nly when she becmes a cnvincing herald f mercy. The Church is called abve all t be a credible witness t mercy, prfessing it and living it as the cre f the revelatin f Jesus Christ. Frm the heart f the Trinity, frm the depths f the mystery f Gd, the great river f mercy wells up and verflws unceasingly.

7 In this Jubilee Year, may the Church ech the wrd f Gd that resunds strng and clear as a message and a sign f pardn, strength, aid, and lve. May she never tire f extending mercy, and be ever patient in ffering cmpassin and cmfrt. May the Church becme the vice f every man and wman, and repeat cnfidently withut end: Be mindful f yur mercy, O Lrd, and yur steadfast lve, fr they have been frm f ld (Ps 25:6). We Shall Rise Frm the musical Spectacle The evil ne has spken, an emperr's decree. As enemies f the state, we'll suspend activities. Like a decade ag, we'll wrk undergrund. Gd's mre pwerful than evil, this we have fund. We shall rise! We shall rise! We shall rise! The hly father's a prisner, ur grups are suppressed. All thrughut France, fr us there is n rest. I'd be tempted t lse heart, but hear Gd's wrds instead. T ur slemn enemies, "She shall crush thy head!" We shall rise! We shall rise! We shall rise! Thugh we walk thrugh the darkest valley, with evil by ur side. In the presence f ur enemies, yet still like smke we rise. Like shepherds wh guards their sheep, frm the terrr f the night. Just like lve frm n high, still we rise. (Verse 1 and 2: "Running Giant" page 91 Verse 3: Psalm 23, J. Frd, 11/15) RESOURCES: Bks: Shrt bis n Fr. Chaminade, Adele and Marie Therese by Jseph Stefanelli, SM, available frm the Nrth American Center fr Marianist Studies ( The Name f Gd is Mercy by Ppe Francis The Mnastery f the Heart by Jan Chittister The Way f the Heart by Henri Nuwen s The Miracle f Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh Gd des nt lve yu because yu are gd; Gd lves yu because Gd is gd. Richard Rhr Archdicese f St. Luis Website: New Retreat Opprtunities at the Marianist Retreat Center in Eureka: Palm Sunday Weekend Retreat with Msgr. Michael Witt: March 18, 19, 20, 2016 Gd Friday Day f Prayer with Fr. Jse Ramirez, SM & Sr. Paulette Patritti, OP, March 25, 2016, Embraced by Gd Retreat, a weekend retreat explring the spirituality f living with cancer and ther chrnic diseases. April 8,9 10, 2016 Next Step Retreat fr teens. June 22, 23, & 8 Day Directed Retreats: This experience invites peple t leave the busyness and nise f daily lives behind, enter int deep quiet, and there encunter the vice f Gd. 4 day: June 16-19, 2016 and 8 day: July 17-24, 2016 Fr mre infrmatin g t r call Julie Hickey, MRCC s Yuth Team Crdinatr: julie@metreat.rg Jim Frd, MRCC s Executive Directr: jfrd@mretreat.rg