Live With Passion! Year of Mercy Back in April, Pope Francis promulgated a Bull of Indiction announcing a special Jubilee year of Mercy. This extraordinary year begins on Tuesday December 8 th and continues until November 20, 2016. In this document, Pope Francis declared Jesus Christ is the face of the Father s Mercy. Everything about Jesus life, death, and resurrection proclaims God s gracious kindness and forgiveness towards us. As far as the East is from the West, so far does God remove our transgressions (Ps. 103:12) Live with Passion! airs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Sunday 8 am ET/ 5am PT. A Newsletter of the Ministry of Father Cedric Pisegna Dec 2015/Jan 2016 all read about how those who have committed abortions can be forgiven and their excommunication taken away. What is the Pope saying? No matter how long it has been or what you have done, now is the time to receive reconciliation and lay your burdens down! St. Paul of the Cross, the founder of the Passionists, was nicknamed Hunter of Souls. He had a great fervor for the salvation of people. In his writings he said that he preached in order to get people to come to confession and receive forgiveness. He knew that God does extraordinary things in the confessional and he wanted all to receive this grace. My prayer for you all is that you will celebrate reconciliation during this special year. Why wait? Confess your sins that you may receive healing the letter of James (5:16) tells us. Confession is cathartic. You are only as sick as your secrets. No matter how long it has been or what you have done, come, celebrate, and receive Mercy! Pope Francis further declared that he wanted the doors of Churches and confessionals wide open to receive the faithful. For some time notorious sinners such as the Mafia in Southern Italy have been at odds with the Vatican. The Pope made them an offer, hopefully they won t refuse: To come back to the Church for forgiveness! We have Contact Father Cedric: Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. 430 Bunker Hill Rd. Houston, TX. 77024 Mercy: Little Word Tremendous Power Mary Dierich Pope Francis has proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (Holy Year of Mercy) which will begin December 8, 2015 and end November 20, 2016. So what is mercy and why is it so special that we need a whole year to delve into its depths? I began my quest to find the answer by asking the people around me to define mercy. The most popular response was forgiveness, followed closely by pity. Then I went to the dictionaries. Qualities such as kindness, compassion, and patience were listed; as well as forgiveness, and even pity. Digging further, I discovered it s not about possessing these good attributes but about doing something with them! Mercy motivates one to action based on these qualities. To show mercy is to take action to ease the suffering of others; even to pardon the offences of one s enemy. It is the nature of being kind and forgiving that moves someone to treat another mercifully with compassion. Compassion: There is another See Mercy: Little Word page 4
faith community Extending a Merciful Apology Luciano Del Monte When I first got married I was given some really good advice. It was contained in 10 powerful words I am sorry. I was wrong. Will you forgive me? In other words, please be merciful to me. Thank God I married a woman of God who desired not only to be a mercy receiver but a mercy giver. Over 39 years of marriage I have used these words often. The key is to say them to your spouse or child, or whoever is needing to hear them from you sincerely. In a recent homily speaking on the family, Pope Francis shared these words, Being in love means saying three phrases more often than not. They are: May I?, thank you, and I m sorry. These phrases are expressions of mercy. I am calling this a merciful apology. Often when we set out to apologize we are not met by mercy. We are met by, It s about time you apologized. Ever experienced that, or have you ever been the one making it hard for the one who is apologizing? Log on to frcedric.org for prayer requests, daily blog, free stuff, and more! Whether you are offering an apology to a family member, work colleague, friend, or whoever, let me offer a few tips as you present your apology that would make it received mercifully. Perhaps the person you are apologizing to doesn t really believe you. What can you do? You could say words to this effect to increase the chances of a merciful response to your apology-- 1. I did this: (Admitting fault) When you say to someone, I did this you are demonstrating huge self awareness and that prepares you for a relational breakthrough. 2. It was wrong: (Understanding) The person you hurt feels understood. 3. I m sorry: (Regret) When you are genuinely regretful of your actions, it says to the other, you are safe, approachable, and that the person is of immense value and importance to you. 4. Please forgive me: (Ask) This gives person space to forgive when they are ready. 5. I commit to changing: (Repent) In some ways, when we are forgiven, transformation is a gift our mistakes and the people who have been hurt by them give back to us. 6. I will do my due diligence to restore the damage I have caused (Penance/Restoration) When we set out to repair the damage we did, we are going the extra mile. My prayer for you is that next time you have to extend an apology that you will be met by a merciful response. Luciano Del Monte is a certified life and leadership coach with the International Coach Federation. Contact him at www.coachdelmonte.com. 2 Josette Pappadakis As we begin this year of mercy, it is a good time for us to reflect on what this means for us personally. A perfect example comes to mind when I think of mercy: Jesus and the way in which he treated those in society that were often rejected because of their social standing. Think of the prostitutes and tax collectors Jesus encountered. He showed mercy to these people: he opened his heart to them and loved them for the human beings that they were. His actions towards them were filled with mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love! For us who belong to Father Cedric s Faith Community, we act out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy each day through the kindnesses of the members who have shown mercy and compassion through their actions. Very recently, one of our members found herself evicted from her home. She actually became homeless and ended up in a women s shelter. Not something any of us would expect to happen in our lives. One can only imagine at how frightened she was. When The faith community became aware of her plight, a collection was taken up immediately. See Faith Community page 3
Sometimes it s very hard to forgive. I like this definition of unforgiveness: Drinking poison hoping to hurt the other person. Isn t that true? We only hurt ourselves when we are not willing to forgive. Another way to say that is: Acid corrodes the vessel it s stored in. In the same way, unforgiveness is like acid that eats us Unforgiveness is like drinking poison hoping to hurt the other person. Mercy Through Forgiveness Janice Carleton up on the inside. It s much better for our health if we forgive quickly! One year our business was downsizing operations, and Jim had to fire one of his employees. The gentleman he fired sued for age discrimination. The company s lawyer said he didn t have a case as Jim simply did what needed to be done, and had good reasons for keeping a younger man in the position. Sadly, the lawyer was wrong, and after a long, tiring lawsuit, they settled out of court. George (not his real name) walked away with enough money to put all four of our kids through college. The judgement was to be paid within three years. Jim had a great attitude. He praised God that we earned enough money that year to pay off the settlement without losing our home or business, and he was also able to forgive George. His faith was shaken in our judicial system, but not in God. I, on the other hand, was very angry with this man, and it took me much longer to forgive him. Jim went on in peace while I stewed about it and only hurt myself by resenting what had happened. It was difficult for me to watch Jim go through the months of depositions and to live with the anxiety of the outcome, but even afterwards, I upset myself every time I thought about what George had done. Too bad I wasn t able to trust God more and emulate Jim. I was finally able to forgive George, but after much unnecessary stress. I like this definition of forgiveness: Giving up all hope for a better past. (Lily Tomlin) We can t change the past, but we can change how we look at the things that happened to us that were painful or degrading. We need to purposely let go of the bad feelings and replace them with thanksgiving. Forgiveness sets us free and gives us a bright new beginning each day. Unforgiveness ties us to the past and keeps us bound up in the sorrow and pain that we re-inflict upon ourselves when we dwell on injustices done to us or to our loved ones. Sometimes the person who most needs your forgiveness is yourself. Be kind to one another, compassionate and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ. (Eph 4:32) If God can forgive us, isn t it time we forgave ourselves? There is nothing you can do to keep God from loving you! Don t let guilt and shame keep you in the darkness, rather confess your sins and let God s healing light make you whole again. If there is anyone you need to forgive, don t waste another day! Ask God to help you if you feel you just can t do it. He will help you, and you will be set free from the chains of bitterness and unforgiveness, and best of all, God will forgive you when you need His forgiveness. In the blink of an eye everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart. You may not have that chance again. (Found on Facebook.) Janice Carleton is an inspirational speaker, musician, and author who has worked with Father Cedric and his ministry for over 20 years. Contact her at www.janicecarleton.com. Faith Community Cont. from page 2 Through this kind act of mercy and compassion, along with concern for the well being of our dedicated member, she is now able to reorganize her life and her job and is in the process of finding a place to live. Another aspect of a work of mercy is shown through the many prayers offered by our faithful Prayer Warriors. When one of us is hurting, we rally round and offer support, love, and prayers. It could be for an illness or for the desperate single mom who is trying to raise a family alone. Maybe it is for someone who suffered a job loss, or the many other situations that arise in a large group of over 2,000 members. Many of our prayers have been answered and in some cases miraculous recoveries! We are able to become Jesuslike through His example, by facing the challenges of our fellow brothers and sister and extending mercy, compassion, comfort, and love to our friends in need. Father Cedric and I invite you to become a part of our Faith Community family. Join us as we celebrate the birth of a new baby, the happy ending to a sorrowful beginning and the many other joys, trials and tribulations we share together as a family community. Josette Pappadakis administrates Father Cedric s faith community on Facebook, and also helps with his phone ministry. You can find our faith community at www.facebook.com/ groups/102694079773845. You have cast our sins into the depths of the Sea. (Micah 7:19) 3
Change the World! initiatives in the TBN affiliates cities of Chicago and Portland, OR. Also, I m on now MyTV 13 in San Diego and My New 32 in Green Bay. On top of this, I have begun a new national initiative with a brand new network: UpLift TV. They are on Direct (379) Fios and soon on Dish/ATT and most cable networks. I have Sunday 10:30 pm ET (7:30 pm PT) and Friday 1 am ET (10 pm PT) times. Reaching out through TV, books, and travel is very expensive. I have to raise almost a million dollars this year alone to do this. Therefore, I rely upon you my friends and benefactors to help me. Please take advantage of the offer in this newsletter! I so appreciate it! I want to reach out to the world with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ! May God bless you richly in this special year of Mercy. This extraordinary year is for Catholics and for those of other denominations as well! You have received this newsletter because you are among my greatest benefactors and supporters. Thank you so very much! I am presently working on my 20 th book about discipleship: More Than Conquerors. My travel schedule is as full as ever. People are flocking to my missions and I m finding many Non-Catholics are coming because they watch me on television. Recently in New York I had a Jewish man come to me to confession! My new TV series 330 (filmed in HD) will be airing soon. Because of your wonderful support I have begun new MISSION SCHEDULE Jan 30-Feb 3: Stuart FL: St. Joseph s Church LENT: Feb. 13-17: Epiphany Cathedral Venice, FL. Feb. 20-24: St. William s Naples, FL. March 5-9: Belle Chase, LA. Our Lady of Perpetual Help March 12-16: Lafayette, LA. St. Mary s Church April 16-20: St. Joseph Church Vacaville, CA. May 7-10: May 14: Kawkawlin, MI. Night of worship (on Pentecost Vigil) in Tampa Florida. Mercy: Little Word Cont. from page 1 word in need of defining. Compassion is literally translated as suffer with. It s not enough that we feel sympathy or empathy with another s misfortune or suffering, compassion means that we actually suffer with them in solidarity. That brings me to an even more ambiguous word, love. St. John Paul II said that, Mercy is love s second name. According to the definition attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas, love is willing the good of the other. Now add to that the words mercy and compassion and we get merciful love, compassionate love. I think we are getting closer to the real meaning of mercy that Pope Francis has in mind. What does the Bible tell us about mercy? The word used most often translates as Loving Kindness. In the book of Exodus, God is described as merciful and gracious, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. (Ex. 34: 6) I ve noticed a pattern in how Pope Francis speaks of mercy. He uses two words frequently: patience and tenderness. I believe these two words get to the heart of it. This is how God acts, how Jesus taught us to be, and what we should strive to become in our attempt to mirror the face of mercy in this Holy Year. How do we do that? Let us fix our gaze on Jesus and contemplate the Scriptures. Advent is the beginning of a new cycle of readings and this is the year of St. Luke s Gospel, the Gospel of mercy. In Luke, Jesus shows us the way: Judge not, condemn not, forgive, and give. (Luke 6: 37-38) So, what is mercy? A powerful little word with inexhaustible depth! Imagine the power we have been given. Mercy is quite possibly the power to change the world! Mary Dierich is the faith formation director for Corpus Christi Parish in Bay City, MI, and writes a daily prayer/devotion for Father Cedric s Faith Community on Facebook. 4
I d like to become a Partner Monthly Every Other Month Every Third Month I would like to make a one time donation to Fr. Cedric Ministries I am already a partner with Fr. Cedric to reach out to the world. Donations $50 & over receive Series 330 DVD or CD, More than a Conquerer, plus a Fridge Magnet and Bumper Sticker Donations up to $50 receive a Fridge Magnet or Bumper Sticker Active Partners receive Series 330 DVD and CD, More than a Conquerer, plus a Fridge Magnet and Bumper Sticker FrCedric.org My Gift to Fr Cedric Ministries: $25 $50 $100 Other $ Donation Options: Check/Cash [enclosed] Please make checks to: Fr. Cedric Ministries MC Visa Discover AmEx Please fill in the form to the right and mail to: Fr Cedric Ministries 2931 N Willamette Blvd Portland OR 97217-4048 Credit Card # Expiration Date Signature Name Address Phone Email