The Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis in Lent of 2015 for the Catholic Church which began on December 8, 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and which ended on the Feast of Christ the King, November 20, 2016 had so many blessings: expected and unexpected. In the Pope’s Letter proclaiming the Year of Mercy, he gave many suggestions and practical ideas of implementing the theme of the mercy of the heavenly Father in prayer and meditation; in the celebration of the Sacraments; in devotions; in greater use of and in appreciation of the Word of God in our daily lives as well as in our community prayer; in activities reaching out to the poor, the needy and the marginalized in the Church and in our society. Pope Francis also encouraged local dioceses and Churches to be creative in celebrating the Year of Mercy.

For me, one of the most unexpected, most creative and one of the most inspiring celebrations of the Year of Mercy was the Jubilee of the Word Marathon in St. Martinville from Thursday, November 17, from 6am until Sunday, November 20, at 8pm. Father Michael Champagne and the Community of Jesus Crucified organized, scheduled and carried out the reading of the Bible from the first verse of the Book of Genesis all the way through to the last chapter and the last verse of the Book of Revelation. I was honored and blessed to participate in reading from the First Book of Samuel and being present for the reading of 1 and 2 Corinthians Sunday afternoon, November 20. What an awesome accomplishment and what a truly magnificent undertaking the Jubilee of the Word Marathon turned out to be!! My highest compliments and my greatest personal appreciation to Father Michael Champagne, the Community of Jesus Crucified, to the several hundred people who were involved in any way. Over two hundred and fifty people took turns reading from the Word of God! Wow!! The event of the Jubilee of the Word Marathon had some deep personal effects in the lives of believers like me and thousands of others and gave some truly effective witness to the community at large. When I will think of the Year of Mercy, probably the first memory I will have is that I was privileged to participate in such a faith filled and uplifting public expression of our faith in God and in the power of the living Word of the Bible. God bless Father Champagne abundantly!

Thursday, December 8, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a holy day of obligation for us who are Catholics. We honor Mary the Mother of the Lord Jesus as pure and sinless from the moment of her conception in her mother’s womb. When the angel Gabriel visited Mary in the Annunciation she said to Mary that she was full of grace and the Lord was with her (Luke 1: 26-38). It was at the Annunciation that the young humble virgin Mary gave her ‘yes’ to the providence of God and accepted her role in the life of the Messiah and became his Mother. Mary’s entire life reflected perfectly her union with the will of the Lord. Mary’s life was in obedience with the guidance of the Spirit and she gave glory to the Father in all her actions. Mary, our Mother, deserves our admiration, our gratitude and our imitation. The Mass schedule will be as follows: Wednesday, December 7, at 5:30pm; Thursday, December 8, at 7:15am and at 12:05noon. Do your best to attend Mass here at St. Elizabeth Seton or at some other Church, depending on your personal schedule. ‘Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.’

Next weekend, December 10-11, there will be a special collection for the Retired Fund for Religious. This annual collection is sponsored by the Bishops of the United States to provide help for the elderly Nuns and Brothers who have served the Catholic Church in the United States so generously and so faithfully as teachers, nurses, church workers and leaders. I was blessed to have Religious Sisters teach me in grammar school. They are such a blessing to my life. There are envelopes for this collection at the doors of the Church as well as in the envelopes you receive at home. Thank you for your support of this worthy collection. May the Lord bless you and your families.

My love, prayers, best wishes and gratitude to you and to your loved ones, for who you are, for all you do for the Lord and for all you do for the good of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish. As we prepare for the way of the Lord, may the Lord teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and to hold firm to the things of heaven.

Shalom,
Father Gary

Homework for the week of December 4 – December 10
Luke 1:26-38