Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Holy Father Francis, on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, called the entire Christian world to dedicate this year as an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In the Bull of Indiction, which explains the significance of the year, he affirms thus: “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. This might well sum up the mystery of the Christian Faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him … In the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way … Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God.”
What could better represent the Christmas story than this? In modern times, and especially in western cultures, when Christians recognize the distance to which they have moved from the true celebration of the incarnation of Christ into the world, they often speak of bringing Christ back into Christmas. This recognition seems to represent the need for all to contemplate more deeply the mystery that surrounds the Christ child.
However, it is to be remembered that for Christians, Christmas is but a beginning, engendering in the faithful a disposition for the continued living of the Christian life unto eternity. In a significant way the Holy Father captures that truth in his description of the Year of Mercy. It is, in essence, the human person in his quest for divine imitation. In the words of the Holy Father, these will be the inevitable discoveries of those who seek to live the mystery of that human-divine encounter: “Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brother and sister on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.”
A significant component of the observance of the Year of Mercy is the institution of the Holy Door which, in our Diocese will be opened in three locations, namely, the Cathedral Chapel in Roseau, the National Shrine of our Lady of La Salette in the Parish of St. Luke, Pointe Michel, and the Church of St. Mary of the Caribs in Salybia. Here the Church is offering us this period of grace which will provide opportunities for personal and communal sanctification. Through occasional or frequent visits (pilgrimages) to these designated holy places, and celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation, can help us attain indulgences, that is, the complete pardon for our offences.
The mercy of God towards us must of necessity engender our own demonstration of mercy towards our brothers and sisters with whom we live on a daily basis; hence the motto of the Holy Year: Merciful like the Father – “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). This can be shown, the Holy Father insists, by the corporal works of mercy, that is: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead; and the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offenses, bear patiently those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead.
If every Christian embraces this challenge with seriousness during this Yuletide season and beyond, the spiritual health of the domestic Church, the ecclesial body, the wider social sphere, and even the international community will be assured. Christmas is celebrated to teach us just that: the Incarnation of the Christ in human flesh makes us full participants in the salvation of the world in which we live. The truth is, the world will not be saved without us. The small or not-so-small contribution each of us makes to the salvific equation adds to the sum total which makes possible a more peaceful and loving existence for all.
Therefore, we thank Almighty God for all those in our community, who, by virtue of their positions help contribute to that process. I speak of the His Excellency the President, The Honourable Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, other members of Parliament, religious leaders, the Judiciary and Law enforcement agencies, health personnel, teachers, and other civil servants, the business community, farmers, fisher folks; in short, everyone who in one way or another contribute to the well-being of our society.
May this Christmas, coupled with the opening of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, be a new opening to a well-spring of abundant graces for all.
A Happy Christmas & a Holy Year of Mercy to all!!
Isn’t that amazing. Our bishop’s Christmas wishes are getting far less response than those from the political opposition. What does that tell us about the significance, or relevance of our majority church but even more about its local shepherd and guardian. Bishop Malzaire, you are a disappointment, regrettably so. I pray and hope things will be better in the new year and you will be vocal for justice. Just follow your boss, the Holy Father and your flock will respond.
@Me December 28, 2015
people will only respond to what they read and understand, or is perhaps related to–whatever the substance– good, bad, garbage, or futility.
The Bishop’s message was too lengthy; his “Jubilee and Mercy” theme is not well composed to my understanding.
The term Jubilee refers to 50 years from a certain event; in 2015 what is the Jubilee that we are to be celebrating pertaining to the Bible–we do not know the Birthdate of Jesus’ physical body?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
There is no better time to meditate upon the mercy of God than while millions who profess to be Christians are celebrating the coming into the world of the only begotten Son of God – He who is mercy itself – who shed His blood and died to extend His mercy to us.
“Mercy” is God holding back from us the punishment our sins deserved.
On the other hand “grace” is God extending to us the blessings we did not deserve.
Christians are called upon to show mercy and grace to those who have offended, hurt, and defrauded us. As we do let us share with them the good news – the gospel – how God has done that for us All because of what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Holy Father Francis, on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, called the entire Christian world to dedicate this year as an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In the Bull of Indiction,”
In the first place “the Bull as in the quote represents the pile of rubbish you have written. In the first place you should have said “brothers and sisters in Christ in the in the Roman Catholic chruch.”
A true Christian, a true follower of Jesus Christ has no part in false religion, nor false Christianity. We do not recognize your so called pope Francis as a holy father, because there is one and one only Holy Father; who is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I am a believer, however, anyone who believe a Roman Catholic is their brother and sister according to Christianity, would be unequally yoked!
You are the boy bishop for Skerrit, and the labor party, there is no Christianity in you are politician who takes from…
How the hell can you be thanking god for this government?
You are just another stumbling block in the way of Dominica’s progress !
Of course he can Uhuru. You don’t remember he got $500, 000 tax payers money from Skerrit for his roof repair . How can the man not be grateful about that.
Thank you Bishop for your comments.
Please pray for Francisco Telemaque-Dogs as he appears to promote negativity about our island. This man is anti everything positive about Dominica.
We all need divine intervention, but I am sorry to say that Francisco needs it urgently.
Thank you
@Tracy December 27, 2015
I am laughing out loud to this comment of yours; but you have made a lot of sense.
I was born in the Roman Catholic, but as soon as God knew that my mind was ready for His teachings of Life, in Love and Holiness, He caused me to know that He was not about “RELIGION” for religion is consist of the doctrines of man–God lamented against that through His Prophet Isaiah The problem is that the Catholic Church does a lot of RELIGION.
While I agree a small bit with that fellow “Telemaque”–especially about the Holy Father idea and other beliefs, like Mary is God’s mother–good Lord! you are right on point!
That fellow is in a immediate need of the birth of conscience so to put him in the process of mind healing. It seem as if he is today’s Legion of the Bible– he says “I believe” but that belief is not about God.
“Legion” here means a huge number of demons; that fellow needs an exorcism–only God can do that for him
Let me try this again, and DNO I would hope that you give me the opportunity to respond to this person who seems to have misspelt my name or deliberately called me a dog; I responded however you did not print my comments.
And so I would like to inform this person, that I do not need Malzarie to pray for me, I know how to pray for myself, no priest or so called pope, and bishop have any special conduit taking prayers to God. As I stated in the one DNO did not post, I have long made my connection with my God. I established that when I was less than ten years old when the doctor told my parent that there is no medicine for me in the hospital me meaning there was no cure for what I was suffering from he said I would either grow out of my sickness or I will die!
We went home from the clinic, where I spoke to my God, who answered my prayers; I got exactly what I requested of him, I got it, and more, I have lived a full life, and as I said if I die today, it would not…
and as I said if I die today, it would not matter!
Anything I ever prayed for in my life materialized I say again that man is a puppet of Skerrit, and has no part in our country, he should be deported, the time may come! He is not of God, but of the devil!
Bon Dieu bon….Tout s akay fini oun jour…
@”In modern times, and especially in western cultures, when Christians recognize the distance to which they have moved from the true celebration of the incarnation of Christ into the world, they often speak of bringing Christ back into Christmas”–News Article
Except that Christ was never in Christmas; Christmas is part of the culture of the Gentiles of yesterday, whom most people of toady refer to as Pagans–those are they who did not know Jesus, for they did not belong in the People of Israel–God’s chosen people–who did not partake in that social event called Christmas.
Hence Christmas was in existence long before Jesus entered the world in “Human Form”–a social event of man’s production, but God, in Christ, created man , how can we say that Christ belong in Christmas?
Jesus said to the unbelieving Pharisees “Before Abraham was I AM” This means that whatever came into the world, it came after Him.
But Jesus, the Christ, is born in the heart of every believer, and since this does not happen at the same time, that is the reason the date of Jesus’ birth into the world is not for man to know–it is all about the Spirit, by faith, God is Spirit and He cannot be born–just as no man should be called Holy Father in this world.
The reason people are moving away from the idea that Jesus was born on December 25, is because as Christians, especially, we are moving closure to the “Truth” a Truth that is Life in us,
The Father and Son, who indwells us by the Power of Holy Spirit, will not allow us to live through false teachings or doctrine–the celebrations of the month of December is not a doctrine of the Holy Bible, where God’s word of Life belong–Bottom line
Jesus said to the people who followed him, the (Christians) “You must be born again.” Being a follower, a Christian via religion is not acceptable in the sight of the Almighty, and that’s what the Cat – o -lic church fails to understand. We must be born of water and of the spirit. Jesus said in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible – “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Other parts of the scriptures says, “flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven – Thus, the importance of the re-birth. I was a Cat-o-lic donkey years ago; but got nowhere with traditions and rituals of men. It’s not unjust to classify the Roman Cat-o-lic church as an occult religion. They do not enlighten the sheep concerning the afterlife. Must of their doctrines are not biblical, but rather ceremonial.
@Zeb Kooess December 25, 2015
The doctrines of the Catholic is rooted and grounded in “RELIGION” and as the “Universal Church” Christianity is in big trouble, for many are born in the Roman Catholic Church, and some of the other denominations continue to follow the principles of that Church–because they don’t know better.
Yes, Jesus said to us, through Nicodemus: “You must born again” of water and the Spirit; just as Nicodemus did not understand Him, it is the same with us today–unless for the mercy and compassion of God, most of the churches a packed with people of a carnal mind.
It is only when a person is “born again” that he or she can begin to know the Principles of Life in Love and Holiness–for that person is born of the Spirit, he or she must begin to grow in the Spirit–that walk of “Spiritual growth” is guided by Holy Spirit from conscience, as He puts the mind into discipline and training to be able to respond to God and His Life in Love.
It is the Apostle Paul who tells us that: “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; @1st. Corinthians 15: 50. Paul compares the body in the grave with corruption, as he continue to say corruption cannot inherit incorruption –hence we who pass from our bodies, with the Life of Love in us, when Jesus calls us out from the grave we will show up in a “glorious body”
So those who choose to continue in “RELIGION” to believe the writings of man, and to follow his human laws they are in for a tragic surprise.
For while those people are grounded in works without faith–the RELIGIOUS things, they continue in existence without the knowledge in “Essence or Spirit” of Father and Son; for there can be no Life without faith, for it is by faith that we can encounter the “new birth”
“And this is Eternal Life; that they may know You, the One True God and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” John 17: 3
Amen.