A Reflection on the Jubilee Year Prayer

 

A Reflection on the Jubilee Year Prayer

by Piet Albano

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope

for the coming of your Kingdom

Missionary heart 

Jesus once said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). As God’s People, we are entrusted to proclaim the Gospel of hope to those who do not know or welcome it, to the poor, and those in despair. 

When was the last time we spoke openly of Jesus’ Gospel to others?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…”(Jn 15:16). This Jubilee Year is a time to renew that missionary heart that God gave us.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

Missionary disciples 

The mission entrusted to us is not our own. It is the mission of Christ shared with us. Didn’t He say to His first disciples, “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19)? Or “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29)?

How faithful and hopeful are we in following Jesus? 100%? 50-50?

This Jubilee Year is a time to remember that “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We must be Christ’s missionary disciples through and through.

May the grace of the Jubilee

reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

Help build up your Kingdom on earth

As Christians, we often pray “Thy Kingdom come”.  It is a Kingdom like no other where the King seeks and saves the lost (Lk 19:10).

In what concrete ways have we mirrored our King in reaching out to our marginalized brothers and sisters? In caring for the earth?

Christ the King proclaims, “Behold, I make all things new,” (Rev 21:5). The Jubilee Year is an opportune time to reconcile with others and make His Kingdom real in the lives of the people around us. 

To you our God, eternally blessed,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen.

Glory and praise

Everything in this Jubilee Year is centered on God. As St Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31). 

Mary serves as the perfect example of a life offered for God’s glory. She is our intercessor as pilgrims of hope. As Pope Francis tells us in the Bull of Induction of the Ordinary Jubilee Year, “Amid the tempests of this life, the Mother of God comes to our aid, sustains us and encourages us to persevere in hope and trust.” (Spes non confundit). This Jubilee Year let’s learn from Mary whose soul magnified the Lord (Lk 1:46-56).

What is The New Evangelization?

Evangelization indicates proclamation, transmission and witnessing to the Gospel given to humanity by our Lord Jesus Christ and the  opening of people's lives, society, culture and history to the Person of Jesus Christ and to His living community, the Church.

This New Evangelization is primarily addressed to those who have drifted from the Faith and from the Church in traditionally Catholic countries especially in the West.

What we are being called to do by this task of "New Evangelization" in Asia is to consider anew "the new methods and means for transmitting the Good News" more effectively to our people. We are challenged anew to foster in the Church in our country a renewed commitment and enthusiasm in living out the Gospel in all the diverse areas of  our lives, in “real-life practice”, challenged anew to become more and more authentic  witnesses of our faith, especially to our Asian neighbors as our fruit of intensified intimacy with the Lord.

WHAT WILL THIS ERA OF NEW EVANGELIZATION FOR THE PHILIPPINES CONSIST OF?

As we initiate concrete activities in pursuit of the New Evangelization at this time, four areas‘ or dimensions of concern are opened up for us: 

First, fostering and fulfilling the “missio ad gentes”, as a special vocation of the Church in our country, effectively involving our laypeople, our “Christifideles” brothers and sisters; our priests and seminarians; men and women in consecrated life.

Secondly, “bringing Good News to the poor.” Again and again, Filipino Catholics coming together to discern priorities, have seen that the Church here must become genuinely “a Church for and with the poor.”

Thirdly, reaching out to those among us whose faith-life has been largely eroded and even lost due to the surrounding confusion, moral relativism, doubt, agnosticism; reaching out to those who have drifted from the Faith and the Church, and have joined other religious sects.

Lastly, awakening or reawakening in faith, forming and animating in Christian life our young people and youth sector groups, in both urban and rural settings;

Taken from :  http://newevangelizationphilippines.com/livechrist.html

Dependent on You

by Tere' Pamatian

The Lord’s grace and mercy is in me
He is there forever and that I see
For all the joys and woes I encountered in my life
I always feel that this faith of mine keeps the fight


I will worship You O’ Lord, whenever I’m hurt
Because feeling the pain, led me through believing
That I'm not alone in this journey
That I'm not alone in this plea ...


I will remember the works of the Lord
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old (PS 77:11)
It feels good to trust and believe in You
It feels good to be dependent on You


Let me be the person You want me to be
Here I am, cleanse me and mold me
Strengthen me and guide me
As I go through with life...


Surely I will remember Your wonders of old (PS 77:11)
I will remember the works of the Lord
It feels good to trust and believe in You
It feels good to be dependent on You!

The Ant and the Contact Lens

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. 

'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.' She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there. 

She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she might find her contact lens. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.'

She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.'

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it! 

The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, 'Lord, I don't know why you want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do; I'll carry it for you.' 

I think it would do all of us some good to say, 'God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will.' 



God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him...I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13) 

I Will Not Worry

by anabelle balla

I may get sick

And feel so weak

But i will not worry

For the Lord will heal me

I will not worry

For my God is a big God

He is Almighty

Ever merciful, and He loves me.

I may go hungry

And become so weary

But I should not worry

The Lord will provide for me

I may get lost

And can't find my way

But I will not worry

For the Lord will find me

Oh Lord, You are my Healer!

My Provider, my Way!

And I shall not worry

Because I know You love me!

Dependent on You

By Tere' Pamatian

The Lord’s grace and mercy is in me
He is there forever and that I see
For all the joys and woes I encountered in my life
I always feel that this faith of mine keeps the fight

I will worship You O’ Lord, whenever I’m hurt
Because feeling the pain, led me through believing
That I'm not alone in this journey
That I'm not alone in this plea

I will remember the works of the Lord
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old (PS 77:11)
It feels good to trust and believe in You
It feels good to be dependent on You

Here I am, cleanse me and mold me
Let me be the person You want me to be
Strengthen me and guide me
As I go through with life

I will remember the works of the Lord
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old (PS 77:11)
It feels good to trust and believe in You
It feels good to be dependent on You