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N° 41 JANUARY 2016 info.oessh.va REFLECTIONS OF THE GRAND MASTER The Order in Union with the Universal Church JUBILEE OF MERCY: A NEW FUTURE OFFERED TO MANKIND II Miserando AN EXEMPLARY AGREEMENT THAT STIMULATES PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND V atque THE SAVING POWER OF FORGIVENESS VI eligendo Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium THE AUTUMN MEETING OF THE GRAND MAGISTERIUM VII t began on an ordinary Saturday “DO NOT HAGGLE WITH GOD” X evening as he headed to a party A REGIONAL MEETING HELD IN AUSTRALIA: with other student friends. En THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A SHARED JOURNEY XI I THE GRAND MASTER’S VISITS TO MEMBERS route, something prompted him to OF THE ORDER AROUND THE WORLD XIII offer a prayer in the church he was A WOMAN DEEPLY COMMITTED IN THE ORDER passing. He entered and felt the BECOMES PART OFTHE GRAND MAGISTERIUM XIII need to go to confession: “And I WELCOME TO FATHER JOHN BRUCE BATEMAN, don’t know what happened, but I NEW SECRETARY OF THE GRAND MASTER XV came out different, changed. I returned home with the certainty of The Order and the Holy Land having to consecrate myself to the LIVING THE JUBILEE OF MERCY IN THE HOLY LAND XVI Lord.” WELCOMING THE PRINCE OF PEACE TODAY The words of Pope Francis in a IN THE HOLY LAND XVII recent interview, describing a simple JERUSALEM CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF unexpected moment that changed NOSTRA AETATE XVIII his life and ultimately, the world as well. “He has had mercy on me – The Life of the Lieutenancies (1) and he chose me!” It was a THE JOY OF THE INVESTITURE: A TESTIMONY moment filled with an FROM SLOVENIA XIX overwhelming personal awareness of God’s mercy – his compassion – GRAND MAGISTERIUM inviting us and urging us to OF THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER experience in our lives as well: “For OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE OF JERUSALEM this reason I have proclaimed an 00120 VATICAN CITY Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as a E-mail: [email protected] special time for the Church.” II N° 41 - JANUARY 2016 In turn, I urge every lieutenancy/section of us must take stock of the good things God to see it as its serious response to take full continues to do for us – unworthy as we are part in the Holy Year celebrations of its local – and in a return to the Sacrament of diocese. It would be appropriate for a Penance, ask His forgiveness for our misuse member to be specifically delegated in each of his many gifts. diocese to coordinate members’ What a great opportunity for spiritual participation as a group. renewal awaits each of us and our Order! Participation must begin with a spiritual experience of God’s mercy by each member. It needs not be AS dramatic as was the (1) “Miserando atque eligendo”: Pope Francis’ young Jorge Bergolio’s experience. Still, each motto. The Order in Union with the Universal Church Jubilee of Mercy: a new future offered to mankind Traditionally, every 25 years the Pope proclaims a holy year. The next one was scheduled for 2025… However, during the “24 Hours for the Lord” penitential celebration on Friday March 13, 2014, the Pope surprised us all: on the occasion of the second anniversary of his papacy, he announced an extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. Opened on December 8, this event will go until November 20, 2016, the Feast of Christ the King. he Jubilee celebrates the 50th reference for understanding the meaning of anniversary of the closing of the what we experience during the Holy Year. TSecond Vatican Council, as the Year of “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” Faith (2012-2013) marked the 50th (Luke 6:36): each of us needs to personally anniversary of its opening. From Pope obey Christ’s call and live accordingly, Benedict XVI to Pope Francis, the Catholic together as a missionary people proclaiming Church speaks with one voice to proclaim God’s love and tenderness. In this the Gospel in a new language, as initiated by perspective, the Pope hopes that this Jubilee the Council Fathers and prompted by the is also occurring in local Churches, in a Holy Spirit a half century ago. decentralized manner, and that initiatives The address by Pope Paul VI, during the are complementary. Therefore, each diocese last general meeting of the Second Vatican has had the opportunity of opening a Door Council on December 7, 1965, giving the of Mercy, particularly in Marian Shrines. Good Samaritan as the model for the Regarding the Roman Calendar (see renewal of the Church, is an important www.im.va), in addition to the major III N° 41 - JANUARY 2016 December 8 was the 1,000th day of Pope Francis’ pontificate. On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, there were many faithful present in St. Peter’s Square for the inauguration of the extraordinary Holy Year Mercy. The Mass included the Ave Maria of Lourdes, in an atmosphere of intense contemplation. After having passed through the Holy Door, the Holy Father was followed by his predecessor, Benedict XVI. This common step symbolized their profound unity at the service of a Church that is in dialogue with the world, 50 years after the close of the Second Vatican Council. events planned such as the one for spiritual conversion through gestures of volunteers actively involved in the works of forgiveness, support, help and love. This will mercy on September 4 or for detainees on also be an invitation to Judaism and Islam to November 6, the Pope plans to symbolically continue discussions on the common basis visit the “existential peripheries”, hoping of mercy. that bishops and priests will do the same Citing a compassionate and gracious God, throughout this Holy Year, to witness the slow to anger, abounding in love and IV N° 41 - JANUARY 2016 faithfulness (Exodus 34:6), the Hebrew Bible uses the word “rahamim”, which POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER evokes the maternal womb, the place FOR THE JUBILEE OF from which life comes. The Hebrew word “hesed” is also used in the MERCY scriptures to express other aspects of merciful love, faithfulness, kindness, Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly goodness and solidarity. Father, and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him. “Making space for the Lord so that Show us your face and we will be saved. he can come and change me” Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; The love of God is inexplicable, “it the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking is something that no theologian can happiness only in created things; explain. One can only feel and cry made Peter weep after his betrayal, with joy,” said the Holy Father during and assured Paradise to the repentant thief. a morning Mass, emphasizing the Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, Gospel of the day, which described the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman: the healing of the royal official’s son. “If you knew the gift of God!” This man believed that Jesus had the power to heal his son and set out to You are the visible face of the invisible Father, find God. Faith means “creating a of the God who manifests his power above all space for love” that is the power of by forgiveness and mercy: God, Pope Francis added brightly: “it’s let the Church be your visible face in the world, the power of the one who loves me, its Lord risen and glorified. who is in love with me and who wants You willed that your ministers would also be clothed to rejoice with me.” “This is faith,” he in weakness concluded, “making space for the Lord in order that they may feel compassion so that he can come and change me”. for those in ignorance and error: We will first experience this in the let everyone who approaches them feel sacrament of reconciliation, in the sought after, loved, and forgiven by God. heart of all our tears, on the occasion of the Holy Year of Mercy, to then Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us become humble and joyful witnesses. with its anointing, During the great persecution of the so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace Christ’s Church in many countries from the Lord, from Pakistan to Nigeria through and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, Libya, Syria and Iraq, Saint Peter’s may bring good news to the poor, successor will feed his sheep in many proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, tribulations. May this Jubilee “bring and restore sight to the blind. comfort to every man and woman of our time,” as Pope Francis wants, We ask this through the intercession of Mary, recalling that “God forgives all, and Mother of Mercy, God forgives always.” (homily of you who live and reign with the Father March 13, 2015). and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Let us henceforth entrust this Year Amen. to the Mother of Mercy, “that she turn V N° 41 - JANUARY 2016 her gaze upon us and watch over our to abandon the pride that pushes us to journey: our penitential journey, our year- always be right, to love and forgive long journey with an open heart, to receive generously. As Pope Francis said in the Bull the indulgence of God, to receive the mercy of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of of God.” More broadly, we all have the Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus (no.
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