Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde blessed and sealed the Holy
Door at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception in Washington during the April 12 liturgy for
Divine Mercy Sunday.
Bishop Loverde, who was the celebrant and homilist at the
noon Mass, affixed a gold cross and the coat of arms of Pope
Francis to the door.
The door will be opened Dec. 8 at the beginning of
the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
April 12 also marked the 27th anniversary of Bishop Loverde’s
episcopal ordination.
St. Pope John Paul II established the Second Sunday of Easter
as Divine Mercy Sunday in 2000 in order to emphasize the
connection between the Passion, death and Resurrection of
Jesus Christ and the mercy and forgiveness that flows from
the Paschal Mystery to His disciples.
Like John Paul II, who spent the early years of his
pontificate preaching and writing on redemption and mercy,
Pope Francis has focused on God’s “heart for those who are
suffering” and the church’s unique role in providing this
care and compassion.
The Holy Year dedicated to the theme of mercy will begin
Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and
conclude Nov. 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Christ the King.
“The Jubilee Year will provide the local and universal church
with an opportunity to cultivate a renewed emphasis on
bringing Christ’s mercy to a world that longs for it,” said
Bishop Loverde. “I pray now, more than ever, that many hearts
will be conformed to the Heart of Christ as they embrace the
Gospel of Mercy.”
Msgr. Walter R. Rossi, shrine rector, said that the Holy Door
is a tradition that started in 1500 and symbolizes the
doorway of salvation and access to Divine Mercy.
“During the Great Jubilee of 2000, a Holy Door was designated
and inaugurated for the devotional purposes of those who made
pilgrimages to the national shrine, uniting us with the Holy
Door in Rome, which is a symbol of Jesus Christ, the true
Gate of Heaven and the door to salvation,” Msgr. Rossi said.
“Then, as the Holy Door of St. Peter’s is opened by Pope
Francis on Dec. 8 to inaugurate the Holy Year of Mercy, the
Holy Door of this Basilica will be opened as an invitation to
all who visit this shrine, to open their lives to the Divine
Mercy which Jesus bestows upon those who place their trust in
him,” he said.
In his homily, Bishop Loverde focused on the message of
Divine Mercy that Pope Francis has emphasized throughout his
pontificate.
In his document of promulgation entitled “Misericordiae
Vultus” (“The Face of Mercy”), the pope said that mercy is
the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us.
Mercy is the bridge that connects God and man, “opening our
hearts to a hope of being loved forever despite our
sinfulness.”
“If we are honest, we know that there are days when we would
rather ‘retain’ our sins, cling to them, and even find some
comfort in them,” Bishop Loverde said. “Over time, this
absence of mercy in our lives begins to obscure the very
light of Christ in us.”
Bishop Loverde said that the celebration of Divine Mercy
invites each of us to live a new life as one truly forgiven.
“Each night, we open our hearts to the transforming power of
Divine Mercy as we express our sincere contrition for any sin
we may have committed that day,” he said.
“By Divine Mercy, we are re-created. Forgiven and healed, we
experience new life within us: the life flowing from the
risen Lord Jesus, giving us new hope, new strength, new
power.
“By Divine Mercy, we are sent forth,” he said. “None us can
hoard the Good News. None of us can bottle it up and put it
on a shelf.”
The church exists to evangelize, he said.
“We are sent to the peripheries, to the poor, whether
materially or spiritually, because those at the peripheries
are often the most in need of the Good News, sorely lacking
in mercy and forgiveness.”
Bishop Loverde said what a gift to the world it would be if
our homes and parishes could be beacons of the good news of
mercy. “What a witness if every family or parish community
were animated with members who personally know mercy and
share it freely with the most in need of it.”
From now until Dec. 8, when the Jubilee Year begins, the
bishop encouraged everyone to prepare their minds and hearts
“to become willing recipients and clear channels” of Divine
Mercy.
“We are a people forgiven, re-created and sent forth to
proclaim daily God’s mercy,” he said.
