In preparation for the Year of Mercy and the birth of Christ,
Catholics from around the diocese set aside a Saturday
morning for prayer and penance at “Sons and Daughters of the
Merciful Father: Advent Morning of Recollection,” hosted by
the family life office. Some 90 people gathered to attend
Mass, pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the Blessed
Sacrament and listen to Msgr. Robert Panke from the
Archdiocese of Washington speak at St. Luke Church in McLean
Dec. 5.
Though Advent in and of itself is a special time of spiritual
preparation, the Year of Mercy, which began Dec. 8, invites
even more opportunities for spiritual reflection. In his
meditation, Msgr. Panke encouraged everyone to extend mercy
in the Christmas season. We should welcome those who perhaps
haven’t been to church since last Christmas, said Msgr.
Panke. “This is the Father’s house, and that seat is reserved
for your brother and sister who have been away. You should be
sitting in the back, letting them come up and be embraced by
the Father,” he said.
The tremendous mercy of God can be seen clearly in the
parable of the prodigal son, said Msgr. Panke. Some people,
like the prodigal son, have had times in their lives when
they completely rejected God before finding their way home
again. But whether we gamble away all our inheritance or
simply struggle to practice kindness and charity, all of us
are the prodigal son, said Msgr. Panke. “But we are also all
called to be the father,” showing mercy and encouraging other
to do the same, he said.
Jeanette Preniczky, a parishioner of Our Lady, Queen of Peace
Church in Arlington, experienced the powerful effects of
mercy when she attended a Project Rachel retreat, a
post-abortive healing ministry for men and women. “Literally
I felt reborn. I felt so holy and so beloved,” she said. Like
the prodigal son, she said, men and women who have had
abortions experience great shame, but God still welcomes them
home with open arms. Msgr. Panke’s talk reminded her of the
importance of telling people about God’s mercy, especially
post-abortive men and women. “We receive that mercy and we’re
called to bring that mercy,” she said. “People really need
it.”
For many, coming back to the church or to confession can be
scary, because they don’t know the love of the Father, said
Msgr. Panke. But from experience, he knows that priests (and
God) long for the man or woman who has been away from
confession for decades. “We’re not thinking ‘Where the heck
have you been?’ In every priest’s heart that has the heart of
the Father (our reaction is) rejoicing,” he said.
Msgr. Panke, who serves as rector of St. John Paul II
Seminary in Washington, spoke of the importance of deeply
imparting into the heart of every seminarian the knowledge
that they are a beloved son of God. That identity as a
beloved son changes everything, he said. In the parable, the
younger son does not think the father’s love is enough for
him, and sets out to establish his own identity. In a
similarly misguided way, the older son tries to earn the
father’s love. “The merit comes from Jesus,” said Msgr.
Panke. “We receive the gift (of mercy), so we better give the
gift back.”
As a convert, Liz Schiavone, president of the Arlington
Diocese Council of Catholic Women, appreciated Msgr. Panke’s
message of mercy and welcome. Schiavonne was raised Christian
but married a Catholic and promised to raise her children in
the Catholic faith. After five years of attending Mass, she
converted. Still she understands how hard it is to leave the
faith of one’s parents, and she tries each year to welcome
the newly confirmed at the Easter vigil Mass. Whether those
new to the faith or those who fill the sanctuary on Christmas
morning, “we should welcome them, rejoice and be happy that
they’re there,” she said.
Di Mauro can be reached at [email protected] or on
Twitter
@zoeydimauro.
