THE Catholic Church in Australia observes the first Sunday in July as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Sunday.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land.
The Jubilee Year of Mercy is an opportunity to experience and, more importantly, encounter God’s Grace on many levels. By encountering God’s Marcy on an individual level we avail ourselves of the warmth and nourishment of God’s love. These blessings can be amplified and shared when we open our hearts to the Mercy of God amongst our friends, loved ones, communities and more importantly, with those who we have previously found conflict.
The act of “black and white” people praying together for mercy, forgiveness and justice is a powerful symbol of all that the Year of Mercy represents. By opening our hearts to God and seeking his everlasting forgiveness and strength to forgive, we allow ourselves to become unburdened by the weight that many of us have carried on our shoulders and in our hearts for a period of time.
Pope Francis announced this year as the Jubilee Year of Mercy because ”this is the time for mercy”
It is a favourable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and touch with their hands the sign of closeness of God, at time to offer everyone the way of forgiveness and reconciliation.
The Year of Mercy is a blessing for each of us to treasure because, it offers us new opportunities to see how we might live in right relationship with our God and each other. We are called to rediscover the deepness of th mercy of the Father who welcomes all and goes out to encounter each one of us personally. It is He who seeks us!
The Catholic Church promotes and celebrates the diverse cultural identity of all our people across our proud nation.