From the December 2015 JMV Bulletin

To be merciful as the Father is merciful. Those words summarize the invitation of Pope Francis during this Holy Year of Mercy, an invitation to be witnesses of mercy. Mercy arises from a feeling of compassion that is awakened in individuals as the result of experiencing the misfortune or misery of another. The word “mercy” is derived from two Latin words: misere (to have compassion) and cordis (heart) thus, to have a compassionate heart, to have an ability to feel what another is feeling, to be in solidarity with another. This is a very important time in the life of each and every Christian and for the members of the VMY as we now take on an ever greater commitment. In other words, as the result of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, evangelizing the poor, we become witnesses of a church that goes forth (all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel [Evangelii Gaudium, #20]).

Such was the experience of Mary who set out in haste (Luke 1:37) to visit her cousin Elizabeth and to proclaim the Magnificat, the essence of our Marian spirituality. Such was also the experience of Vincent de Paul who went forth to hear the confession of the dying man which then led him to engage in the ministry of popular missions. Hopefully, this will also be our experience during the coming year.

Rafael Cruz
Councillor for the Americas

May this Christmas season enable us to experience the permanent love of Jesus Christ who is born anew every day in our hearts when we listen to his voice, especially his voice as revealed in the voices of our sisters and brothers who are poor.

Download the Bulletin for December 2015 in English