The most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary exhorts us to prepare the whole world in a very special way to experience the undeserving love and mercy of God which flows from the pierced heart of Jesus and the salvation brought by Him on the cross as we are prepare ourselves in these ten years of grace (2023-2033) to enter the year of Grand Jubilee in 2033 marking 2000 years of very important events in our personal faith journey and also that of the Catholic Church and the whole world. [Important events: Palm Sunday, Washing of the feet, Last Supper and The institution of the Holy Eucharist as an expression of Paschal mystery, Passion of Christ, The blood and water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, Crucifixion and the Death of Jesus, Blessed Mother as a wonderful gift to us, Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost, Birth of the Catholic Church, First martyrs, First missionaries and Missionary journeys etc.]
We not only commemorate these important events but also remember many other Biblical characters who experienced the undeserving love and mercy of God.
- St.Peter who denied Jesus thrice but while responding to “Do you love me?” from the depth of his heart was raised to the Holy See and eventually became the first pope.
- Mary Magdalene who loved Jesus by passionately following Him even until Calvary under the foot of the cross received a great privilege to see and experience the Risen Lord even before His disciples.
- St.John who leaned on Jesus’ bosom could follow Him to the foot of the cross accompanying the Blessed Mother.
- The Good thief on the cross who got the greatest gift to be in paradise with Jesus within a short time.
- St.Veronica who could wipe the face of Jesus on His journey to Calvary and Jesus moved with mercy imprinted His Holy face on her towel.
- Simon of Cyrene received an unexpected, life-changing opportunity to carry the cross with Jesus.
- Disciples at Emmaus who recognized Jesus during the Breaking of the Bread.
- Last but not least, let’s not forget the mother donkey and little donkey on which Jesus sat during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
All of these reminds us of the undeserving love and mercy of God in its different dimensions. Heaven is inviting each one of us to drink from this ocean of Divine Mercy, especially in these 10 years of grace. Jesus is so merciful and loving that he will never interfere with our freedom. He stands knocking at the door waiting to be opened. (Rev.3:20). Mother Mary can open the doors of our hearts for Jesus and the Holy Spirit if we call out “Hail Mary, full of grace….” because she is the beloved daughter of the Triune God and she is the mother of all goodness. In the Letter of St.Paul to the Romans we read, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). The experience of a New Pentecost is the need of the hour to experience this Divine Mercy in its fullness and thereby taste the good news of great joy for all the people of the world (Luke 1:10) which was announced by the angels 2023 years back. As this Divine Mercy and love have been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, all hearts must be filled with the fruits, gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit to experience and witness this love. The Spouse of the Holy Spirit – Blessed Mother will open the hearts of the world (800 crore people) to receive the Divine Mercy which leads to repentance and the renewal of hearts. Only Mother Mary with the power of the Holy Spirit can change this darkened world to the bright and everlasting light. As we read the signs of the time, we understand the present realities of the world, Catholic Church, our families and the innermost being of our hearts and many times our situation resembles “the last state of that person is worse than the first.” (Lk.11:24-26). The whole world is in darkness and the evil power has very much control over the human hearts.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’’. [Romans 12:21]
There is only one thing to be done. Let us overcome evil with good and the goodness is none other than the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 14:16 we read “And I will give you another advocate, to be with you forever.’’ Let the Holy Spirit help us neither to blame others nor to find faults with others but to be filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal.5:22). May the Holy Spirit who strengthened the apostles and early Christians to witness Jesus to the whole world (Acts1:8) strengthen us and inflame the spirit that has been given to us during our Baptism and Confirmation.
“God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to him”. (Catechism of the Catholic Church.)
Let us join both our hands and hearts together to establish the Kingdom of God on earth and offer all creation back to God together with Our Lady of the Rosary, through the Sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist, with all the saints and angels believing in the promise “Nothing is impossible with God.”(Luke1:37). As we have these 10 years of grace, let us begin to make it graceful and prepare ourselves and the whole world to celebrate the Grandiose Jubilee 2033.
