PastoralLetteroftheBishopofNottinghamappointedtobereadatallMasses

celebratedontheFirstSundayofLentSaturday13/Sunday14February2016

DearbrothersandsistersinChrist,

Somanypeople, including youngpeople, are returning to theSacramentofReconciliation; through this experience they are discovering a path back totheLord,livingamomentofintenseprayer,andfindingmeaningintheirlives.LetusplacethesacramentofReconciliationatthecentreoncemore,insuchaway that itwill enablepeople to touch thegrandeurofGod’smercywiththeirownhands.1

ThesearetheencouragingwordsofPopeFranciswho,mostespeciallyinthis

JubileeYearofMercy,wouldliketheSeasonofLenttobeatimewheneachofuspersonally experiences God’s merciful love in confession. Early in his Papacy, hedescribed himself as ‘a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon with his mercifullove’.Indeed,inallthathesaysandinhisactions,PopeFrancisshowshimselftobesomeonewhoknowshisownneedofGod’smercy,whohasexperiencedthatmercyand been changed for the better by it, and who desires to be a channel of thatmercytoothers.‘MercifulliketheFather’isthemottohehaschosenforthisYearofMercy.

Whileitistruethatpeoplearerediscoveringhowspirituallyhelpfulitistogoregularly to confession, there are stillmanyCatholicswhono longermakeuse ofthiswonderfulsacramentofGod’sforgivenessandhealingmercy.ThesadrealityisthatverymanyofusstruggletobelieveinGod’smercifullove.Wefinditdifficultto

1Francis,BullofIndictionoftheExtraordinaryJubileeofMercyMisericordiaevultus,11April2015,17.

acceptthatGodforgivesoursins, just likethe lovingFather in theGospelstoryofthe Prodigal Son; and that he rejoices so greatly when we turn back to him toexpressoursorrowandourdesiretoreceivehisforgiveness.Soweendupcarryingwithustheburdenofoursinsfromthepast,ratherthanacceptingtheinvitationtoput them down at the foot of the Cross of Jesus in confession, and allowingourselvestobeembracedbyhiswordsofforgiveness,conveyedtousthroughtheministryofhispriests.

This is whywe need to listen to Pope Francis, who reminds us that ‘God’smercywillalwaysbegreaterthananysin,andnoonecanplacelimitsontheloveofGodwhoiseverreadytoforgive’.2ItishelpfulalsotoreflectuponthewisewordsofStAugustineofHippo,whowas far frombeinga saint inhisyouth,butwho latercametoacceptGod’smercifulloveandforgiveness.Hisencouragingadvicetousis:‘Entrust the past to themercy of God, the present to his love, the future to hisprovidence.’

IwouldliketojoinPopeFrancisinurgingCatholicsthroughoutourDioceseto

opentheirheartsthisLenttoGod’smercifulloveandforgivenessintheSacramentof Reconciliation. In an attempt tomake this a littlemore possible, therewill beextradeanerycelebrationsofthisSacramentthroughoutLentinmanypartsoftheDiocese.Iwillbeleadingsomeoftheservices,andbothI,andateamofpriests,willbeavailabletohearconfessions.

Inaddition,asafurtherresponsetowhatPopeFrancis isaskingofchurches

all over theworld, some parisheswill be opening their churches formuch of thetwenty-four hours fromFriday 4th to Saturday5thMarch. This initiative, called ‘24Hours for the Lord’, is intended to be an opportunity to deepen our personalrelationshipwith the Lord in adoration, and to rediscover thewonderful personalencounterwithGod’smercywhichisavailabletousinconfession.Formuchofthisperiod of twenty-four hours, there will be continuous adoration before the Lord,presentintheBlessedSacrament,andpriestsavailabletohearconfessionsorsimplytohaveachatwithanyonewhowishes.

So,ifyouknowofpeoplewhohaven’tbeentoChurchandtheSacramentofReconciliation forawhile,butwhomightwelcometheopportunity to spend timebeforetheLordinadorationandgotoconfession,pleasedoletthemknowabouttheseLentenopportunities.Itwouldbeawonderfulactofmercyinitselfifyoufeltabletooffertoaccompanythemtochurch,ortomeetthemthere,whenadorationand confessions are available. Reassure them that they will be gently guidedthrough the Sacrament of Reconciliation by the priest concerned, and will

2Ibid.,3.

experience only great compassion, understanding and mercy. Because, as PopeFrancisconstantlyremindspriests,theymustbeauthenticsignsofGodtheFather’smercy,‘always,everywhere,andineverysituation,nomatterwhat’.3

Thedetailsoftheserviceforyourareacanbefoundonthediocesanwebsite,

aswellasonaposteratthebackofyourchurch–pleasetakeacopyandgiveittoafriend,orputitupinyourfrontwindow.

Lentisagrace-filledseasonoftheChurch’s life; it isthereforeanopportunetimetorespondtoGod’sinvitationtorepentandchangeourlivesforthebetter;agood time to allow our hearts to be healed and transformed by God’s mercy inConfession.Godnevertiresofreachingouttous.Heisalwaysreadytoforgive,andhismercycanalsoempowerandenableustobecomemoremercifultowardsothers– something that, left to ourselves,most of us find very difficult. All this is God’swonderful work. What is asked of us is the humility to recognise what God isofferingus,andanopennessofheartandmindtoacceptit.

A good way to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is to reflectprayerfullyuponsomeoftheGospelstoriesthatJesustellstoillustrateGod’smercy.ThisyearwearefollowingLuke’sGospel,whichisoftencalled‘theGospelofGod’smercy’becauseitincludessomeofthebestknownparablesofGod’smercifullove,suchastheprodigalson,thelostsheep,thelostcoin,thegoodSamaritan,andthePhariseeandthepublican,tonamebutafew.Alltheseparableshavethepowertospeak to, and to challenge, our own lives, particularly our understanding of ourrelationshipwithGod and our relationshipwith others. Helpful notes on someoftheseparablesofmercyhavebeenpreparedandsentouttoallparishes,religioushousesandchaplaincies,forgroupor individualuse. Iwouldencourageyoutoaskfor a copy and to reflect prayerfully ononeor twoof theseparables as awayofpreparingforconfession.

Make this Lent memorable for yourself, by entrusting your sins to God’s

mercyandyourlifetohistransforminggraceinthisgreatsacrament;youwillnotbedisappointed!

Pleasekeepmeinyourprayers,andknowthatyouandyourlovedonesarein

mine.

RtRevPatrickMcKinneyBishopofNottingham

3Ibid.,17.

Bishop’sHouseNottingham

February2016