Team Herald
PANJIM: Exhorting the Catholic community to experience the mercy of God and serve the other, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao on Sunday prayed for the seafarers stranded in different parts of the world.
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Archbishop Ferrao was delivering his homily during the Eucharistic Celebration on the Divine Mercy Sunday, which was televised from the Archbishop’s House in the morning.
Elaborating on the life of early Christians, he appealed to the faithful to have knowledge of the Word of God, to participate in the Eucharistic Celebration meaningfully, to recite the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet in families.
He also urged the Catholic community to serve the needy and people from the other States, who cannot go to their native places due to the lockdown.
Stating that the entire Bible repeatedly proclaims the mercy of God, Archbishop Ferrao reminded the faithful that the mercy of God was made perfectly visible to humankind through Jesus.
Appealing to experience Jesus and his mercy, he gave the examples of Zacchaeus and the Samaritan women from the Bible.
“When we experience the mercy of God, our lives change,” he said.
Pointing out that Jesus showed mercy towards his confused and unfaithful Apostles by taking the first step to meet them after the resurrection, Archbishop Ferrao said, “This act of Jesus strengthens their faith in him. Their confusion turned to trust and fear to joy.”
Stating that Jesus entrusted his mission to his Apostles specially the Ministry of Reconciliation, he stressed on the three aspects of this Ministry of Reconciliation with God, reconciliation with the other and reconciliation with the nature.
“Ask forgiveness from God, strengthen the unity in the family and in the society and love and protect the nature,” said the Archbishop.
St John Paul II (then Pope) on April 30, 2000, while canonising St Faustina, Apostle of Mercy, decreed the Second Sunday of the Easter to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday in the Universal Catholic Church.
Recalling the life of the early Christians, Archbishop Ferrao highlighted their virtues like faithfulness to the teachings of the Apostles, Breaking the Bread in common (Eucharistic celebrations) and selling what they possess to share in common.
Lauding the efforts of the Carmelite Friars in promoting and animating the Divine Mercy devotion in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, he expressed happiness over the 136 Divine Mercy groups formed by the Carmelites in the parishes and chapels.
He also thanked the parish priests, assistants, chaplains and religious for promoting and guiding the Divine Mercy groups in their respective parishes.
In the evening, Fr Archibald Gonsalves, OCD, Superior of the Carmelite Monastery, Margao presided over the Eucharistic Celebration televised from the Carmelite Monastery at Margao. He expressed his gratitude to the Archbishop and those who supported to promote the devotion.
Delivering his homily at the Eucharistic Celebration, Fr Gonsalves asked the faithful to become the merciful face of God.
“However sinful are we, wretched we may be, God is ever merciful. Without focusing on our sinful nature, let us trust and entrust ourselves to the care of God,” said Fr Gonsalves, while he also prayed in a special way for the stranded seafarers and their families.
Diving Mercy Eucharistic Celebrations were also televised on TV channels and on social media from the parishes of Chicalim, Calangute, Majorda, Taleigao, Orlim, Nerul, Se Cathedral, Old Goa, Carmelite Monastery Margao and Don Bosco in Panjim.
