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“We are beautiful signs, let us continue sharing Jesus to the world and become disciples of God’s mercy.”
This was the message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in his homily during the opening Mass for the Fourth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy on Monday, January 16, 2017 at the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
Cardinal pointed out various points on the importance of mercy in the spirit of the congress. WACOM 4, the Cardinal said, came with two important events: the second anniversary of Pope Francis’ celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Manila Cathedral during his Apostolic Visit to the country in 2015 and the recent conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. These events, he says are signs of “mercy upon mercy” which the Church receives in God’s goodness. In his explanation of the Gospel according to John on the Wedding at Cana, he said that this miracle was the beginning among the “seven signs” or extraordinary works Jesus did during His public ministry. He said that, “a sign is shown to point into a deeper reality, the reality that of Jesus’ purpose in the world: to reveal His identity as the love of God.” He stressed that; “Jesus works out miracles at the moment of need. He comes to us because He feels our pain. And so He reveals His mercy. Let us not be afraid to open to Jesus.”
Focusing on the Gospel, he presented the image of Mary as the Mother of Mercy as revealed in the passage. “Mary here is presented as someone who does not only see the need of others, but to come to Jesus Himself to help them.” He believes this is the reason that Jesus showed mercy to His own mother. He mentioned that during the Wedding at Cana, she did what she could to help others and this would again occur in the moment she herself needed God’s help, at the foot of the Cross in front of her dying Son. To this, Mary reveals how God has been merciful and continues to impart mercy through her intercession.
Seeing the need of the faithful today, he said that, “So many people today experience pain with violence, vices, human trafficking that let’s mothers cry at night with the loss of their children. That is why whenever a mother cries, it is the hour of Jesus, the hour of mercy.” He said that therefore it was important to become “signs of God’s mercy” This, he said, was only possible with remembering and keeping God’s acts of mercy, “for it is not our work, but the work of Jesus.”
Presided by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, the Eucharistic celebration was concelebrated by hundreds of bishops and priests from the country and overseas and was attended by more than 4, 000 delegates from across the globe.
After the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the ordained and lay delegates had dinner in respective areas. According to Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog, II Media Relations Officer, “WACOM 4 is a calling for all of us, both local and foreign delegates to deepen of understanding of our faith in order to imbibe the spirit of God’s mercy in becoming brothers and sisters to one another in Christ.”
On the succeeding days of WACOM4 (January 17-19), a press conference will be held at the media centers on each venue from 12nn-1pm.
