‘Miserando atque Eligendo’ are the rather enigmatic words of the episcopal motto of Pope Francis. They are variously translated as: Lowly but chosen; By having mercy and choosing him; Through pity and choosing him. They are taken from the commentary of the great English saint, Bede the Venerable, on the call of Matthew the tax collector by Jesus. “Jesus therefore saw him, and because he saw him by having mercy and choosing him, said to him ‘Follow me’. And he got up and followed him”.

That sentence contains a deep truth about our relationship with God – and perhaps more importantly, God’s relationship with us. It is through the eyes of mercy that, like Matthew, we are forgiven and chosen to share in God’s life through Jesus Christ. Even though we may feel unworthy and even unforgiveable, the measure of God’s love for us is the measure of our need for forgiveness, even when we do not realise it ourselves. How far does the love and mercy of God stretch? ‘This far’ says Jesus, with arms outstretched on the cross.

These thoughts take us to the mind and heart of the life and ministry of Pope Francis. They are summed up in the word ‘Mercy’. The Year of Mercy which he will open in Rome on 8 December will be a gradual unfolding of the mystery of God’s love and mercy and an invitation to each person to enter into the realm of mercy. Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s this Tuesday. The Holy Door at our St. David’s Cathedral will be opened on 13 December to inaugurate the Holy Year in the Diocese of Cardiff. Four other churches have been designated as places of welcome and pilgrimage in different parts of the Diocese. These are: Belmont Abbey, St Mary’s Merthyr Tydfil, St. Mary’s Bridgend and St. Mary’s Newport. Each one will have a ‘Holy Door’ through which pilgrims are invited to enter, remembering the words of Jesus: ‘I am the door; if anyone enters through me he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture’ (John 10:9)
‘The Light of the World’ is the title of a famous picture by William Holman Hunt, painted in 1853. It is often referred to by words from the Book of Revelation: ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock’. There are two sides to every door. In this picture the door is closed, with no handle on the outside. It can only be opened from within. Jesus does not impose. Does not demand. Does not restrict our freedom. He waits to be invited in. ‘If you hear my voice and open, I will come and we will sit side by side, and share a meal together’ (Revelation 3:20).

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, marking the last Sunday of the Church’s year. We all congratulate Christ the King church community on the parish feast!

If this is the last Sunday, then next week must be the first of the new year – the First Sunday of Advent. A time for new beginnings, fresh starts… I would like to take this opportunity to invite those who have been considering becoming Catholic to take a step in faith at this time of new starts. Our RCIA groups that help people explore the faith are starting at this time, and always welcome new faces.

Now this might be you who are reading this, or it might be a spouse or relative; it might be a friend or work colleague; it could be anyone that you have heard express an interest! There are no strings attached at this stage – it is an opportunity to explore together with some friendly faces the faith that we all hold so dear. If you or someone you know has shown such interest, let them know. If they have never mentioned it, but you suspect, then make an invitation – you never know what the Lord has up his sleeve… Whoever you or they are, tell them to seize the moment and get in touch with me, Fr Matthew, in the first instance at the Presbytery. Contact details are at the top of this page.

RCIA stands for “The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults”, a bit of a mouthful, but it could be understood more as a “come and see” opportunity. This was what Jesus said one day to the two disciples who had been followers of John the Baptist, but who were thinking of following Him instead. Whether we have been following another community within Christianity, or another faith or no faith at all, the Lord calls each according to her or his circumstances. Each one is different, and so the journey onwards, while sharing common teachings, practices etc, will be different for each one.

Fr Matthew