# Living the Year of Mercy: Pope Francis on Advent
*2015-12-23*

> Bill and John reflect on Pope Francis’ “Seasons of Mercy” reflections, exploring how Advent prepares us to encounter Christ’s mercy and how the Church can become a visible sign of that mercy.

## The Hour of Mercy

We begin with the “hour of mercy,” a brief prayer from the book *Seasons of Mercy* that Pope Francis wrote for the Holy Year of Mercy. In this season of the liturgical year, the Pope invites us to focus on mercy as the central theme of our Advent waiting.

## Advent as a Time of Encounter

Advent is described as a time of personal encounter with Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow Him and share His mercy. Pope Francis urges us to keep a living memory of that moment when Christ looks at us with mercy and asks us to forgive. He asks, “Do I remember it? Have I forgotten it? Have I let the past make me forget?” He then prays, “Lord, help me, for you know that I want to be accounted in you, and let myself be embraced by your mercy.”

## Mary’s Role in Our Advent Journey

Mary sustains our journey toward Christmas. She teaches us how to live Advent in hopeful expectation of the Lord. While Advent is the time of waiting for the Lord who will visit us at Christmas, the merciful Lord is already coming into each of our hearts. We are called to wait for Him with patience and trust.

## A Prayer for the Year of Mercy

The hosts recite a prayer attributed to Pope Francis:

“Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be merciful like the Heavenly Father. You have shown us the face of the invisible Father, the God who manifests His power through forgiveness and mercy. Let the Church be your visible face in the world. Send your Spirit and anoint each of us, so that the year of mercy may become a year of grace, bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to the captive, and rescuing the oppressed.”

## Living Mercy in the World

Finally, Bill and John discuss how the Church can become a “visible sign” of God’s mercy. By proclaiming the good news to the poor, defending the oppressed, and offering forgiveness, the Church participates in the Jubilee’s call to be a “year of grace” for all.

*Advent invites us to remember Christ’s merciful gaze and to let the Church become the visible face of that mercy in the world.*