Apostles for today March -2025

         
 

UNION OF THE CATHOLIC 

APOSTOLATE

  Apostles for Today
        March 2025

Fr. Francis Harelimana, SAC

The power of the Sacrament of reconciliation

Jubilee of The Missionaries of Mercy

The power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is best seen in the steps taken to repair the damage caused by sin. God himself, through his Word made flesh, has stepped in to heal the wounds caused by sin in human life. In his infinite merciful love, he instituted and entrusted to the Church this Sacrament by means of which the faithful can return to communion with Him and his people.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation has other names that shed light on its meaning. It is often called the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Forgiveness, or the Sacrament of Conversion or Reconciliation (CCC -Catechism of the Catholic Church 1423-1424).

This Sacrament is one of the seven instituted by Jesus Christ, through which He works for the salvation of those who approach Him (cfr. S.C. no. 7). It is par excellence the sacrament of God's love and consolation. It can be said that those who express their desire to receive this Sacrament are first and foremost confessing God's merciful love. The Second Vatican Council makes it clear that the faithful who have fallen into sin after their baptism are not condemned, but that the Sacrament offers them the grace of reconciliation with God: Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from the mercy of God for the offence committed against Him and are at the same time reconciled with the Church […] (LG 11 - Documento del Concilio Vat II).

Through the sacrament of reconciliation, those who suffer from the ugliness and damage of sin can taste the savor of forgiveness. The wounds healed by this sacrament are in the very definition of sin. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law" (CCC no 1849). The power of this sacrament restores spiritual health for the good of the whole person. The joy of being purified of original sin by baptism is often interrupted by wrong choices against God and neighbor. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) makes it clear that lost joy is restored in post-baptismal conversion through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. According to this parable, the younger son's rejection of the father and his voluntary exile could not destroy all the love the Father had for his son. The life of Jesus reveals to all the merciful face of the Father, whose joy is to forgive. He hates sin, but loves the sinner.

Pope Francis says that in this parable, as in others about mercy, Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father who never gives up until He has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion and mercy (Misericordiae Vultus, no 9). This joyful atmosphere characterizes the encounter between God and his children, and between them. Instead of resigning Himself to our broken covenant, through His Son Jesus Christ, He has forged a new bond between humanity and Him, a bond so strong that nothing can undo it (Cfr. Missal, Eucharistic Prayer I for Reconciliation).

This divine joy floods the earth, so much so that no one would be afraid to confess his misery and unworthiness. On the contrary, everyone should approach the confessional with confidence and hope, because, as St. Francis de Sales said, “ our misery is the throne of God's mercy”.

In any spiritual journey, a soul that stumbles discourages or drags others down. On the other hand, a soul that immerses itself in the ocean of Divine Mercy uplifts many. To keep and observe the Lord's greatest commandment to love God and neighbor (Mt 22:34-40), the faithful are invited to rely always on the power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It heals love wounded by sin and restores sanctifying grace. The experience of this “spiritual resurrection” is accompanied by new strength, not only to fight temptations, but also to love and forgive others their trespasses.

The Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia recalls Jesus' insistence on this theme of fraternal reconciliation when he invites us to turn the other cheek, to leave even the cloak to the one who has taken the tunic (Lk 6:29), to love even our enemies (Mt 5:43-45) and to forgive without limits (Mt 18:21-22). On these conditions, says Pope John Paul II, which are realizable only in a genuinely evangelical climate, it is possible to have a true reconciliation between individuals, families, communities, nations and peoples (no 26). Love and forgiveness are inseparable. The latter accompanies the growth of love to open the faithful to the flavor of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God hates sin. But he loves the sinner very much.
 

That's why, still today, through his Son and his Ministers, he is committed to healing the wounded hearts of his children. St. Vincent's writings are full of self-reproaches, so much so that the reader feels like a perpetual penitent. And yet, this penitent aware of his misery and sins is always happy to feel enveloped by God's infinite love and mercy. In his spiritual retreat at Montecitorio in 1842, he noted this spiritual motion: My God my Mercy, You only know that I have been and still am so incapable of being holy, that I can only be so by an extraordinary prodigy of your mercy (OOCC X, 714). He is convinced that he won't be able to do it on his own, but that with God he will succeed (OOCC X, 122).

On his way to the perfection he so desires, he suffers from the obstacles of his own limitations, and takes steps to go further. The most important of these is formulated in this principle: Sacramental confession, made often and with the necessary dispositions, is a very effective means of attaining perfection (OOCC XI, 903). He also thought about the salvation of others. 

We know that his entire spiritual Family will inherit as its motto the destruction of sin for the infinite glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Thanks to this Sacrament, Pallotti is a man happy to be the object of God's infinite love. This profound experience accompanies his journey. In one of his colloquies with God, he opens his heart to Him, and does not know how to express his joy: You who are infinite Love, infinite Mercy, and forgive me if I dare say that you are crazy with Love and Mercy with regard to me (OOCC X, 235). Pallotti's enthusiasm made him a champion of Mercy, and he never ceased to encourage others to embrace the sacrament of reconciliation. He did not even hesitate to share the example of so many saints who had experienced it: Saint Leonard went to confession twice a day, Saint Francis Regis three times a day and Saint Pacifico da Sanseverino four times a day, [...] in order to approach the Holy Altar with a more perfect freedom of conscience (OOCC II, 68).

For him, going to confessional means confessing his faith, his love for God. He would like to go often. For example, in 1840, while at Osimo, he expressed his desire to receive the sacrament of reconciliation every day (Cfr. OOCC X, 386). Giving the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a demanding but interesting service. At the Shrine of Our Lady of Kibeho (site of the Apparitions of the Mother of the Word), many pilgrims come to ask for this sacrament. Personally, it pains me when some of them go back without receiving this sacrament. The same goes for my confreres. Sometimes we get caught in the confessional and go home very tired, but happy. Here in Kibeho, the Virgin Mary has launched a vibrant call to conversion. We want to find reinforcements from other priests to ensure service to all those who want it. Please pray for us!

Rediscovered communion with God strengthens the fragile bonds with our neighbor, and in so doing, reinforces the unity of the Church. Today, the human community so desperately needs to rediscover its nobility at the heart of human fragility, by asking for and offering forgiveness (Cfr. Dilexit nos, 189). In his Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis made a powerful appeal to the entire Christian community: “The time has come for the Church to rediscover the joyful proclamation of forgiveness. […] Forgiveness is a force that resurrects us into new life and gives us the courage to look to the future with hope” (no. 10). The Holy Father's appeal remains as valid as ever. 

For reflection:

1) There is talk today of a crisis in the sacrament of reconciliation. In your opinion, what are the causes of this disaffection for the sacraments in general and for the sacrament of reconciliation in particular?

2) The charism of St. V. Pallotti is our heritage. His motto “Ad destruendum peccatum” is ours. What apostolic actions do you propose to fight the sins in our time.

Fr. Francis Harelimana, SAC

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA
Tel: (+39) 393.556 0794 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

APOSTLES for TODAY - February 2025

 

Apostles for Today
      February 2025

Serving the people to ensure security and peace Jubilee of The Armed, Police and Security Forces

My dear brothers and sisters of the Union of The Catholic Apostolate, the 2025 Jubilee year is upon us. It is a year dedicated to hope, as prescribed by Pope Francis. The Holy Father invites all Catholics to enrich their faith through the hope of a life united with Jesus Christ. To live a life united with Christ is challenging, however with hope, and an aim at the highest form of good, we can strive to be apostles in our daily lives, placing service above self. Service is the driving force behind the armed, police and security forces as announced for the month of February, during this Jubilee year. “Serving the people to ensure security and peace.” These are the words prescribed to those who wear a uniform, daily, to be stewards of service, security and peace in their countries, states and communities. 

The men and women of the armed and police forces around the world are entrusted to put others before themselves. They fulfill their oaths to be leaders, protectors and fighters for those who cannot fight for themselves. While contemplating February’s theme a passage from the Gospel of John comes to mind, which reads: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). These sacred words of scripture give us an inclination into what it means to love. Love is a force for good in the world. I am reminded of what love is every time Fr. Peter raises the host and chalice during Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, signifying the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. 
I look above the altar and see the crucified Christ. Christ on the cross is the greatest depiction of what love is, the ultimate sacrifice. 

The men and women who protect our respective countries and communities in uniform place themselves in harm’s way when responding to emergency calls for service ranging from domestic disputes to potential terror attacks. Our uniformed members of society respond to such calls, knowing that their lives may be lost trying to provide security and peace. The willingness to do this is an act of love towards those in need. Placing the well-being of a person in crisis over the well-being of oneself is an act of love as told to us in the Gospel of John. As a police officer in the United States of America I have found that physical force is not always necessary when trying to resolve an emergency. Often, the ability to listen to a person in despair who may be, for example, contemplating suicide, by showing compassion and empathy is enough to bring peace to a person’s heart at a moment of internal crisis. 

Saint Vincent Pallotti embodied the theme for the month of February through his ministry in Rome. He tended to the sick, needy and less fortunate, laying the foundation for what would become the union we find ourselves a part of today. St. Vincent said: “God never sends you into a situation alone. 
He stands beside you. He walks behind you. Whatever situation you have right now, face it with the confidence knowing…God is with you.” As a police officer, I find solace in the words of Saint Vincent, knowing that if my heart and mind are aligned towards God, I shall be guided by Him so that I may be a beacon of hope for someone in danger. St. Vincent also suggests that when those in uniform confront, danger their steps are guided by the Lord. Being fearful or nervous is a normal human characteristic that comes over us all when confronted with danger, no matter if one is a civilian or an officer. It is part of the human condition. It is a normal response from the body’s nervous system. However, St. Vincent reminds us that we can find strength and courage in God, that the Holy Spirit will guide officers and security forces who find themselves in precarious situations, trying to protect those in need during a time of crisis.

The men and women who protect our respective countries and communities in uniform place themselves in harm’s way when responding to emergency calls for service ranging from domestic disputes to potential terror attacks. Our uniformed members of society respond to such calls, knowing that their lives may be lost trying to provide security and peace. The willingness to do this is an act of love towards those in need. Placing the well-being of a person in crisis over the well-being of oneself is an act of love as told to us in the Gospel of John. As a police officer in the United States of America I have found that physical force is not always necessary when trying to resolve an emergency. Often, the ability to listen to a person in despair who may be, for example, contemplating suicide, by showing compassion and empathy is enough to bring peace to a person’s heart at a moment of internal crisis. 

Saint Vincent Pallotti embodied the theme for the month of February through his ministry in Rome. He tended to the sick, needy and less fortunate, laying the foundation for what would become the union we find ourselves a part of today. St. Vincent said: “God never sends you into a situation alone". 
He stands beside you. He walks behind you. Whatever situation you have right now, face it with the confidence knowing…God is with you.” As a police officer, I find solace in the words of Saint Vincent, knowing that if my heart and mind are aligned towards God, I shall be guided by Him so that I may be a beacon of hope for someone in danger. St. Vincent also suggests that when those in uniform confront, danger their steps are guided by the Lord. Being fearful or nervous is a normal human characteristic that comes over us all when confronted with danger, no matter if one is a civilian or an officer. It is part of the human condition. It is a normal response from the body’s nervous system. However, St. Vincent reminds us that we can find strength and courage in God, that the Holy Spirit will guide officers and security forces who find themselves in precarious situations, trying to protect those in need during a time of crisis. 

In the United States, I can think of no greater emergency response by civil servants than the morning of September 11, 2001, in New York City. I was a student in high school at the time and recall watching the television in my classroom as the planes struck the twin towers. Brave police officers, firefighters and medical workers responded to the scene to assist all those trapped in the buildings. The display of bravery and courage I observed that day and the months to follow during the recovery efforts inspired me to serve my community as a firefighter and later as a police officer. The attacks on the United States in September of 2001 brought out the best in the men and women in uniform who take an oath to protect and serve their fellow citizens. Christ highlighted the importance of this service in Matthew 5:9 when he delivered his Sermon on the Mount, saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” The men and women who serve their fellow man by providing safety and security to people who find themselves in dim and bleak situations embody what Christ tried to teach us in the Beatitudes. Our men and women in uniform could be considered peacemakers when they serve and protect those who call out for help in desperate situations. A Jubilee year comes to us every twenty-five years, however, let us not wait for the arrival of a Jubilee year to be pilgrims of hope or servants to our fellow man. I like to ask myself, daily, how am I trying to be a peacemaker? Consider asking yourself, how am I building bridges within my family, my community, my school or my workplace? Being a peacemaker is not explicit to those of the armed services. Consider what it means to be an apostle.

 An apostolic life is not one of confinement, but one of action, movement and service. Consider asking yourself how an apostolic life focused on service can enrich your personal life? Saint Vincent Pallotti explained what it means to live when he said: “Our life is: To breath God in and out. To find God in everything. To reveal God to all. To radiate the presence of God.” This is the essence of an apostolic life. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with hope so that you may find the courage and strength to face challenges and adversity in your life while helping others along the way. 

May the peace of Almighty God be with you all this Jubilee year!

Tomislav Martic

* Tommy Martic is a Police supervisor. He was born in the former Yugoslavia and has lived in the United States since March 1988. He is a member of the Pallottine parish youth group “Our Lady of Grace.” Under the guidance of Fr. Peter Sticco, SAC, he was able to do missionary work in the United States and Latin America
 

 Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA 

Tel: (+39) 393.5560794 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

Apostles for Today January- 2025

   
 

 

 

         Apostles for Today 

             January - 2025

    As long as you live, there's hope

In conjunction with the Jubilee of the Church, we celebrate a Pallottine Jubilee.

 

 

We recognize that periodically the Church promotes a significant moment of reflection, forgiveness and spiritual conversion. Drawing inspiration from biblical times, the Church has convened and celebrated several jubilees since the 1300s. About 300 years ago, a fixed date was set, and so every 25 years Catholic Christians celebrate this event.

  The last ordinary jubilee took place in the year 2000, convened by Pope St. John Paul II. To live this experience, the four great basilicas of Rome – St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Basilica of St. Mary Major and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls – opened their Holy Doors, inviting pilgrims to a profound conversion of life. Subsequently, in an extraordinary way, in 2015, Pope Francis proclaimed a Jubilee of Mercy, celebrated in Rome and in all the dioceses of the world, with their respective Holy Doors. For the year 2025, again, after 25 years, the Jubilee of the Church will be celebrated in Rome, the Eternal City, a center of pilgrimage for many Christians.

 
In 2025, moreover, the only jubilee that our St. Vincent Pallotti experienced will be remembered: it will be the 200th anniversary of the Jubilee of 1825, proclaimed by Pope Leo XII through the Bull Quod Hoc Ineunte. 

 
It is particularly interesting to note, with this bull, that the Pope convokes a jubilee to promote a spiritual renewal of all and of the whole world in Jesus Christ, with the aim of igniting faith and charity among all Christians. The following passages from the papal document concerning the Jubilee of 1825 stand out:

 "(...) In this year, which we rightly recognize as a grateful and salvific time, we hope that we will be given the extraordinary opportunity to seek, with the salutary purification of the whole Christian people, a profound renewal in Christ, after so many afflictions that afflict the people. ...
"(...) I am thinking, in fact, of how much it contributes to rekindling faith and charity in the souls of visitors to walk through these ancient places, to which the majesty of religion is admirably entrusted; to revive in the imagination so many thousands of martyrs who consecrated this land with their blood; to enter the basilicas, to observe the sacred epitaphs, to venerate the relics (...)"
As sons of St. Vincent Pallotti, we are very familiar with the Pallottine terminology, and for this reason I am sure that we recognize some of the terms and concepts present in the words of that ancient papal text: renewal in Christ, inflame, revive, faith and charity. 

 

These are concepts that are very familiar to us. In fact, Pallotti was a son of his time. Thus, during the year 1825, in living through that Jubilee, we see how much he was influenced by that atmosphere.

Thanks to renowned biographers of our Saint, we know that he dedicated himself intensely to the promotion of that jubilee year. He was a young priest, passionate about priestly life and ministry, and in that year, we see him deeply committed as a confessor and promoter of unity among the various apostolic agents, always with the aim of bringing about the spiritual renewal in Christ that Pope Leo XII so desired.

 
Two hundred years after the celebration of that jubilee, we are in a new jubilee year and Pope Francis invites us to "revive hope" (SPES NON CONFUNDIT, Bull of proclamation of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, prg 1). Yes, it is indeed an interesting expression; it is an invitation to reflection: REVIVE hope! Nurturing courage, breathing life... 

 
The Jubilee of Hope, which will be celebrated this year, reminds us that as long as there is life, there is hope, and therefore we are invited to always fight... for what is good, for what is beautiful, for what is worthwhile, for joy, for honesty, for generosity... in short, for a lifetime! 

 
St. Vincent Pallotti, in a short letter addressed to his friend Felice Randanini, wrote that "As long as you live, there is hope: you are still able to obtain everything; and I hope you get everything, and more than you want. Pray, pray with confidence – Sancti qui sperant in Domino habebunt fortitudinem, assument
pennas ut aquilae, volabunt et non deficient = He who hopes in the Lord regains his strength, wears wings like feathers, runs without worrying, walks without tiring (cf. Is 40:31) – God is with you – God be with you always".

 
The Jubilee of the year 2025, proclaimed by Pope Francis, calls us to set out as Pilgrims of Hope. In this time of grace, we will experience a Pallottine Jubilee, in which we will remember that "As long as we live, there is hope", as Saint Vincent taught us. We will also celebrate the 200th anniversary of the only jubilee lived and collaborated by the Founder, as well as significant dates such as the 230th anniversary of his life and the 175th anniversary of his death. This will also be a propitious occasion to express our gratitude to God for the 190th anniversary of the Apostolic Inspiration, dated January 9, 1835. In addition, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the beatification of St. Vincent Pallotti.

 
To live the Pallottine Jubilee Year to the full, we are invited to welcome this period as a time of grace and conversion, through confession, prayer and help to the needy. The change of life is a way of living this time. 

 
We will have the opportunity to obtain Plenary Indulgences by visiting the Church of the Most Holy Savior in Onda, in Rome, where the relics of the body of St. Vincent Pallotti rest. In addition, by papal concession through the Apostolic Penitentiary, we will be able to acquire these indulgences on the 22nd of each month during the year 2025, while we celebrate the memory of St. Vincent Pallotti anywhere in the world, in the churches and oratories where the Pallottine priests, nuns and lay people work.
Truly, we must not miss this opportunity of grace to rekindle hope in us, because

as long as there is life, there is always hope! All the time!

Fr. Daniel Rocchetti SAC

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Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA
Tel: (+39) 393.556 0794 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com