Apostles for Today - Feb 2017

Apostles for Today

 Prayer and Reflection

February 2017

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General Introduction

      With this edition, we are beginning a series of reflections over the coming months around the theme of dialogue in the light of the charism given to the Pallottine Family through St. Vincent Pallotti.

      Communion is at the very heart of our charism, and St. Vincent is rightly described as a prophet of a spirituality of communion. Dialogue is an expression of communion and a means to create it; a means to deepen it where it already exists and also to repair it where it has been damaged.

      It is a means of entering into relationship with others, to share deeply the truth of our experience of life and faith, while opening ourselves to listen deeply to the experience of others and to being touched and changed by this experience.

      It is a means to constructing and deepening relationships of love and mutual respect and justice among ourselves as a Pallottine Family and with the wider Church and society.

      Dialogue is also a particular characteristic of the wider Church today and is Pope Francis constant invitation. We are called in a special way through our charism to play our part in creating a culture of dialogue in the many and varied dimensions of our lives and world.

                                                            The General Secretariat

DIALOGUE AMONG VOCATIONS

  [The Union of Catholic Apostolate] is like an evangelical trumpet,

perpetually calling everyone … and awakening the zeal and charity

of all the faithful of every class, rank and condition (OOCC, I, pp. 4-5).

      It is vital that we continue to grow in our awareness that the Union of Catholic Apostolate is made up of “all the faithful of every class, rank and condition.” Such a composition requires an ongoing dialogue among the vocations because the approach to the apostolate –and therefore to the imitation of Jesus Christ in our lives – will vary from vocation to vocation.

      Obviously the life of a layperson compared to that of a priest will have different challenges as well as differences in lifestyles. Similarly, the single and married person will approach life itself from a different view depending on the structure and duties that are present. The contemplative and active form of religious life differ from one another. When we look at the “universality” of the membership, It becomes clear that in order to strengthen the relationships among the members there is indeed a need for dialogue. This dialogue is not only necessary among the vocations for a strengthening of our understanding of one another but also for greater effectiveness in our basic calling within the Union.

Every Catholic … should rejoice because, if with their talents, knowledge, learning, studies, strength, nobility, profession, skills, earthly goods, riches, service and prayers … they do all they can to revive faith and rekindle charity … , they can acquire the merit of the apostolate (cf. OOCC, IV, p. 326).

      As we study the foundation of the charism that was given to our Founder, St. Vincent Pallotti, in terms of the broad vision of membership in the Body of Christ, we are reminded that the daily activities of each person can be a source of the apostolate – the life of Jesus Christ, Apostle of the Father – that continues through the power of the Spirit at work in our own lives.

      This calls for a deeper understanding of one another and of our role in this most basic involvement in evangelization: to give new life to faith, a new spark to love and a new thrust to unity. How else can we come to this essential knowledge of the “Body” unless we dialogue?

      What better way is there to “connect” each part to the body that is working as a unit in this apostolic response to which God is calling the Union of Catholic Apostolate?

The idea of apostolate and the name apostle, according to the scriptures, is not such that it cannot be separated from ecclesiastical jurisdiction … Therefore, one who is not a priest can be honoured with the name “apostle” and the work can rightly be called an “apostolate”. (OOCC, III, p. 140)

      Dialogue and effective collaboration are intertwined. When Vincent Pallotti lists the vocations, talents and activities of individuals, he is doing so with a vision that embraces the one body and its many parts. He sees the work of each one as a part of the whole. It is therefore not in isolation that we respond to the call of God, but in communion with one another. If every person is a part of the one body, then every activity becomes a part of universal outreach for the salvation of the world. This is the charism that we have inherited and it is up to us to develop it effectively for our own times through dialogue and collaboration.

      Jesus has sent the Spirit to teach us how to do this. It is up to us to communicate with each other so that we can put on the mind of Christ to move forward as the one Body of Christ.

Questions for our reflection:

1.      How can we grow as one body in the Union of Catholic Apostolate and in the understanding of our different vocations through the use of dialogue?

2.       How are dialogue and collaboration associated with each other as assets to the development of the Union of Catholic Apostolate?

3.      In what ways will dialogue assist us to acknowledge and better understand the essential role of the layperson in the Union and in the Church?

4.      What can we do to deepen our experience of ourselves as the Body of Christ and to broaden our knowledge of the different vocations within the Union – to use everyday actions as a means to a more effective apostolate?

                                           Sr. Carmel Therese Favazzo CSAC

                                           USA

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uac@uniopal.org

Apostles for Today Jan 2017

 

 Apostles for Today
Prayer and Reflection
January 2017

Saint Vincent Pallotti: an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church

During the XXI^st General Assembly of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, on October 10^th, 2016, the participants had the joy of meeting Pope Francis. On that occasion, the Pope did  not address only the Pallottine priests and brothers, but the entire Union of Catholic Apostolate (UAC). Francis said that Saint Vincent “has become an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church. His charism is a precious gift of the Holy Spirit, because it has given rise to and continues to call forth various forms of apostolic life and urges the faithful to engage actively in Gospel witness”.

The theme of light reminds us of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei (the Light of Faith), to which Benedict XVI also contributed in its structuring and the drafting of its content. Let us try to understand what it means to look at Saint Vincent as “an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church” in the light of faith. In the first place, faith is not illusory, is not a leap in the dark, but rather it objectively illuminates the personal and social history of the person. This aspect of light is necessary to faith and is rediscovered in the encounter with truth, because believing does not offend reason, but opens it to the light. The witness of faith that the UAC is called to give presupposes that it involves a faith which rather than living in superstition, bears witness to the truth. In this sense we recognise the importance of ongoing formation in order to give reasons for our faith.

The first part of the Encyclical poses the question of the means to knowledge of faith. If we want to understand what faith is, we consider the story of those who have guided their lives by faith, who have believed in the promises of God and have received what they expected from the faithfulness of God himself. This way of knowing faith as light distinguishes us from intellectualism and brings us the witness of those who have gone before us on the path to be followed as disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ. On the abovementioned occasion, Francis said that we are called “with renewed vigour to reawaken faith and rekindle charity, especially among the most vulnerable segments of the population, that are spiritually and materially poor. In this, you are sustained by the example of so many of your confreres, authentic witnesses of the Gospel, who have dedicated their lives to serving others. I too got to know them during my pastoral service in Argentina and have fond memories of them”. In fact, 40 years have passed since the death of five Pallottines who were assassinated in St. Patrick’s parish, during the military dictatorship. They were true witnesses of Christ.

The second part of the Encyclical presents the relationship between faith and truth. The difficulty in dealing with this issue is the crisis around truth, and this theme is always looked at with suspicion of totalitarianism and fanaticism. We have witnessed terrible violence and deaths because of certain conceptions of faith.. However, it is reasonable to have faith since God keeps his promises and we can place all of our security in Him. This is because authentic faith is an expression of truth; it is not a fairy tale, a dream, but is capable of offering new light to the human realities in which God is present.

Thus, beyond being related to truth, faith also pertains to love, and love is not alone, since it would otherwise be solitude and egoism. In this way, it opens out to the encounter with the Other (God) and with others (others). This is why Christianity contributes to the common good: faith relates to truth and to love, for the building of the human community.

At this point, there is no danger of religious fanaticism because love is possessed as a fruit of faith, which is not imposed, is not violent and does not crush the person, but reaches the heart of every human being. This is the biblical concept of faith, presented as a listening to the voice of God in the depths of conscience (heart), so that one day we may see God face to face. The UAC has the mission of developing dialogue with contemporary society, of contributing to the building of a new social order, motivated by faith which enlightens the life of families and the world of work for the building of the civilisation of love.

The third part of the Encyclical presents the transmission of what has been received. Those who have opened themselves to love (God) and welcomed his voice, receive his light, and cannot keep this gift to themselves. This transmission comes about in contact, person to person, like a flame which kindles another flame. Therefore, it is impossible to believe alone; faith does not occur in an isolated relationship between the self and the divine, but by its nature opens out to a “we”, which means opening oneself to the community of the disciples of Jesus, the Church. Thus we have the unity of faith which finds its origin in one Lord, and is shared with all of the members of the community like a body. From here comes the importance of a profound ecclesial experience of belonging, capable of understanding the dramas and tensions of community life, not isolating oneself, but placing oneself on the path and in the footsteps of Jesus, even if the cross is heavy.

This same faith contributes to the common good, teaching that the light of the face of God illumines the face of our brothers and sisters. Through faith, nature which has been given by God is welcomed with respect and responsibility, we are always open to forgiveness which often requires time, patience and effort, because goodness is always more original and stronger than evil. Faith is also light for those who are suffering, since weakness and even death are illumined and can be lived as the ultimate experience of faith. The Church believes that everything which is human is illumined by faith in the Incarnation of the Word of God.

In conclusion, the model par excellence of faith is Mary, she who believed in God and in the fulfilment of his promises. The members of the UAC, in the footsteps of the Founder, cannot be but devoted to the Madonna. In the presence of Mary we feel at home, in the home of our mother who welcomes her children in their needs. Pope Francis said: “The Union of the Catholic Apostolate, the bearer of the charism of Saint Vincent Pallotti, offers so many opportunities and opens new horizons for participation in the mission of the Church”. Let us learn from Saint Vincent Pallotti to be an enlightening and inspiring beacon in the Church.

From the writings of Saint Vincent Pallotti:

“Through this association, therefore, no one is excluded from taking part in the Catholic Apostolate, and of sharing in its merit, its undertakings and its rewards. Now what could be conceived of that is more pleasing to God than this purpose, or end, which the pious association proposes, that is, to work for, contribute to and pray for the conversion of souls? God has not created us in time except to bring us happy to eternity. His desire is to see all saved, illuminated by the light of his Divine Truth. To this end are directed the spreading of His graces and the exercising of his Providence (OOCC IV 124-125).

Questions for personal and community reflection:

1.    Faith becomes light for actions. Do we know and practise the social doctrine of the Church?

2.    The UAC is an association recognised by the Church. Do we work as an association or simply individually?

                                                                    

                                                       Fr. Denilson Geraldo SAC

                                                 Rome

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uac@uniopal.org

Apostles for Today - Prayer and Reflection Dec. 2016

Apostles for Today 

December 2016

“My God, I ask you now to grant me the grace, through the intercession of Mary and of all the angels and saints, lay and religious saints, to give me the light to know myself  ” (OOCC X, 264)

 A Blessed Advent to you!

One year ago, reading the Bull of Induction of the Jubilee of Mercy (which is very beautiful), I was very struck by the expression which the Pope used to finish his thoughts in announcing the opening of the Holy Year on the day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8^th, 2015. Here is how he spoke about Mary: “[God] turned his gaze to Mary, holy and immaculate in love” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, n.3).

… Mary, holy and immaculate in love …

These words continue to have a profound echo in my life. It sometimes happens that I repeat them like a kind of litany, in my prayers and in my activities, in tiredness and when making quick progress.

And now one year later, reading the Apostolic Letter closing the Jubilee Year (which is also very beautiful!), another phrase of the Pope resounded in my heart just as deeply: “We have to remember each of us carries the richness and the burdens of our personal history; this is what makes us different from everyone else. Our life, with its joys and sorrows, is something unique and unrepeatable that takes place under the merciful gaze of God.” (Pope Francis, Misericordia et Misera, n. 14).

… each of us carries the richness and the burdens of our personal history …

With amazement I realize that my story, our story is within the mercy of God. All of me, of us - joys and sorrows - is to be sung because His merciful gaze is in everything and in every fragment of everything.

… Mary, holy and immaculate in love …

… each of us carries the richness and the burdens of our personal history … :

they are two realities which call out to each other and unite themselves to each other. Mary, the All Beautiful One, and we,  all less than beautiful, can look at each other, continually loved by the mercy of God.

And there is even more: with faith we can dare to desire and with children’s hearts ask Mary to intercede for us with her mother’s heart before God so that we too may be made holy and immaculate in love.

… Mary, holy and immaculate in love …

… each of us carries the richness and the burdens of our personal history … :

are given to us by the Church, which teaches us to go to the heart of our charism and to take on the mission of our Pallottine Family with responsibility. In this year and a half I have also had the grace of visiting Brazil, Poland, Ireland, Germany, London, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and India. 

… go to the heart of our charism … :

in all of those places I saw that the Union is an authentic presence of the Church. And the Church is a communion because, as for the action of the three divine Persons, it is “a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Lumen Gentium, 4).

I have always felt, in fact, and for me this is our gift to the Church, that the life of the Union, that is, of our entire Family, is a fabric of relationships through which we learn that communion must be made flow through relationships, and that the charism of St. Vincent Pallotti still now reveals the newness of its content in this life of relationships. Because in the face of each one of us there is always the face of someone else who, in this life of relationships, first encountered, attracted and formed me, and so forth right back through history until arriving at the origin: the life of relationship between St. Vincent Pallotti and God, the Most Blessed Trinity.

… and take on the mission

of our Pallottine Family with responsibility …:

in each country I encountered people (among the priests, brothers, sisters, lay people, seminarians, candidates, young people, older people, the sick) who live deeply their conviction and their commitment to follow Jesus Christ and attract yet others to Him, calling all and uniting the efforts of all in service of the Church.

This is what Saint Vincent intended by the expression “co-founders” of his work. I recognize with gratitude that the gift of the Holy Spirit to Pallotti is still working here and now in his sons and daughters for the good of the Church and of humanity.

 “The pious Union campaigns under the most effective protection of the Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of Apostles, for two most holy ends: the first to obtain through the merits and intercession of the great Immaculate Mother of God all of the graces and gifts in order that the pious Union, in the moral body and in the present and future individuals, may always exist in the Church of God with the fullness of fruit and may be propagated quickly in proportion to the needs of souls in whatever part of the world; the second end is that all, lay people and secular and religious clergy of whatever order, state and condition may have in Mary Most Holy, after Jesus Christ, the most perfect model of true zeal and perfect charity” (cfr. OOCC I, p. 7).

For personal and communal reflection:

We are already near to Christmas. We gaze at Jesus who is born and recollect ourselves, united together, meditating on these words of the Founder as if we ourselves had said them:

 “My God, who are You and who am I? Who am I before You? What did you desire me to be before You?” (cf. OOCC X, 482);

 “Come Lord, do not delay, because I cannot be without You for a moment” (cf. OOCC X,  277);

 “And when I have nothing else to use for this end, I will never cease to pray that there be one fold, and one Shepherd, and thus I hope to arrive in Paradise to enjoy the fruits of the Apostolate of Jesus Christ for all eternity” (cf. OOCC I, 129-130);

 “The pious Union does not have a new objective, but the eternal law of charity” (OOCC IV, 317).

To the entire Union of Catholic Apostolate in every part of the world, a Blessed Christmas!

                                                                Donatella Acerbi,

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uac@uniopal.org

Apostles for Today - October

Apostles for today 

Prayer and Reflection 

October 2016

Mercy and Mission

       The Year of Mercy has really given us an opportunity to reflect on this theme, but above all, to experience the unconditional love of God, and through concrete gestures and actions to spread it to others.

       My first observation takes some questions as its starting point: what is the relationship between mercy and mission? What does it mean to discover the mercy of God? Because of the greatness and complexity of the topic, I am sure that I will not succeed in giving a completely satisfactory response.

       The gospel reveals to us that we must continue the work begun by Jesus Christ, being at his service and that of our brothers and sisters. In this very complex historical reality, the human person can receive the merciful intervention of God through our evangelical action.

       Jesus is “the face of the mercy of God” (Misericordiae Vultus), and we are called always to contemplate this mystery of love.

       No one can claim with certainty to have discovered and exhausted all of the aspects which characterise the essence of  mercy. We may try to say something, but will never succeed in saying it all, because the essence of mercy is within the heart of God and only those who experience it will live the joy of feeling themselves pardoned and gathered into the love of the Father.

       Intoxicated by this divine love, we can “comprehend” or come closer to the true meaning and sense of mercy. Therefore, faith can never be missing, a faith that brings us to seek the answers in God. We are called to allow God to work in his creative freedom, to lead us by ways that are different from ours, to live in his mystery and to throw ourselves fearlessly into the mission that God has entrusted to us.

       Our Founder, St. Vincent Pallotti, lived this experience of love deeply. We can see this in his writings, where he was in the habit countless times of repeating words, such as eternity, infinite, immense, my mercy ... (Poem of Mercy). Pallotti lived this experience with great modesty. He humbly recognizes his nothingness and imperfection, to the point of saying, “I am nothingness and sin.” However, this feeling of nothingness does not alienate him from God, but moves him to a total confidence, to placing himself completely into the Merciful love of the Father, to then exclaim: “My God and my all.”

       With great joy we recognise that our Founder experienced the merciful love of God in the depths of his being, leading him to implore “that in me and in all, there may remain the fullness of the merciful love of God.”

       Following St. Vincent Pallotti’s inspiration, we get in touch with our deepest roots and can there discover the essence of our path of conversion and enjoy the great experience of merciful love, bringing us closer to what Jesus has told us: “You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

       This experience of love that Pallotti lived brought him into contact with many realities of Rome of his day, leading him to feel the need of involving the laity, priests and religious as apostles, and he used to say: we must be “evangelical trumpets,” in order to proclaim the Word of God to everyone and to glorify Him in everything through works of mercy.

       Every baptized person ought to have the awareness of being called to become an apostle, evangeliser, to proclaim the Good News, to speak of its marvels, to announce Jesus and to bear witness that He lives and walks with us as Church, as the People of God.

       We, the Pallottine family, have a very rich inheritance as our charism which impels us to mission, to “be and to form apostles”, and we cannot forget this mandate. Our Founder always displayed a profound missionary zeal, and desired to pass it on to all, announcing the greatness of the Reign of God.

       At times, we lack the courage to say yes to the mission, especially when we have to leave our country and face new realities. Let us remember St. Paul, who allowing himself to be led by the love of Jesus Christ, exclaimed: woe to me if I do not announce the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).

       Being an apostle means being a missionary, being a disciple of Jesus, and this implies the need to so live in communion with Him as to be able to affirm: “I live not I, but Christ lives in me. And this life that I live in the body, I live in faith in the Son of God who loved me and has given himself for me (Jn. 2:20).

       To be a true missionary we must allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit as did Mary and the apostles in the Cenacle, with the possibility of giving place to a true “missionary outburst which took place at Pentecost” (EG 284). Our evangelising action has its roots in the mandate of Jesus: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creatures” (Mk 16:15).

       What is this mission? Jesus himself gives us the answer. “Go therefore and make disciples of all people, baptizing then in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the world” (Mt 28: 19-20).

       It is up to us to be open to listen to the call and to take the path on which God sends us, to build this project of love without forgetting the three pillars of assiduous prayer, attention to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and witness of life.

       We must ask God not only to respond, but to have the courage to walk along his paths which are unknown to us, with the certainty that He is faithful and never abandons his children.

       I conclude this reflection with the final words of the Gospel of St. John: it is not possible to write all the things that Jesus did (cf. Jn 21:25).

Some questions will help us to develop this theme a bit further:

Am I a door of mercy for others?

How can I be the merciful face of God for others?

How do I live my missionary vocation of being an apostle today?

PRAYER FOR THE ’UNION OF CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE

       God, the Father of Mercy, we believe in your Infinite Love, in your Infinite Goodness; we believe that you have invited your Son to redeem us and all people; we believe that your Spirit is the source of light in the mission that you have entrusted to us through St. Vincent Pallotti.

       We beg, O Divine Spirit, abundant light on the Union of Catholic Apostolate. Fill every member with your gifts, so that our prayer, our announcing of the Word and our suffering may be filled with apostolic zeal, that God may be infinitely glorified and that as soon as possible there may be one flock under one Shepherd.

       Mary, Queen of Apostles, form us so that we may respond generously to the call of the Church; using all possible means to faithfully and lovingly live our consecration; to revive faith and love in all; to always serve with joy and availability.

       Lord, grant us the grace to seek the will of God in everything and what will help us to build your Kingdom of love, justice, truth, fraternity and peace. This we ask you through the intercession of Mary, Queen of Apostles and of St. Vincent Pallotti in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

                                             Sr. Venícia Meurer

                                             Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate - Pallottines

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uac@uniopal.org

Apostles for Today - September 2016

Apostles for Today 

Prayer and Reflection
September 2016

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Prayer and Mercy.

Misericordiae Vultus begins with a powerful connection between Jesus Christ as the face of the Father’s mercy and our need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. We have, therefore, the link between mercy and prayer at the very beginning. When we study the writings of St. Vincent Pallotti, we are encouraged and challenged by the same combination: prayer and mercy.

For those who have studied the writings of Vincent Pallotti, his emphasis on the place of prayer in our lives and on the Infinite Mercy of God is well known: The practice of holy prayer is most necessary … A Christian without prayer is a person without reason…. A missionary without prayer is a soldier without a sword.

The model of a life of prayer and of mercy is Jesus Christ the Lord who is the true image of the Father’s mercy. Jesus reflects the mercy of God in his very person. And so Pallotti stands before God in prayer, asking for that grace to “be Jesus” on this earth. “In all my works may it always be Jesus Christ who lives and acts in me. United with him, I offer you the correspondence of his most holy humanity. “

This “living in Jesus” in the twofold presence of contemplative prayer and merciful works gives direction and shape to specific aspects of our Christian Life as stated in Misericordiae Vultus:

~      Relationship with God and with one another

~      A source of joy, serenity and peace

~      A meeting place and a bridge between the person and God, between me and the other

~      A more effective sign of God’s action in our lives

~      A sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit, guiding the steps of believers to cooperate in the work of Christ

All of these elements are familiar to those involved in the Union of Catholic Apostolate. The life of Jesus – the very image of mercy – constitutes the “Rule” of the members of the Pallottine Family. The place of prayer is fundamental to our deepening relationship with God and each other, a relationship that, in fact, promotes peace and joy not only within ourselves but throughout the world.

Vincent Pallotti stressed the importance of confidence in our prayer, expecting God to respond generously to our requests: When I ask for some spiritual grace, I shall imagine with solicitude, confidence, humility and gratitude that I have immediately obtained it. I will perform internal acts as if I had really obtained such a grace. And I do not doubt I will obtain it. (OOCC, X, pp. 112-113). How much more can we apply this to ourselves in the UAC when it comes to praying for God’s grace to be a people of mercy and apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Vincent often refers to our being “a trophy of God’s mercy,” through the institution of that holy Society which respects, venerates, favors and assists the Catholic Apostolate. By virtue of our very foundation, we are called to be apostles of mercy and imitators of God, alert to the needs of God’s children.

We are further reminded by Pallotti that by the grace of God our lives, words and deeds will be works of God’s mercy and we can safely add that they will be the witness of Divine Love acting in and through us through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In addition, we are challenged by our Founder to move forward with utter confidence during this Year of Mercy:

      Let us make every effort to do great things for the glory of our Creator, and let us remember that it is divine grace that makes us holy, and that the same God can give us so great a grace that can make us become greater Saints than any other Saint that has already lived in the Church of Jesus Christ. And let us believe most firmly that God will give us such a grace.

Points for Reflection:

1. How can we as Union – as individuals, families, cenacles -- further develop our life of prayer that will lead us more deeply into the spiritual and corporal works of mercy?

2. In living out the charism given to us by God through St. Vincent Pallotti, what must we do to better listen and respond to the Word of God – our Rule of Life – to be genuine witnesses of mercy as imitators of our Merciful God?

3. What are the needs in our area that we can respond to as a group within the UAC – taking into account the importance of effective prayer and planning as a part of the entire process?

4. What can I do personally in my own prayer life and in my actions to embrace the challenge in this Year of Mercy to be merciful like the Father?

                                        Sr. Carmel Therese Favazzo, CSAC

                                        Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate

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Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uac@uniopal.org