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Copyright 1999 The Archdiocese of Denver 1300 South Steele Street Denver, CO 890210 (303) 722-4687 Webmaster: knight@knight.org |
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EMMAUS TO JUBILEE "... humanity, upon achieving
this goal, THE ROAD TO JUBILEE As Catholics living on the cusp of the millennium, we look to the Great Jubilee Year 2000 not as a time of doom and apocalypse but rather "a year of the Lord's favor" (Is. 61: 1-2) and a time of blessings -- joy, hope and unity that fulfills Scripture (Lk. 4:19). The term "jubilee" derives from the Law of Moses, which called for observing every seventh year as a sabbatical year. According to Mosaic law, the sabbatical year opened on the Day of Atonement. Sabbatical ideals included emancipation of the slaves and the return of the land to the original owners, as well as canceling debts and letting the earth lie fallow -- all to honor God and to restore equality in Israel. A year of jubilee occurred once each fifty years (Lev. 25: 10), coinciding with every seventh sabbatical. The jubilee year embraced the traditions of the sabbatical year, with expanded celebration and solemnity. Adapting Judaic tradition, the Catholic Church has observed jubilee years as Holy Years at various intervals since 1300 AD Holy Years are celebrated to mark reconciliation with God and to receive his favor and blessing. In 1966 Pope Paul VI declared an extraordinary jubilee to commemorate completion of the Second Vatican Council. In Mirificus Eventus, his Apostolic Constitution, the pope describes that time as "...a special period of heavenly salvation and ... [of] opening the fonts of heavenly graces...." The Church last celebrated a jubilee year in 1983 -- the Holy Year of Redemption observing the 1,950th anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ and the beginning of our salvation. Included in the Catholic celebration of Holy Years is recognition of the Church's preferential option for the poor -- a concrete commitment made by every member on behalf of those living in poverty, under oppression, or on the fringes of society. Just as the Law of Moses prescribed jubilees as times of emancipation of slaves and the return of property, the Church includes in jubilee celebrations reconciliation from sin, emancipation from fear and the restoration of human dignity. Rooted in the spirit of jubilee, Catholic social doctrine continues and will expand at the close of this millennium with emphasis on the ideals of emancipation -- for example, forgiveness of debts and a reinvestment of energy in the new evangelization. In his 1994 apostolic letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente ("As the Third Millennium Draws Near"), Pope John Paul II wrote, "The term 'jubilee' speaks of joy -- not just an inner joy but a jubilation manifested outwardly, for the coming of God is also an outward, visible, audible and tangible event .... " [Tertio Millennio Adveniente, hereafter TMA, 16]. The Holy Father also wrote, "The Jubilee of the Year 2000 is meant to be a great prayer of praise and thanksgiving, especially for the gift of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of the Redemption which he accomplished" (TMA, No. 32). The Holy Year is a year of solidarity, of communion, of hope, justice, liberation; a year of love, trust, and reconciliation. The Holy Year offers a special occasion for everyone to get closer to God. The Holy Year constitutes a messianic awakening, a step upward, a sign of Christian progress -- a breakthrough imbued with the life-bringing spirit of the Kingdom of God. The French newspaper Le Monde wrote of the Holy Year of 1950, describing it a "spiritual triumph." Every large celebration must include preparation and waiting. Before we rejoice we must regroup. With an impending celebration as profound as the Great Jubilee Year 2000 -- observing twenty centuries of Gospel life in the Holy Spirit and the ushering in of the third millennium of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ -- preparations take on special importance. The "New Advent", a phrase coined by Pope John Paul II to describe the final years before the new millennium, holds particular significance for the Archdiocese of Denver. In 1991, as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, the Archdiocese of Denver commissioned an icon of Our Lady of the New Advent. The icon, painted by Jesuit father William Hart McNichols after an image known as "Our Lady of the Sign," depicts Mary the Mother of God and the nascent Jesus. In addition, the icon portrays Colorado's front range as a backdrop. The Christ Child holds a blue columbine -- Colorado's state flower and an ancient iconographic symbol of the Holy Spirit. Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II granted permission to venerate the Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of the New Advent, and we celebrate her feast every December 16. John Paul II has on several occasions implored her intercession. The New Advent could not have dawned had Mary not given her fiat. Mary's openness to God's will always leads us to her son, Jesus Christ. As the New Advent is realized, we focus on Christ through the eyes of Mary, Mother of God and the Church. therefore, each of the years leading to the Great Jubilee incorporates an emphasis on the Marian dimension -- for example, her role as daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son and spouse of the Holy Spirit. To give shape to our hope and to highlight possibilities for mission and ministry, especially culminating with and including the Great Jubilee Year 2000 but also continuing into the third millennium, the Emmaus Committee presents as a part of this pastoral plan for the Archdiocese of Denver this framework for jubilee preparations, based on the teaching of Pope John Paul II [See TMA]. The archdiocese is exhorted to mirror the preparations of the universal Church, as provided in TMA. In his apostolic letter, His Holiness recommends a two-phase period of anticipation and arrangements: the first, during 1996, emphasizes catechesis and reflection on the value of jubilee, in addition to planning for the second phase -- 1997 through the year 2000. During the latter phase a three-year celebration of the Persons of the Holy Trinity forms a model giving expression to our faith as follows:
Making ready for jubilee calls us to also continue to address the challenge of secularism. As Catholics we will celebrate the Great Jubilee Year 2000 not only as a moment in time, but also as the "fullness of time" -- a spiritual and historical event drawing us forward and sending us outward as the People of God: confirmed, committed and converted. The jubilee calls for openness to God. From the depths of our human capacity to relate to divinity, we pose a question: Why are we here? And we answer, simply and profoundly: to worship God. The Great Jubilee Year 2000 sends us a clarion call, a reminder of the approaching joyous time but also of how much preparation we must undertake -- especially through personal conversion -- to fully serve the Gospel.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NORTHERN
COLORADO 1. To inaugurate preparations for the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Archbishop of Denver will issue a pastoral letter and supporting materials, including a brochure and prayer cards. 2. To coordinate preparations for and celebrations of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Archbishop of Denver will appoint an archdiocesan Jubilee Steering Committee. The archdiocese asks each parish to name a jubilee coordinator. 3. To celebrate our jubilee preparations prayerfully, the Archdiocese of Denver will place special emphasis on the celebration of the solemnity of the Epiphany (January 5, 1997), a high feast of the liturgical year. 4. To promote Christian unity, the Archdiocese of Denver urges the offering of special prayers for reconciliation within the universal Church, the archdiocese, parishes and families. 5. To further promote Christian unity, the Archdiocese of Denver will offer intercessions for reconciliation of Catholic and non-Catholic churches. The archdiocese will invite the non-Catholic churches in northern Colorado to join in this faith journey to the New Millennium in Christ. 6. To invoke the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, the Archdiocese of Denver will dedicate the celebration of the Great Jubilee Year 2000 to the Blessed Mother under the title Our Lady of the New Advent. 7. To reemphasize the nature and importance of pilgrimages, the Archdiocese of Denver will establish staffing to coordinate pilgrimages for the Great Jubilee. 8. To assist people in answering the call to holiness, especially as lived through personal vocations, the Archdiocese of Denver will increase use of the Denver Catholic Register, "The Catholic Hour," parish bulletins and other means of communication to educate the People of God about vocations; the lives of saints, martyrs, and holy people; and the sanctity of the Sacraments and other Catholic teachings and traditions. 9. To create a unified and informed approach to preparation for and celebration of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Archdiocese of Denver, all archdiocesan and parish councils, committees and staffs will be encouraged to study Pope John Paul II's Tertio Millennio Adveniente. 10. To evangelize parishes for the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Archdiocese of Denver urges pastoral councils to study and implement "Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium." 11. To learn from the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will increasingly reference these documents in homilies and other catechesis.
WHAT EACH CATHOLIC CAN DO TO
SUPPORT
CHAPTER V: 1997: THE YEAR OF JESUS CHRIST "Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever." "Simon Peter replied, 'You
are Christ, the Son of the living God.'" "Christ the Lord, Christ
the new Adam, "Those whom Jesus sends can
do nothing apart from Him." "Christ, the Redeemer of the
world, --Tertio Millennio Adveniente, No. 4
JESUS CHRIST CALLS US Christ calls us to understand his fulfillment of prophecy when he stood in the synagogue and read from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor..." (Is. 61: 1-2); and furthermore, when he said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk. 4: 21). Christ calls us to believe that the fullness of time began with his Incarnation and that the Great Jubilee Year 2000 celebrates the anniversary of his Incarnation and the close of two millennia of his Gospel here on earth. Christ calls us to communion in him by fostering unity and peace at the level of personal conscience, as well as in ecclesial and inter-denominational revelations. Christ calls us to return to him in the Eucharist and other sacraments, to rectify ruptures in this communion caused by personal, institutional and societal failures of the past. Christ calls us to honor Mary as the Mother of the Church.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NORTHERN
COLORADO 1. To provide catechesis on Jesus Christ, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages priests and deacons to concentrate their homilies on the person of Jesus Christ as the forgiver of sins, and urges parish missions that focus on Jesus, Lord and Redeemer. [See 1 Cor. 1: 4-9.] 2. To renew our appreciation of catechesis in its original meaning as the Apostles' teachings about the person of Jesus Christ and his mystery of salvation and to fully embrace learning out of love for Jesus, the archdiocesan jubilee committee should develop ways in which sacred Scripture and the Tradition of the Church can bear fruit in our daily lives. 3. To provide further emphasis on the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Archdiocese of Denver's Catholic Biblical and Catechetical Schools will link the teaching of the gospel with focus on the annual jubilee themes. 4. To continue the grace and spiritual momentum created by hosting World Youth Day 1993 in Denver, the Archdiocese of Denver will celebrate a special Palm Sunday send-off liturgy for northern Colorado Catholics who will make the pilgrimage to Paris, France, for World Youth Day 1997. 5. To recognize Jesus in the Eucharist and to encourage the Prayer of Presence, the John Paul II Center for the new Evangelization will provide for all-night Eucharistic Adoration: the Archdiocese of Denver encourages Catholic holy places in northern Colorado to do the same. 6. To worship Jesus a Lord, the Archdiocese of Denver and each parish will place special emphasis on the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King (November 23, 2997), as a high feast of the liturgical year. 7. To honor Mary as God-bearer, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will place special emphasis on celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (March 25, 1997). 8. To share our love of and life in Christ with our youth, the Archdiocese of Denver and its parishes will initiate sponsorship of Christ-centered youth retreats. 9. To spread the truth that "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever," the Archdiocese of Denver will sponsor and encourage attendance at the Mile-Hi Scripture Institute and the 28th Mile High Congress, which will adopt this theme. 10. To emphasize baptism as the beginning of discipleship in Christ, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will place particular emphasis on the celebration of and catechesis on the Sacrament of Baptism. 11. To emphasize the theological virtue of faith as a fruit of baptism, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will catechize the community of faith through Scripture, the Creed, documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 12. To deepen commitment to and promote observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (in January), the Archdiocese of Denver will offer to host the week's activities. 13. To symbolize increased Christian unity, the Archdiocese of Denver will invite an Eastern-rite Catholic church to provide an icon that will tour the archdiocesan parishes.
WHAT EACH CATHOLIC CAN DO TO
SUPPORT
CHAPTER V: "But the Counselor, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
"It is by the gift of the
Holy Spirit that man, through faith, comes to "The Church cannot prepare
for the new millennium What was accomplished by the Holy
Spirit 'in the fullness of time' --Tertio Millennio Adveniente, No. 44 cf. Dominum et Vivificantem
JESUS CHRIST CALLS US Christ calls us to celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church, as a high feast of the liturgical year. Christ calls us to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation as the conferral of the Holy Spirit. Christ calls us to reflect upon the universal Church's role as Bride. Christ calls us to reflect upon Mary as the spouse of the Holy Spirit, to celebrate her Immaculate conception and to emulate her willingness to let the Holy Spirit guide her. Christ calls us to recognize and celebrate the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit, the bond of love between the Father and Jesus Christ, who inspires a variety of gifts and ministries for the good of his Church. Christ calls us as an archdiocese to concentrate on and offer thanksgiving for the gifts, fruit and charisms of the Holy Spirit, especially as seen in Religious life, the call to oneness and the gift of wisdom. [See 1 Cor. 12: 4-11.] Christ calls us to further Christian unity by remaining open to the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ calls us to a pilgrimage of conversion during which we embrace hope, turning away from despair, as we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-23).
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NORTHERN
COLORADO 1. To provide catechesis on the Holy Spirit as the prime agent in the bringing about the New Evangelization, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages priests and deacons to concentrate their homilies on the Paraclete and urges parish missions that focus on the Holy Spirit as the Lord and Giver of life. 2. To promote the Holy Father's teachings on the Holy Spirit, the Archdiocese of Denver will implement Orientale Lumen (Light of the East), the 1995 apostolic letter from Pope John Paul II, and will also emphasize the encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem (Lord and Giver of Life). 3. To renew the appreciation of the presence, activity, gifts, fruit, and charisms of the Holy Spirit, the Archdiocese of Denver will sponsor and encourage attendance at the Mile-Hi Scripture Institute and the 29th Mile-Hi Congress which will adopt the theme "Come, Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life." 4. To further Christian unity in the name of the Holy Spirit, the Archdiocese of Denver will celebrate a paraliturgical prayer service (including a lucernarium), inviting non-Catholic churches to attend and participate, as appropriate. 5. To honor Mary as spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Archdiocese of Denver will observe (and encourage catechisis on and homilies explaining) a Novena of the Holy Spirit, or Novena of Grace, urging parishes to emphasize novenas especially during the Marian months of May and October. 6. To focus on the theological virtue of hope, which delivers us from despair, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will catechize the community on hope through the teachings of Scripture, the Creed, the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 7. To celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation as the opening to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Archdiocese of Denver will invite parishes to make a pilgrimage to celebrate their Confirmations at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. 8. To honor the Paraclete as the Spirit of Peace, the Archdiocese of Denver will continue and expand ministries through the archdiocesan Justice and Peace Office. 9. To worship the Holy Spirit, the Archdiocese of Denver and each parish will place special emphasis on the celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost as the high feast of the liturgical year. 10. To foster reconciliation and promote Christian unity, the Archdiocese of Denver will dialog with other religions and with different elements of contemporary culture, and will encourage parishes to do likewise.
WHAT EACH CATHOLIC CAN DO TO
SUPPORT
CHAPTER IV: 1999: THE YEAR OF GOD THE FATHER "Jesus said to him, 'I am
the way, and the truth, and the life; -- John 14: 6-7 "The form of this world,
distorted by sin, is passing away and -- Gaudium et Spes. No. 39
"Man is God's possession by
virtue of a choice made in love;
JESUS CHRIST CALLS US Christ calls us to recognize that God is love and that we are to practice charity as the love of God, loving neighbor as self. Christ calls us to study and proclaim the Creed and its articles. Christ calls us to understand our earthly life as a pilgrimage to our heavenly Father. Christ calls us to pray the Lord's Prayer. Christ calls us to honor Mary as the daughter of God. Christ calls us to be in the world but not of it, rising to the challenges of secularism by glorifying God's name in all that we do. Christ calls us to fix our attention on the theology of Redemption and to turn to the all-merciful and ever-loving Father for forgiveness and absolution through the Sacrament of Penance. Christ calls us to dialog with members of the great monotheistic religions of Judaism and Islam as descendants of Abraham looking to God as Father. Christ calls us to strengthen the family of the heavenly Father by solidifying families on earth.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NORTHERN
COLORADO 1. To provide catechesis on God the Father, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages priests and deacons to concentrate their homilies on the Father as the first person of the Holy Trinity. 2. To celebrate God's redemption of the world through his only begotten son, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will strive for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Easter Triduum as the high feast of the liturgical year. 3. To encourage conversion and the return to the all-merciful and ever-loving Father for forgiveness, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will promote the Sacrament of Penance. 4. To support the teaching that God is love and that charity is the love of God and of neighbor as self, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will emphasize catechesis on the virtues of justice and peace that are informed by charity. 5. To turn from violence and destruction to the tenderness and compassion of the Father, the Archdiocese of Denver will celebrate a Novena of Peace and declare a Day of Peace. 6. To gather as a unified people of the one true God, the Archdiocese of Denver will dialog with members of the monotheistic religions of Judaism and Islam. 7. To reflect on our relationship to God the Father and to catechize on the reality of our earthly life as a pilgrimage to the heavenly Father, the 30th Mile-Hi Congress will adopt and expand on that theme. 8. To emphasize the Father's justice and peace, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will strive to build the "civilization of love" to combat against the "civilization of death," with particular emphasis on difficulties among socioeconomic classes, different cultures, and the sexes as stressed in sections 51 and 52, TMA. 9. To consecrate families through a focus on young persons, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages study of the 1994 "Letter to Families" (Gratissimam Sane), from Pope John Paul II. 10. To honor Mary as the daughter of God and handmaid of the Lord, the Archdiocese of Denver will organize pilgrimage(s) to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., Denver's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. 11. To celebrate the many faces of God's family and the diverse forms of approved Catholic worship of the Father, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages pilgrimages to parishes of northern Colorado. 12. To embrace the poor among us as part of God's beloved family, the Archdiocese of Denver will promote the study of the social encyclicals, encourage Catholics to serve the poor through social services ministries and challenge Catholics to raise their voices on behalf of the abandoned poor.
WHAT EACH CATHOLIC CAN DO TO
SUPPORT
CHAPTER V: 2000: THE YEAR OF GLORY TO THE TRINITY
"God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" -- Galatians 4:6 "Hence the universal
Church is seen to be a 'people brought into unity -- Lumen Gentium, No. 4, Quoting St. Cyprian, Augustine and John Damascene.
"...[M]an cries out to
God
just as Christ called out to him, and thus --Tertio Millennio Adveniente, No. 8
JESUS CHRIST CALLS US Christ calls us to live more deeply the mystery of the Trinity in our daily lives. Christ calls us to understand the Church as God's holy people on pilgrimage to the New Jerusalem in heaven. Christ calls us to worship him in the Eucharist, made possible by the Holy Spirit in the love of God in the Father. Christ calls us to hear the cry of the poor and to act not only for them but with them, crating solidarity between the poor and others more fortunate. Christ calls us to follow his example of forgiving oppressors. Christ calls us to deepen our understanding of Mary's relationship to the Trinity: as daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son and spouse of God the Holy Spirit.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NORTHERN
COLORADO 1. To provide catechesis on the Holy trinity, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages priests and deacons to concentrate their homilies on the three Persons in one God, and urges parish missions that focus on the Holy Trinity as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. 2. To celebrate the year 2000 as a Year of the Lord's favor, the Archdiocese of Denver will conduct an archdiocesan synod. 3. To worship the Triune God, especially as present in the Eucharist made possible by the Holy Spirit in the love of God the Father, the Archdiocese of Denver will host a Eucharistic Congress, to include the celebration of Eucharist for the entire archdiocese and all-night Eucharistic Adoration. 4. To manifest Christian unity in the Trinity, the Archdiocese of Denver will host an ecumenical worship service celebrating the 2,000th anniversary of the Incarnation of Christ. 5. To catechize on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the 31st Mile Hi Congress will adopt and expand o the theme of the three Persons in one God, inculcating for all Catholics the theology of the Cross of Jesus. To honor Mary' relationship to the Trinity, the Archdiocese of Denver will emphasize the Prayer of Our Lady of the New Advent:
7. To reflect our earthly pilgrimage to the New Jerusalem, the Archdiocese of Denver encourages pilgrimages to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, to shrines and holy places in the Americas, to Rome and to the Holy Land. 8. To promote the presence of Christ among us, the Archdiocese of Denver will host a procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, at the John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization, on June 11, 2000. 9. To acknowledge our cherished assurance that the Holy Trinity is most clearly revealed in the mystery of the Cross, the Archdiocese of Denver and all parishes will continue to catechize and preach on the truth and meaning of this supreme act of love. 10. To celebrate the year of favor with particular celebration of the Incarnation, the Archdiocese of Denver will urge each parish to celebrate the date of the anniversary of its dedication.
WHAT EACH CATHOLIC CAN DO TO
SUPPORT THE YEAR 2000
Rejoice!! |
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Copyright 1999 The Archdiocese of Denver 1300 South Steele Street Denver, CO 890210 (303) 722-4687 Webmaster: knight@knight.org |