The Jubilee Year of Mercy is an opportunity to experience and, importantly, encounter God’s Grace on many levels. By encountering God’s Mercy on an individual level we avail ourselves of the warmth and nourishment of God’s love. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council believes that these blessings can be amplified and shared when we open our hearts to the concept of Mercy amongst our friends, loved ones, communities and most importantly, those of which we have previously found conflict. The act of ‘black and white’ people praying together for mercy, forgiveness and justice is a powerful symbol of all that the Year of Mercy represents. By placing an emphasis on opening our hearts to God and seeking his everlasting forgiveness and strength to forgive, we allow ourselves to become unburdened by the weight that many of us have carried on our shoulders and in our hearts for generations.
NATSICC Resources http://www.natsicc.org.au/assets/2016_final_web.pdf accessed 4/07/16
2016 marks the 30th Anniversary of Saint Pope John Paul II’s address to Aboriginal people in Alice Springs. His words have resonated across this country and they continue to do so. It would be appropriate on this Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday to refer to his ground breaking address. The full transcript is available at www.natsicc.org.au
God of the Holy Dreaming Prayer
God of holy Dreaming
Great Creator Spirit
From the dawn of creation you have given your children
The good things of Mother Earth
You spoke and the gum tree grew
In the vast deserts and dense forests, in the cities,
At the water’s edge, creation sings your praise.
Your presence endures as the rock at the heart of our land.
When Jesus hung on the tree
You heard the cries of all Your people
And became one with Your wounded ones
The convicts, the hunted and the dispossessed.
The sunrise of Your Son
Coloured the earth anew
And bathed it in glorious hope.
In Jesus we have been reconciled to You,
To each other and to Your whole creation.
Lead us on Great Spirit
As we gather at this special place
Located on land where ancestors of long ago
Gathered for work, play and praise.
Enable us to walk together in trust from the hurt of the past
Into the full day which has dawned in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
