Holy Door opened Dec. 13 to start Jubilee Year of Mercy
ASHEVILLE — “Grant that your faithful may pass through this gate, and be welcomed into Your Presence, so that they may experience, O Father, Your abundant mercy,” prayed Father Wilbur Thomas, pastor and rector, during the rite to open a Door of Mercy at St. Lawrence Basilica Dec. 13.
The 106-year-old basilica in downtown Asheville is one of three pilgrimage sites for the Jubilee Year of Mercy in the Diocese of Charlotte, which continues until Nov. 20, 2016. The other two are at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, which opened its Holy Door on Dec. 12, and St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, which will open its Holy Door at a later time.
The privilege of opening a Holy Door of Mercy in Asheville is a joyful occasion, Father Thomas noted in his homily.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near,” he quoted from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the second reading for the day.
“My brothers and sisters, on this Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday we call Rejoice Sunday, I am filled with joy that the Basilica of St. Lawrence has been designated a pilgrimage site in the Diocese of Charlotte for the Jubilee Year of Mercy.”
The Door of Mercy will be the west courtyard entrance to the basilica, which is already open daily to welcome visitors and pilgrims, Father Thomas said.
“The basilica is already a place of pilgrimage for many people,” he said, “and many people have found refuge in the Presence of Christ Jesus and prayers to the Blessed Mother in this hallowed place.
“The difference is that with the Year of Mercy, the basilica will become even more important in the lives of our Catholic family – and non-Catholics alike – as a place where on pilgrimage they may find … reconciliation with our God, in Christ Jesus, that they may experience that in this place.”
Father Thomas reminded the faithful of Pope Francis’ words announcing the Year of Mercy, which aims to bring the message of God’s love and mercy to those who are in most need, those who are abandoned, discouraged, sick or lost. The Church, and every one of its members, must become messengers and witnesses of God’s mercy, he explained.
“Here then is the reason for the Jubilee. This is the time for mercy. It is a favorable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and to touch with their hands the signs of the closeness of God, a time to offer everyone the way of forgiveness and reconciliation,” he quoted from Pope Francis.
“Pope Francis says that he wants this Church of 1.2 billion members to be more merciful and less rigid towards sinners. He has said that the jubilee is an occasion for all members, and for the Church itself, to rediscover the need to be forgiving...”
“The greater the sin, the greater the love that the Church should show toward those who repent,” he continued.
This jubilee year is a time to promote reconciliation, solidarity and justice, he said.
“We celebrate during this holy year God’s limitless mercy. That mercy flows through the sacraments and through all of us. Each of us is called to be a door of mercy.”
“What should we do?” he asked, during this Year of Mercy and particularly during this Advent season. It is the same question people asked St. John the Baptist in the day’s Gospel reading, and the answer is the same now as it was then: “Repent and reform your lives, and prayerfully await for the Messiah.”
Mercy means “treating others equally and without prejudice or judgment. The whole effort of the Jubilee Year of Mercy is to strengthen, deepen and ultimately rejoice in the friendship we ultimately have in Christ Jesus. It’s about encountering Him and knowing His gracious and abundant love that caused Him to give His life for us. He is the embodiment of God’s will. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life, for those who believe and for those who have yet to know Him – for the whole world.
“We must not take (His love) for granted, my brothers and sisters, in any way,” he said. “Jesus stands at the door of our hearts, and knocks.”
Noting the recent feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Father Thomas prayed, “During this special year of grace and mercy, may the Mother of God, the Mother of Mercy, open our eyes so that we may comprehend the paths to which we have been called, and may she obtain for us the grace to experience this jubilee of mercy as faithful and fruitful witnesses of Christ Jesus.”
The Asheville basilica is on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed in the Spanish Renaissance style by the architect of the Biltmore House, Rafael Guastavino, it features the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America and is constructed of North Carolina granite, tile and brick. The church’s German-made stained glass windows, statuary, polychrome terra cotta reliefs, icons and architectural details are renowned for their beauty and historical significance. Its Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, formerly known as St. Joseph’s Chapel, is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For details about St. Lawrence Basilica, its Mass and confession schedules, or to arrange a tour especially during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, go to www.saintlawrencebasilica.org.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor