Best gift for our family, loved ones

During this extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, the best gift we can give to our family members, relatives and friends is to get them on a pilgrimage to receive the plenary indulgence. Pope Francis has declared this year as extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy for the faithful to gain plenary indulgence. We can avail of this up to Nov. 20, 2016.

What is a plenary indulgence? It removes all temporal punishments for our sins that have been forgiven (“Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church,” No. 312).

How do we gain the plenary indulgence in this Year of Mercy? By going on a pilgrimage to a designated pilgrim church and praying for the Pope. There we also pray the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. We must also be in a state of grace by going to Confession and receiving Holy Communion within the week that we do the pilgrimage. We are likewise encouraged to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Everybody can strive to cheerfully do works of mercy for love of God who is never outdone in generosity! The corporal works of mercy are to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to shelter the homeless, to visit the sick and the imprisoned, and to bury the dead. The spiritual works of mercy are to counsel the doubtful, to instruct the ignorant, to admonish sinners, to comfort the afflicted, to forgive offenses, to bear wrongs patiently, and to pray for the living and the dead.

All of the baptized are duty-bound to be bearers, spokes-persons of faith, hope and charity. We are joyful heralds of the Good News.

It is also very inspiring to know that during this Year of Mercy, we can get plenary indulgence for our dear departed and loved ones by meeting the requirements earlier enumerated here.

So, what are we waiting for? It’s never too late. Today, nunc coepi! Now is a good time for conversion because time and talent are genuine treasures.

CHING D. AUNARIO, chingauna@yahoo.com