The fifth Mercy Night was held in New Jersey on Friday, November 11, 2016 at the parish church of Saint Aloysius in Caldwell! Once again, I’ve asked two brothers to share their particular experiences at Mercy Night. Juan Blanco, as a long-time Community member, shares his experience with the young Emmanuel Community in New Jersey. Carlo Santa Teresa is a brother seminarian and it was his first time participating in an Emmanuel Community event. I hope you’ll find these two testimonies fruitful for your own lives and let us remain united in prayer! I would also like to thank our brothers Fr. Dominique de Lafforest and Fr. Frank Prima for coming out and supporting us in prayer.
Lynx (NJ)
Juan Blanco – Brother in the Emmanuel Community
The Lord never ceases to amaze me! In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we have all had the opportunity of experiencing God’s infinite mercy in a variety of ways. With the help of the parish staff of St Aloysius (providing their incredibly beautiful musical talents), as well as the presence Lynx Soliman and his brother seminarians from Immaculate Conception Seminary, the Lord most definitely touched many hearts. We began the evening with praise and listened to two testimonies on how both confession and adoration have been fundamental in their journeys of faith. As the evening progressed, many of the faithful experienced God’s mercy in the most concrete way possible, through the Sacrament of Confession. Coming close to the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we also offered our intentions to Him and received His word from Scripture. Many also took the opportunity to pray with the seminarians in the Mercy Prayer groups. When the evening came to a close, I was particularly touched by the sharing we had as a team with Lynx and the seminarians. There were several examples of how the Lord touched many hearts that night. It was also great to see the seminarians getting to know the Emmanuel Community in a deeper way and listening to them speak of how through the Community’s charisms they have drawn closer to the Lord. On a cold and windy New Jersey evening, it was clear that the people in that church were called by the Lord to be present. I want to extend my particular congratulations and thanks to our brother Lynx for his hard work in the midst of a very busy seminary schedule and the invitation to take part in this Mercy Night. It is one that I will certainly never forget!
Carlo Santa Teresa – First Theologian for the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey
I had heard about the Emmanuel Community many times before I attended my first Mercy Night, and I was excited to know what the experience would be like. Listening to the songs, testimonies, and the opportunity to pray individually in the mercy prayer groups left a lasting impression on me and helped me to see how the spirituality and work of the Emmanuel Community participates in its very unique and beautiful way in the Church’s universal call to holiness. I saw the spiritual impact that it left on all those who participated in Mercy Night and I felt it in my own personal way as well. May God continue to bless the Emmanuel Community as they continue on the apostolic work entrusted to all of us in drawing all people to Christ!
What a beautiful way to end the Year of Mercy. May God continue to show His love in the hearts of all that attended.