Tag: Divine MercyMore on Divine Mercy – Podcast Interview with Joseph PronechenHE IS RISEN! Dear Friends, this past Friday, I interviewed Joseph Pronechen, the author of our recent post on Divine Mercy, for Register Radio. You can find that podcast here. The interview begins about half way through the show and we covered the FINCH acronym that outlines the basic elements and aspects of the devotion. The acronym is as follows: F – Feast of Divine Mercy I – Image of Divine Mercy N – Novena of Divine Mercy C – Chaplet of Divine Mercy H – Hour of Great Mercy Let me know your thoughts about the show. I pray that all those who have yet to pray the Chaplet would make a commitment to do so this Easter. You wont regret it, and the world needs the Mercy that God will grant through your prayers! PS: Please share this post on facebook and with your family and friends – we need His mercy! Divine Mercy Sunday – Time to Celebrate God’s MercyWorried about the world situation? About your spiritual life? Jesus gives us the hope-filled solution. Seek and accept his mercy. Start in the Eastertide celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday, then continue with the devotion.
Jesus said, “I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially poor sinners,” Jesus explained. “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open… I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon the souls who approach the Fount of My mercy. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet…. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” (Diary 699) Divine Mercy Sunday Also known as “The Feast of Mercy,” marks the Second Sunday of Easter. The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, the authentic promoters of The Divine Mercy message and devotion, explain that there are tremendous promises of graces and benefits that Jesus attached to the feast. Jesus said, “I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy” (Diary, 1109). “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (Diary, 699). In 2002, the Church “endorsed” this promise by granting a plenary indulgence on this feast under usual and certain conditions. In A Nutshell—To Prepare for the Feast and Receive These Promises: 1. Celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter; 2. Sincerely repent of all our sins; 3. Place our complete trust in Jesus; 4. Go to sacramental Confession, preferably before that Sunday; preferably during the Lenten season. 5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast; 6. Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy; 7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf. The Marian Fathers make clear The Divine Mercy Image represents the risen Christ. The “two rays signify the Sacraments of mercy (Baptism and Penance or Reconciliation, and the Eucharist). The Eucharist is the blood of souls, carrying life-sustaining food for our spiritual journey. The water points to the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, in that through these Sacraments, our souls are washed clean.” “I want the Image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter,” Jesus said, “and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it” (Diary, 341). Jesus said, “I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You”. (Diary 327) Listen to Marian Father Seraphim Michlenko, an international expert on Mercy authority, explain more about Divine Mercy Sunday here. Don’t fear confession. Our Lord noted he himself is there waiting for you. Jesus said, “When you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul…” and “Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul (Diary, 1602). Jesus also added incredible promises and wants to grant great graces to souls for praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In part, he said, “Say unceasingly the Chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it, they will receive great mercy at the hour of death… Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy” (Diary, 687). “It pleases me to grant everything souls ask of me by saying the chaplet.” (Diary 1541) “At the hour of their death, I defend every soul that will say this Chaplet as I do my own glory. When this Chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated and His unfathomable mercy envelops the soul” (Diary, 811) Learn to pray it here and pray along in either the recited or sung Chaplet . Or learn here. Pray it in the 3 o’clock hour. Jesus said, “This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary, 1320). After you pray it once, guaranteed you’ll find you want to continue praying it for mercy for yourselves, your loved ones, the sick, dying, and the world. Blessed John Paul II emphasized, “There is nothing that man needs more than Divine Mercy…it is a message that is clear and understandable for everyone. Anyone can come here, look at this image of the merciful Jesus, His Heart radiating grace… And if this person responds with a sincere heart: “Jesus, I trust in You,” he will find comfort in all his anxieties and fears…. Our Lord made the Divine Mercy message clear as the “Great Mercy Pope” died on the evening of April 2, 2005, the Vigil of the Feast of the Divine Mercy, after the Vigil Mass. The next day, John Paul II’s last message, prepared for that Divine Mercy Sunday, was read at the end of the Mass in St. Peter’s Square. He reassured: “the Risen Lord offers his love that pardons, reconciles and reopens hearts to love. It is a love that converts hearts and gives peace. How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy!” “Lord, who reveal the Father’s love by your death and Resurrection, we believe in you and confidently repeat to you today: Jesus, I trust in you, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world.” Don’t pass up on our Risen Lord’s incredible promises by accepting his mercy and trusting in him. Learn more about The Divine Mercy devotion from the official site, of the Marian Fathers and the National Shrine of Divine Mercy. What is a novena?Q: Dear Father John, I have a question for your blog! I think I don’t really know what is a novena? How did it appear in the church and why? I know “neuvaine” means 9, but why 9 days before the feast/saint you are praying? Why would I pray a novena…? A: This question is right on time! One of the Church’s most popular novenas is the Novena to the Divine Mercy, which starts on Good Friday. Maybe a few thoughts regarding the issues you raise can help all of us live it more deeply. We’ll take your questions one at a time: What’s a novena? Where did novenas come from? Why would anyone pray a novena? What is a novena? A novena is a formalized vocal prayer extended over a specific amount of time. Remember, vocal prayer is the kind of prayer where we use other people’s words to address God and to lift our hearts and minds to him. The “Our Father” is a vocal prayer, for example. St. Francis of Assisi’s famous “Make me an instrument of your peace…” prayer is a vocal prayer. You don’t have to say these prayers out loud to make them “vocal,” rather, you just have to give “voice” to (“voice” and “vocal” both come from the same Latin root: voco, vocare, which means to speak out or to call) the words of the prayer. We can recite the words of a vocal prayer in the silence of our hearts, or audibly. In either case, however, vocal prayers give us a channel for the desires and thoughts of our souls. When we use this kind of prayer, we align our minds and hearts with the meaning of the words, giving God praise, renewing our faith and trust, asking him for things we need or desire, or all of the above. A good vocal prayer helps us connect with God. It also reinforces our Christian convictions: by giving words to good desires and expressions of love for God, we actually exercise those desires and that love, and when we exercise them they grow. A novena is a vocal prayer, or series of vocal prayers, that you commit to praying over an extended period of time. These prayers are usually linked to a specific devotion (for instance, devotion to a particular saint) or liturgical celebration (a novena for Pentecost, for example). They are also very often linked to a specific intention that we are praying for – you can offer a novena as a way to petition God for a special grace, like the healing of a sick person or the conversion of someone who is far away from God. The words of the novena will reflect all of these factors. They will remind you of the meaning of the liturgical celebration, the virtues of a saint, or the goodness of God. And the combination of prayers will also, usually, give you a place to insert your personal petition. It’s important to remember, however, that novenas are not magic formulas. They are prayers. They are one way we can enter into conversation with God. Where did novenas come from? The most common period of time during which we pray novenas is nine days. The word “novena” actually comes from the Latin for “nine.” The nine-day period of prayer has its origin in the Book of Acts. After Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, the Apostles, the Blessed Virgin, and some of Christ’s other followers all “joined in continuous prayer” (Acts 1:14) for nine days, until the dramatic coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We know it was nine days, because the Ascension happened forty days after the Resurrection (cf. Acts 1:3), and Pentecost was always celebrated fifty days after the Passover. The Resurrection happened the day following the Passover, so we can do the math: 50-40-1=9. This period in which the fledgling Church “joined in continuous prayer” in anticipation of the promised coming of the Holy Spirit is the first “novena.” Through the centuries, the strict period of nine days has taken various forms, including the nine First Fridays devotion recommended by our Lord to St, Margaret Mary and linked to the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Sometimes you even find local traditions of thirty-day or three-day “novenas.” Why would anyone pray a novena? In general, we pray novenas for the same reason that we pray at all: because God deserves our praise, and because we need his grace. Novenas are prayers, and all the benefits that prayer always brings are also brought by novenas. This particular form of prayer, however, has some special characteristics. First, they provide a channel for strong spiritual sentiments or desires. Sometimes, our souls are so full of sorrow, or anxiety, or hope, or thirst for holiness that it is hard for us to find the words to express ourselves. Novenas give us a vehicle for prayerful expression. A novena of prayer can be a powerful way to mourn the loss of a loved one, for example – a novena of Masses can be a beautiful way to commend their soul to God’s mercy. In a crisis, a novena can channel our apprehension in a positive way: entrusting our deeply felt needs to God through the intercession of a saint, for example. Novenas put clear parameters around deep spiritual sentiments, enabling us to have confidence that we are keeping them in harmony with God and his will. In this way, they provide true comfort to our souls; they assure us that we are “doing our part,” so to speak, in response to particular needs of our own or of others. Second, they help us stay in synch with our spiritual family, the Church. By joining in the Novena of the Divine Mercy (from Good Friday to Divine Mercy Sunday), for example, we unite ourselves to millions of other Catholics all over the world who are engaged in the same prayer. By praying a novena before a major liturgical celebration like Christmas or Pentecost, we can prepare our souls to engage in that celebration more fruitfully, less superficially. I hope these observations have helped you understand a little bit better this long-standing devotion in the Church. And maybe it will even motivate you to try it out for yourself. I would like to invite our other readers to share their favorite novenas, along with any relevant experiences they may have had through praying them. Pope Benedict On Divine Mercy
by The Editors, National Catholic Register correspondent “God’s passionate love for his people — for humanity — is at the same time a forgiving love. It is so great that it turns God against himself, his love against his justice.” This is a startling, radical, statement about divine mercy — the kind of declaration that one might expect to see attributed to Pope John Paul II. But it was Pope Benedict XVI who wrote it, in his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love). Seven years after Pope John Paul II first announced the creation of Mercy Sunday, many priests are still wary of the feast. Why do they hold back? There is a certain assumption that the Divine Mercy is a private devotion that had a personal meaning to a particular Polish man who happened to also be Pope, but that it is not for everyone. Reading Pope Benedict’s words about Divine Mercy should dispel that notion. Rather than attributing the popularity of the Divine Mercy devotion to Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI seems more likely to attribute the greatness of Pope John Paul II to his devotion to Divine Mercy. In his homily before the conclave that elected him, he summed up John Paul’s pontificate by speaking about the late Pope’s emphasis on the Divine Mercy: “Jesus Christ is divine mercy in person: Encountering Christ means encountering the mercy of God,” said Pope Benedict. “The mercy of Christ is not a cheap grace; it does not presume a trivialization of evil. Christ carries in his body and on his soul all the weight of evil, and all its destructive force. He burns and transforms evil through suffering, in the fire of his suffering love.” He concluded last year’s Way of the Cross by saying: “The Way of the Cross is the way of mercy, the way of mercy that puts a limit on evil: This is what we learned from Pope John Paul II. It is the way of mercy; hence, the way of salvation. … Let us pray to the Lord to help us be ‘infected’ by his mercy.” He often noted that Pope John Paul II died after Mercy Sunday Mass. And in a March 26 homily last year, Benedict said forcefully: “The Pope, in this last text which is like a testament, then added: ‘How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy!’” In a visit with the sick on May 7, Pope Benedict embraced not just the message of Divine Mercy, but the specific devotion popularized by St. Faustina. The image the devotion promotes is a portrait of Jesus with rays of light emanating from his heart. The words “Jesus, I trust in you” are inscribed below. Pope Benedict told the sick people, “You who say in silence: ‘Jesus, I trust in you’ teach us that there is no faith more profound, no hope more alive and no love more ardent than the faith, hope and love of a person who in the midst of suffering places himself securely in God’s hands.” He later spoke about visiting the convent where “Sister Faustina Kowalska, contemplating the shining wounds of the Risen Christ, received a message of trust for humanity which John Paul II echoed and interpreted and which really is a central message precisely for our time: mercy as God’s power, as a divine barrier against the evil of the world.” In his homilies, the Holy Father has given us some of our most eloquent and adamant enunciations of God’s mercy: Men and women are prone to doubt God’s care for them. So Pope Benedict stressed: “God loves us in a way that we might call ‘obstinate’ and enfolds us in his inexhaustible tenderness.” The wrong kind of emphasis on God’s mercy can create the impression that God forgives all in an apathetic way, more like a benign uncle than a loving Father. So the Pope stresses God’s anger, too. “[T]he anger and mercy of the Lord alternate in a dramatic sequence, but love triumphs in the end, for God is love.” And always, he seeks to root trust in God’s mercy in the Gospels and the sacraments rather than in private revelation. “How many people also in our time are in search of God, in search of Jesus and of his Church, in search of divine mercy, and are waiting for a ‘sign’ that will touch their minds and their hearts!” he said, in one homily. “Today, as then, the Evangelist reminds us that the only ‘sign’ is Jesus raised on the cross: Jesus who died and rose is the absolutely sufficient sign.” The Church grants an indulgence for participation in Mercy Sunday devotions (see page B2). In his new document on the Eucharist, Pope Benedict recommends such indulgences, but emphasizes that the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist are the most important aspects of them. Finally, Pope Benedict used Divine Mercy to sum up our Christian lives. “To understand and accept God’s merciful love: May this be your commitment, first of all in your families and then in every neighborhood milieu.” This Mercy Sunday is a good day to start. PS: If you would like a great way to learn more about God’s mercy, you might find that “Encounter With Mercy“ will provide powerful insights into God’s mercy in your life. Jesus I Trust In You
The morn had spread her crimson rays, When range the skies with shouts of praise; Earth joined the joyful hymn to swell, That brought despair to vanquished hell. ———- He comes victorious from the grave, The Lord omnipotent to save, And brings with him to light of day The Saints who long imprisoned lay. ———- Vain is the cavern’s threefold ward– The stone, the seal the armed guard; O death, no more thine arm we fear, The Victor’s tomb is now thy bier. ———- Enough of death, enough of tears, Enough of sorrows and of fears! O hear yon white-robed angel cry, Death’s Conqueror lives, no more to die. ———- Grant, Lord, in thee each faithful mind Unceasing Paschal joy may find; And from the death of sin set free Souls newly born to life by thee. ———- To thee, once dead, who now dost live, All glory, Lord, thy people give, Whom with the Father we adore, And Holy Ghost for evermore. Amen. ———- |
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