This Apostolate is dedicated to spreading the Devotion to the Divine Mercy and Grace of our Lord Jesus for everyone and every need.
Divine Mercy and Divine Grace
John 3:16-17 " For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
Jesus means in Hebrew: "God saves." At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his identity and his mission.18 Since God alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus his eternal Son made man, "will save his people from their sins."19 In Jesus, God recapitulates all of his history of salvation on behalf of men.
In the history of salvation God was not content to deliver Israel "out of the house of bondage"20 by bringing them out of Egypt. He also saves them from their sin. Because sin is always an offense against God, only he can forgive it.21 For this reason Israel, becoming more and more aware of the universality of sin, will no longer be able to seek salvation except by invoking the name of the Redeemer God.22
The name "Jesus" signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation,23 so that "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."24
The name of the Savior God was invoked only once in the year by the high priest in atonement for the sins of Israel, after he had sprinkled the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood. The mercy seat was the place of God's presence.25 When St. Paul speaks of Jesus whom "God put forward as an expiation by his blood," he means that in Christ's humanity "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself."26
Jesus' Resurrection glorifies the name of the Savior God, for from that time on it is the name of Jesus that fully manifests the supreme power of the "name which is above every name."27 The evil spirits fear his name; in his name his disciples perform miracles, for the Father grants all they ask in this name.28
The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through our Lord Jesus Christ." The Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words "blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Many Christians, such as St. Joan of Arc, have died with the one word "Jesus" on their lips.
What a week!
This year has been an amazing year for disasters and this week was no exception. The tornados, floods, and storms have really made a mess of the south. Througout all of this we suffer our own personal problems that seem so significant as they happen but are so small compared to the loss of property and life in these disasters. The faith of God's people shines in these disasters as a beacon of hope for all of us. It always makes me wonder how I would respond under that stress.
One thing that I have seen in all of this, is that the mercy of God is always there for us. No matter how large or how small the issue, there is mercy for us in Jesus. I can not help but be thankful for His mercy all the time. Since last year all I have heard is pray for mercy. Pray for mercy on our families, our parish, our diocese, Holy Mother Church. Pray for mercy for the Pope, all Bishops, all priests, all religous, all baptized, all the faithful, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Pray for mercy for our nation, our government (Federal, State, and Local) executive, judicial, and legislative branches. Pray for mercy on Isreal and Jerusalem, pray for mercy upon the sick, the dying, and those who mourn. Pray for mercy upon the thirsty, the hungry, the naked, those who are homeless, the persecuted, and those in prison. Pray for mercy upon widows and orphans, the poor and the oppressed, the souls of all sinners, the blind, the deaf, the mute, those whohave lost limbs, and those who are parylized. Pray for mercy upon all who suffer from disaster and all who suffer from war.
Pray for mercy upon everyone and for everyone everywhere.
Especially pray for mercy upon those who you have issues with, those who you can not get along with, and those who are seemingly unlovable. Jesus died for each of us. He died to make things right and our part in this includes praying for the needs of all and for the salvation of all. Pray the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Stations of the crosss, and any Litanys that you feel lead to pray.
Spend this week contemplating the Mercy of God and praying for mercy on all and for all. God bless, Todd
"I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:
the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third — by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.
Many souls ... are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul.
If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy" (1317). http://thedivinemercy.org/message/acts/
St. Venerable Bede Bede is one of the few saints honored as such even during his lifetime. His writings were filled with such faith and learning that even while he was still alive, a Church council ordered them to be read publicly in the churches.
At an early age Bede was entrusted to the care of the abbot of the Monastery of St. Paul, Jarrow. The happy combination of genius and the instruction of scholarly, saintly monks produced a saint and an extraordinary scholar, perhaps the most outstanding one of his day. He was deeply versed in all the sciences of his times: natural philosophy, the philosophical principles of Aristotle, astronomy, arithmetic, grammar, ecclesiastical history, the lives of the saints and, especially, Holy Scripture.
From the time of his ordination to the priesthood at 30 (he had been ordained deacon at 19) till his death, he was ever occupied with learning, writing and teaching. Besides the many books that he copied, he composed 45 of his own, including 30 commentaries on books of the Bible.
Although eagerly sought by kings and other notables, even Pope Sergius, Bede managed to remain in his own monastery till his death. Only once did he leave for a few months in order to teach in the school of the archbishop of York. Bede died in 735 praying his favorite prayer: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As in the beginning, so now, and forever.”
His Ecclesiastical History of the English People is commonly regarded as of decisive importance in the art and science of writing history. A unique era was coming to an end at the time of Bede’s death: It had fulfilled its purpose of preparing Western Christianity to assimilate the non-Roman barbarian North. Bede recognized the opening to a new day in the life of the Church even as it was happening. http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saintofday/
Acts 15:1-6 Psalm 122:1-5 John 15:1-8 He who fights even the smallest distractions faithfully when he says even the very smallest prayer, will also be faithful in great things. -- St. Louis de Montfort
All comments and prayer requests are welcome! Please fell free to contact us.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
St. Paschal Baylon, OFM, Religious (Memorial)
First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:
Acts 11:19-26 Psalm 87:1-7 John 10:22-30 Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and, as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a Saint, in spite of his present weakness. -- St. Thomas of Villanova
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 St. Paschal Baylon (1540-1592)
In Paschal’s lifetime the Spanish empire in the New World was at the height of its power, though France and England were soon to reduce its influence. The 16th century has been called the Golden Age of the Church in Spain, for it gave birth to Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Peter of Alcantara, Francis Solano and Salvator of Horta.
Paschal’s Spanish parents were poor and pious. Between the ages of seven and 24 he worked as a shepherd and began a life of mortification. He was able to pray on the job and was especially attentive to the church bell which rang at the Elevation during Mass. Paschal had a very honest streak in him. He once offered to pay owners of crops for any damage his animals caused!
In 1564, Paschal joined the Friars Minor and gave himself wholeheartedly to a life of penance. Though he was urged to study for the priesthood, he chose to be a brother. At various times he served as porter, cook, gardener and official beggar.
Paschal was careful to observe the vow of poverty. He would never waste any food or anything given for the use of the friars. When he was porter and took care of the poor coming to the door, he developed a reputation for great generosity. The friars sometimes tried to moderate his liberality!
Paschal spent his spare moments praying before the Blessed Sacrament. In time many people sought his wise counsel. People flocked to his tomb immediately after his burial; miracles were reported promptly. Paschal was canonized in 1690 and was named patron of eucharistic congresses and societies in 1897. Comment:
Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament occupied much of St. Francis’ energy. Most of his letters were to promote devotion to the Eucharist. Paschal shared that concern. An hour in prayer before our Lord in the Eucharist could teach all of us a great deal. Some holy and busy Catholics today find that their work is enriched by those minutes regularly spent in prayer and meditation.
Quote:
"Meditate well on this: Seek God above all things. It is right for you to seek God before and above everything else, because the majesty of God wishes you to receive what you ask for. This will also make you more ready to serve God and will enable you to love him more perfectly" (St. Paschal).
Dives in misericordia
The Incarnation of Mercy Although God "dwells in unapproachable light,"8 He speaks to man he means of the whole of the universe: "ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made."9 This indirect and imperfect knowledge, achieved by the intellect seeking God by means of creatures through the visible world, falls short of "vision of the Father." "No one has ever seen God," writes St. John, in order to stress the truth that "the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known."10 This "making known" reveals God in the most profound mystery of His being, one and three, surrounded by "unapproachable light."11 Nevertheless, through this "making known" by Christ we know God above all in His relationship of love for man: in His "philanthropy."12 It is precisely here that "His invisible nature" becomes in a special way "visible," incomparably more visible than through all the other "things that have been made": it becomes visible in Christ and through Christ, through His actions and His words, and finally through His death on the cross and His resurrection.
In this way, in Christ and through Christ, God also becomes especially visible in His mercy; that is to say, there is emphasized that attribute of the divinity which the Old Testament, using various concepts and terms, already defined as "mercy." Christ confers on the whole of the Old Testament tradition about God's mercy a definitive meaning. Not only does He speak of it and explain it by the use of comparisons and parables, but above all He Himself makes it incarnate and personifies it. He Himself, in a certain sense, is mercy. To the person who sees it in Him - and finds it in Him - God becomes "visible" in a particular way as the Father who is rich in mercy."13
The present-day mentality, more perhaps than that of people in the past, seems opposed to a God of mercy, and in fact tends to exclude from life and to remove from the human heart the very idea of mercy. The word and the concept of "mercy" seem to cause uneasiness in man, who, thanks to the enormous development of science and technology, never before known in history, has become the master of the earth and has subdued and dominated it.14 This dominion over the earth, sometimes understood in a one - sided and superficial way, seems to have no room for mercy. However, in this regard we can profitably refer to the picture of "man's situation in the world today" as described at the beginning of the Constitution Gaudium et spes. Here we read the following sentences: "In the light of the foregoing factors there appears the dichotomy of a world that is at once powerful and weak, capable of doing what is noble and what is base, disposed to freedom and slavery, progress and decline, brotherhood and hatred. Man is growing conscious that the forces he has unleashed are in his own hands and that it is up to him to control them or be enslaved by them."15
The situation of the world today not only displays transformations that give grounds for hope in a better future for man on earth, but also reveals a multitude of threats, far surpassing those known up till now. Without ceasing to point out these threats on various occasions (as in addresses at UNO, to UNESCO, to FAO and elsewhere), the Church must at the same time examine them in the light of the truth received from God.
The truth, revealed in Christ, about God the "Father of mercies,"16 enables us to "see" Him as particularly close to man especially when man is suffering, when he is under threat at the very heart of his existence and dignity. And this is why, in the situation of the Church and the world today, many individuals and groups guided by a lively sense of faith are turning, I would say almost spontaneously, to the mercy of God. They are certainly being moved to do this by Christ Himself, who through His Spirit works within human hearts. For the mystery of God the "Father of mercies" revealed by Christ becomes, in the context of today's threats to man, as it were a unique appeal addressed to the Church.
In the present encyclical wish to accept this appeal; I wish to draw from the eternal and at the same time-for its simplicity and depth- incomparable language of revelation and faith, in order through this same language to express once more before God and before humanity the major anxieties of our time.
In fact, revelation and faith teach us not only to meditate in the abstract upon the mystery of God as "Father of mercies," but also to have recourse to that mercy in the name of Christ and in union with Him. Did not Christ say that our Father, who "sees in secret,"17 is always waiting for us to have recourse to Him in every need and always waiting for us to study His mystery: the mystery of the Father and His love?18
I therefore wish these considerations to bring this mystery closer to everyone. At the same time I wish them to be a heartfelt appeal by the Church to mercy, which humanity and the modern world need so much. And they need mercy even though they often do not realize it. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30111980_dives-in-misericordia_en.html
Farmer‘s daughter. Her motherdied when Margaret was seven years old, and her stepmother considered the girl a nuisance. Margaret eloped with a young nobleman from Montepulciano, bore him a son, and lived as his mistress for nine years. In 1274 he was murdered by brigands, and his body dumped in a shallow grave.
Margaret saw the incident as a sign from God. She publicly confessed to the affair, and tried to return to her father‘s house; he would not accept her. She and her son took shelter with the Friars Minor at Cortona. Still young and attractive, Margaret sometimes had trouble resisting temptation, but each incident was followed by periods of deep self-loathing. To make herself unappealing to local young men, she once tried to mutilate herself, but was stopped by a Friar named Giunta.
She earned her keep by tending to sickwomen. She later began caring for the sickpoor, living on alms, asking nothing for her services. She became a Franciscantertiary in 1277. Margaret developed an deep and intense prayer life, and was given to ecstacies during which she received messages from heaven.
In 1286 Margaret received a charter to work with the sickpoor. She gathered others of like mind, and formed them into a community of tertiaries. They were later given the status of a congregation, and called the Poverelle (Poor Ones). With them she founded a hospital at Cortona. Margaret preached against vice of all sorts to any who would listen. She developed a great devotion to the Eucharist and Passion, and prophesied the date of her own death.
Though she worked for those in need, and though the poor sought her help and advice, the calumny of her earlier life followed her the rest of her days, and she was forever the target of local gossips.
Mercy is God's Greatest Attribute
DM 101: Week 2
By Dr. Robert Stackpole, STD (Sep 3, 2005)
WEEK TWO: WHAT IS DIVINE MERCY ?
2. Mercy is the Greatest Attribute of God
The Holy Father wrote in "Dives in Misericordia" (no. 13): "the Bible, Tradition, and the whole faith life of the People of God provide unique proof... that mercy is the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God."
As we shall see later in this course, the Pope was merely reiterating here the teaching of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. But we still may want to know how this can be true. How can any of God's perfections be "greater" than any other? According to the Christian philosophical tradition, and the definition of God given at the first Vatican Council, God is one, simple, spiritual, infinitely perfect act of Being. He does not have "parts" as bodily creatures do. Rather, each of His perfections, such as His love, His goodness, His power, and His wisdom, is just another name for what He is. The Polish theologian Fr. Ignacy Rozycki explained it like this (Pillars of Fire, p.96).
In this sense, all of God's attributes are God, one and the same. For this reason, all are absolutely equal to each other. Divine Mercy is as infinitely perfect as His Wisdom or Power, for it is likewise god, and the same God, just as Divine wisdom and Divine Power are God.
In other words, God does not just do merciful things sometimes, nor does He have a merciful "side" to His character, as a human being might have. On the contrary, He is always and everywhere and at all times merciful. Everything He does is an expression of His Mercy — and of all of His other attributes too, all at once. All of His attributes are eternally in action! But then Fr. Rozycki goes on to write:
"If, on the other hand, mercy is understood in the Biblical sense as functional, then, even though it is called an attribute, it first of all denotes the results of the infinite and eternal love of God in world history, and especially in the history of mankind's salvation. In fact, both hesed (mercy in the Old Testament), as well as eleos (i.e., mercy in the New Testament) signify active manifestations of God's love toward mankind. In the Old Testament the manifestations found their expression in the calling and directing of the chosen people, and in the New Testament they were found in the sending of the Son of God into the world and in the entire work of redemption. This Biblically formulated relationship between love and mercy is expressed by [St.] Faustina in the words: 'Love is the flower, mercy the fruit' (Diary, 948)."
So, if we understand mercy in the Biblical sense, then without any fear of error contrary to the faith, it can be said that mercy is the greatest attribute of God... [in other words] within this Biblical understanding, the results of the activity of merciful love are the greatest in the world and in this respect, mercy surpasses all other Divine attributes.
Another way to express this insight would be as follows: Divine Mercy is supremely manifest in all of God's actions toward mankind, and to show mercy must be the motive and intention behind all of God's actions in the world.
Drawing upon the Biblical words for mercy, and upon the magisterial teachings of Pope John Paul II, therefore, let us try to formulate a clear definition of what we mean by "Divine Mercy."
According to the first epistle of St. John (4:8) "God is love." He is infinite, eternal, self-giving love within His own being, among the three persons of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From all eternity, therefore, within His own infinite essence, He enjoys the fullness of love given, love received, and love returned. He enjoyed that fullness of perfect love before He ever made the world — and even if He had never made any world at all, He still would have enjoyed this perfect beatitude of eternal love, for "God is love."
In that infinite, eternal love that He is, in the inner life of the Blessed Trinity, there is no need for "mercy," for there is no "want" or "misery" or "suffering" that needs to be overcome in the Infinitely Perfect Being. What then is Divine Mercy?
Saint Thomas Aquinas defined mercy in general as "the compassion in our hearts for another person's misery, a compassion which drives us to do what we can to help him." Divine Mercy, therefore, is the form that God's eternal love takes when he reaches out to us in the midst of our need and our brokenness. Whatever the name of our need or our misery might be — sin, guilt, suffering, or death — He is always ready to pour out his merciful, compassionate love for us, to help in time of need (Robert Stackpole, Jesus, Mercy incarnate, Marian Press, 2000, p. 112):
"In fact, God's love for His creatures always takes the form of merciful love. As we read in the Psalms (25:10) 'all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth,' and again (145:9), 'His tender mercies are over all His works.'
"When He created the world 'ex nihilo,' therefore, and holds it in being at every moment, it is an act of merciful love: His merciful love overcoming the potential nothingness, the possible non-existence of all things.
"When the divine Son became incarnate and dwelt among us, that was an act of merciful love too: His merciful love in sharing our lot, showing us the way to the Father, and making the perfect offering for our sins.
"When He sends His Holy Spirit into our hearts to refresh and sanctify us, that too is His merciful love: His merciful love pouring into our hearts the power to grow in faith, hope, and love, and to serve him with joy. Psalm 136 says it best; while celebrating all the works of the Lord in creation and redemption, the psalm bears the constant refrain: 'for His mercy endures forever.'" http://thedivinemercy.org/jpII/dm101.php
By Dr. Robert Stackpole, STD (Sep 1, 2005)
Mercy presents us with a semantic problem. After all, the word mercy in contemporary English has a very restricted meaning. It is usually used to refer to an act of pardon, as in "Let me off, judge; have mercy" or "He threw himself on the mercy of the court." In the Catholic tradition of theology, however, mercy means far more than just the cancellation of punishment. Far more then that.
In the Old Testament, there are two principle Hebrew words that we usually translate as mercy. First of all, there is the word hesed, which means "steadfast love, covenant love". According to the Catholic Biblical scholar John L. Mckenzie, the word hesed is often used in Hebrew in connection with other words which bring out its meaning, such as hesed-emet (steadfast, dependable love), hesed-sedekah (righteous, holy love) and hesed-yesua (rescuing, saving love). In a remarkable endnote to his encyclical "Dives in Misericordia" (Rich in Mercy), Pope John Paul II teaches that hesed contains the meaning of faithfulness to oneself, to ones own promises and commitments to others (note: Prof. Scott Hahn's popular book on the Bible is entitled The Father Who Keeps His Promises). The Holy Father writes (note 52):
"When in the Old Testament the word 'hesed' is used of the Lord, this always occurs in connection with the covenant that God established with Israel. This covenant was, on God's part, a gift and a grace for Israel...God had made a commitment to respect it...[this divine 'hesed'] showed itself as what it was at the beginning, that is, as a love that gives, love more powerful than betrayal, grace stronger than sin."
As we shall see, in a sense, the whole experience of Israel with God is an experience of His hesed-love (Is. 54:10): "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love [hesed] shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you. As John L. Mckenzie has written: "The entire history of the dealing of Yahweh with Israel can be summed up as hesed; it is the dominating motive which appears in his deeds, and the motive which gives unity and intelligibility to all His dealings with men" (Dictionary of the Bible).
The second most common word for God's mercy in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word "rachamim": tender, compassionate love, a love that springs from pity. Rachamim is often used in conjunction with hesed. It comes from a root word "rechem," which means a mother's womb. Thus, there is a special intimacy and responsiveness about this kind of love, and a special concern for the sufferings of others. The Holy Father sees hesed as, in a sense, a masculine form of love (steadfast, dependable, righteous, being true to oneself and true to one's promises), while rachamim is more feminine (tender, responsive, compassionate, like a mother responding in love to the sufferings of her child).
In the New Testament, the Greek word that is usually translated as "mercy" is the word "eleos." It can also be translated as loving kindness or tender compassion. The Greek word comes from a root word meaning oil that is poured out. Thus, when the church sings in her liturgy the Greek words Kyrie Eleison and Christie Eleison, she is praying that the merciful love of God will be poured out upon her children, like holy oil from above. According to the ancient Fathers of the Church, the Church herself was born from the wounded side of Christ, when out of His heart there poured out blood and water, symbolic of all the graces of the two chief sacraments, Baptism and the Eucharist (Jn 19:34). In short, eleos is God's love poured out upon His people.
In the Latin tradition, the principal word for mercy is misericordia, which means, literally miserable heart. Fr. George Kosicki, CSB, the great Divine Mercy evangelist, once summed up the meaning of this Latin word as follows: misericordia means "having a pain in your heart for the pains of another, and taking pains to do something about their pain"
The most comprehensive statement by the magisterium on the meaning of Divine Mercy can be found in Pope John Paul II's encyclical letter "Dives in Misericordia" (Rich in Mercy, 1981). In that encyclical, the Holy Father made two very important statements about mercy. First, he wrote, "Mercy is love's second name." Secondly, he taught that mercy is "the greatest attribute of God."
Let us look at each of these statements in turn.
1) Mercy is Love's Second Name
Here the pope was not saying anything new. According to the Catholic theological tradition, mercy is a certain kind of love, a certain expression of love.
Love in general might be defined as a sharing and giving of oneself to another; a selfless seeking of the good of another. According to the Polish theologian Ignacy Rozycki (quoted in Pillars of Fire in my Soul: the Spirituality of St. Faustina, Marian Press, 2003, p.95):
"Traditional Catholic moral theology treats of the virtue of mercy as flowing from love of neighbor. Namely, it is that virtue which inclines us to offer assistance to a person suffering from want or misery. This being so, 'mercy' in moral theology... is not love itself but love's result and extension."
Thus, playing games with one's children, or enjoying and sharing conjugal love with one's spouse, or singing the praises of the Lord at Holy Eucharist, while each of these acts would be considered acts of "love" of various kinds, ordinarily we would not call them acts of "mercy." On the other hand, giving bread to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, and shelter to the homeless—or indeed bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost and the broken—these are all acts of merciful love: love stooping down to lift people out of their physical and spiritual miseries.
Unity of the Holy Spirit and Why we so desperately need it.
Since April 1st, I have really been struggling. Not with my faith, but with the things I see in the Church world that just are depressing. I had turned on TV and was flipping on April 1st when I saw a guy on 3 Angles network telling his audience that the Pope was Anti-Christ and the Catholic Church was not Christian. I could not believe it. In this day and age we should at least be over this goofy stuff. But there it was, and this guy was serious. He was using the Bible that Catholic Bishops determined was Sacred Scripture to preach against the very Church that gave him his Bible!
It would not be so important, but people actually listen to these guys and spread that teaching. Straight out of the pit of hell this doctrine of demons. How can they call themselves Christian and preach against the Pope, one of the holiest men on the face of the planet! What a mess, no wonder the world is confused as to which church is right and which one is not. No wonder the term Christian has become a derogatory name in many places.
This is the truth, Jesus never wanted His Church divided. He left us Peter as the first Pope, he has seen the Church through division before and He will see it through again. The issue is that as we work toward unity of faith there must be mutual respect from all sides. It can not be the Catholic Church that is always giving in and the others always pushing their way on the Church.
True unity of the Holy Spirit reflects the love of Jesus for all and upon all. We must love each other as He has loved us. We can not call each other anti-christ when we all are proclaiming Jesus as LORD and the savior of the world. Proclaiming the gospel, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, praying for the sick, giving shelter to the homeless, and treating others as if they were Jesus is an outward example of our love. These physical acts of mercy are a sign of our unity. They mean so much more when our words and actions are united in the cause of Christ. The world needs to see that alignment and see how real love works. Faith works through love and we need to display this to the world.
The Catholic Church must lead the way on this. Others will follow. It is the Church which show Christ's love to a needy world. We will have to display forgiveness and love to the protestants as they slowly come to realize the truth about real unity of the Spirit being all of us united in Jesus Christ not slandering each other.
May God have mercy on those who teach against the Catholic Church, they do not know what they are doing. As Jesus was persecuted so will we His body be. His Church is His body.
Keep the Faith and God bless you and yours, Todd
If you read this blog, please comment. Also, please share this site with at least 10 of your friends. If reaching the world with the message of Divine Mercy is important than I need your help to reach those who most need our love and His Mercy.
This Apostolate has been approved and blessed by the Archbishop of Omaha and several other Bishops ( it is listed on the links page of the Archdiocese of Omaha's web page under Apostolates) http://www.archomaha.org/links/apostolates.html . Apostolates are organizations of the Catholic laity devoted to the mission of the Church en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolates
To me this is a War against the evils I see in this world. It is a war to spread the Gospel of Jesus (Divine Mercy and Divine Grace) to every nation and everyone I can. So far we have reached over 60 nations. This war will be successful because too many people desire the Divine Mercy of God. Although this is certainly a Catholic site, this war is certainly not limited to Catholics. I encourage Protestants to participate as well.
The total goal of this site is the salvation of souls, to help people know the Divine Mercy of Jesus. It is my goal to help people become devoted to the Divine Mercy of Jesus and spread this knowledge to everyone they know, to give them tools to help share this devotion. It is my goal to help these same people to pray for the following issues.
1. Peace- obviously there is enough war and suffering from oppression in the world today especially among the faithful in countries where they are minorities. The world needs the peace of Jesus.
2. The salvation of souls- This is the reason Jesus came in the first place was for our salvation. Everyone who has ever been born needs His salvation period.
3. The ending of abortion- This is the most heinous of all sins on the face of the planet today. Approx. 1 billion abortions have been done in the last 40 years worldwide. That is 1,000,000,000 people who have had their lives extinguished with no one to defend them. That is more than were killed in all the wars in all the history of the world.As a tanker I was willing to lay down my life for my country. Today, I am willing to do the same again as a Christian who is Catholic.
4. The intentions of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI- He is the vicar of Christ over the Church. He is responsible for the leadership and spiritual well being of over 1.2 billion people. That is 1,200,000,000 half of all Christians on the planet. His intentions are only for the good of all of God's children. He loves us as a father would his own children and he loves Jesus. I am at his service whenever and wherever he would call.
5. The Holy Souls in Purgatory- I don't care whether people believe this doctrine or not. I do and I will pray for the mercy of God for these people until I die. Hopefully someone will pray for me when I pass on.
6. The necessities and intentions of at least 10 others- Intercessory prayer is a spiritual act of mercy. We can all do this for others. If we don't know 10 people we can watch or listen to the news to figure out that there are so many with needs that are critical. It is a good thing to do.
7. Praying for our nation- I pray that the people of every nation will turn their hearts to Jesus. I hope everyone who reads this will do the same for their nation. I particularly pray for my nation the United States.
I have added an additional one this week:
Christian Unity- It never was the intention of Jesus to see His Church divided. It must become united again. It is how we show that we love one another.
I have prayed much about what prayers were the most effective and suitable for this. The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Stations of the Cross are what I feel God has asked me to encourage people to pray.
The Rosary is by far the most common and powerful prayer used by the Church throughout the world. I encourage everyone including protestants to pray it daily. It is a very powerful prayer that includes the Apostle's creed, The Our Father, The Hail Mary, The Glory Be, and The Fatima prayer. Each is intercessory and also an act of mercy.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a very powerful prayer for forgiveness and mercy. Bringing to God the Father the memory of the sacrifice Jesus has made for us.
The Stations of the Cross show us the cost of our salvation. The passion of Christ is certainly a painful and sorrowful reminder of the cost of our sins.
I encourage everyone to pray the prayers the choose. These I know are inspired by God and have served His Church a very long time. The message of the Gospel is that Jesus is the Divine Mercy of God. He died for us to allow us to become children of God.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! It is the mystery of our faith and the Hope of our future.
So there you have it. My motivation is the salvation of souls and everything listed here. The Mercy of Jesus is the only way to salvation. He gives us so much through the sacraments of the Church. The Graces He gives us through the sacraments are too many to measure. They are individualized for each of us as we come to Him in the mass.
The absolutely greatest thing we can do is to go to mass and partake of the Holy Eucharist which is the real body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. His real presence is in the host and it is the pinnacle of our faith. If you have any questions about this please ask a Priest. They can explain it so much better than I can.
REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
John Paul II
August 17, 2002: Pope's Homily During Mass for Dedication of Divine Mercy Shrine
Krakow-Lagiewniki: "Confession of Trust in the All-Powerful Love of God"
"O inconceivable and unfathomable Mercy of God,
Who can worthily adore you and sing your praises?
O greatest attribute of God Almighty,
You are the sweet hope of sinners"
(Diary, 951).
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
1. Today I repeat these simple and straightforward words of Saint Faustina, in order to join her and all of you in adoring the inconceivable and unfathomable mystery of God's mercy. Like Saint Faustina, we wish to proclaim that apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind. We desire to repeat with faith: Jesus, I trust in you!
This proclamation, this confession of trust in the all-powerful love of God, is especially needed in our own time, when mankind is experiencing bewilderment in the face of many manifestations of evil. The invocation of God's mercy needs to rise up from the depth of hearts filled with suffering, apprehension, and uncertainty, and at the same time yearning for an infallible source of hope. That is why we have come here today, to this Shrine of Lagiewniki, in order to glimpse once more in Christ the face of the Father: "the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation" (2 Cor 1:3). With the eyes of our soul, we long to look into the eyes of the merciful Jesus, in order to find deep within his gaze the reflection of his inner life, as well as the light of grace which we have already received so often, and which God holds out to us anew each day and on the last day.
2. We are about to dedicate this new church to the Mercy of God. Before doing so, I wish to offer heartfelt thanks to those who contributed to its construction. In a special way I thank Cardinal Franciszek, who has put so much effort into this undertaking as a sign of his personal devotion to the Divine Mercy. My thoughts turn with affection to the Sisters of the Merciful Mother of God, whom I thank for their work in spreading the message left behind by Saint Sister Faustina. I greet the Cardinals and Bishops of Poland, headed by the Cardinal Primate, as well as the Bishops coming from various parts of the world. I rejoice in the presence of the diocesan and religious priests, and the seminarians.
My cordial greeting goes to all those taking part in this celebration, especially the representatives of the Foundation of the Shrine of Divine Mercy who oversaw the work of construction, as well as the builders involved in the various projects. I know that many of those present offered generous material support to the work of construction. I pray that God will reward their magnanimity and their commitment by His blessing!
3. Brothers and Sisters! As we dedicate this new church, we too can ask the question which troubled King Solomon when he consecrated the Temple of Jerusalem as the house of God: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house which I have built!" (1 Kg 8:27). Yes, at first glance, to bind certain "places" to God's presence might seem inappropriate. We can never forget that time and space belong to God in their entirety. Yet even though time and the entire world may be considered his "temple," God has chosen certain times and places to enable people to experience in a special way His presence and His grace. Impelled by their sense of faith, people journey to these places, confident that there they will truly find themselves in the presence of God.
In this same spirit of faith I have come to Lagiewniki to dedicate this new church. I am convinced that this is the special place chosen by God to sow the grace of His mercy. I pray that this church will always be a place where the message of God's merciful love is proclaimed; a place of conversion and repentance; a place for the celebration of the Eucharist; a fountain of mercy; a place of prayer and of constant appeals for mercy for ourselves and for the whole world. I pray in the words of Solomon: "Have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, hearkening to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before you this day; that your eyes may be open night and day towards this house... Hearken to the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray in this place. Hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive" (1 Kg 8:28-30).
4. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him" (Jn 4:23). When we read these words of the Lord Jesus here in the Shrine of Divine Mercy, we are particularly aware that no one can come here except in spirit and truth. It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and the Spirit of Truth, who guides us along the ways of Divine Mercy. By convincing the world "concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (Jn 16:8), he also makes known the fullness of salvation in Christ. This "convincing" concerning sin is doubly related to the Cross of Christ. On the one hand, the Holy Spirit enables us, through Christ's Cross, to acknowledge sin, every sin, in the full dimension of evil which it contains and inwardly conceals. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit permits us, again through the Christ's Cross, to see sin in the light of the mysterium pietatis, that is, of the merciful and forgiving love of God (cf. Dominum et vivificantem, 32).
Consequently, this "convincing concerning sin" also becomes a conviction that sin can be laid aside and that man can be restored to his dignity as a son beloved of God. Indeed, the Cross "is the most profound condescension of God to man [...]. The Cross is like a touch of eternal love upon the most painful wounds of man's earthly existence" (Dives in Misericordia, 8). The cornerstone of this Shrine will always be a reminder of this truth, for it was brought here from Mount Calvary, as if from beneath the Cross on which Jesus Christ triumphed over sin and death.
I firmly believe that this new church will always be a place where people will come before God in spirit and truth. They will come with the trust which accompanies all those who humbly open their hearts to the working of God's merciful love, to that love which is stronger than even the greatest sin. Here, in the fire of divine love, human hearts will burn with desire for conversion, and whoever looks for hope will find comfort.
5. "Eternal Father, I offer to you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for our sins and those of the whole world; by the sufferings of His Passion, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world" (Diary, 476). Upon us and upon the whole world ... How greatly today's world needs God's mercy! In every continent, from the depth of human suffering, a cry for mercy seems to rise up. Where hatred and the thirst for revenge dominate, where war brings suffering and death to the innocent, there the grace of mercy is needed in order to settle human minds and hearts and to bring about peace. Wherever respect for life and human dignity are lacking, there is need of God's merciful love, in whose light we see the inexpressible value of every human being. Mercy is needed in order to ensure that every injustice in the world will come to an end in the splendor of truth.
Today, therefore, in this Shrine, I wish solemnly to entrust the world to Divine Mercy. I do so with the burning desire that the message of God's merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known to all the peoples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. May this message radiate from this place to our beloved homeland and throughout the world. May the binding promise of the Lord Jesus be fulfilled: from here there must go forth "the spark which will prepare the world for His final coming" (cf. Diary, 1732).
This spark needs to be lighted by the grace of God. This fire of mercy needs to be passed on to the world. In the mercy of God the world will find peace and mankind will find happiness! I entrust this task to you, dear Brothers and Sisters, to the Church in Krakow and Poland, and to all the votaries of Divine Mercy who will come here from Poland and from throughout the world. May you be witnesses to mercy!
6. God, merciful Father,
in your Son, Jesus Christ, you have revealed your love
and poured it out upon us in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter,
We entrust to you today the destiny of the world and of every man and woman.
Bend down to us sinners,
heal our weakness,
conquer all evil,
and grant that all the peoples of the earth
may experience your mercy.
In You, the Triune God,
may they ever find the source of hope.
Eternal Father,
by the Passion and Resurrection of your Son,
have mercy on us and upon the whole world!
Feed the hungry
![[Saint Margaret of Cortona]](http://saints.sqpn.com/saintm27.jpg "26kb jpg painting of Saint Margaret of Cortona, artist unknown")
