It is granted to few to recognize the true Church amid the darkness of so many schisms and heresies,
and to fewer still so to love the truth which they have seen as to fly to its embrace. -St. Robert Bellarmine

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Divine Mercy Sunday

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Today is the Second Sunday of Easter known as Divine Mercy Sunday .
Our Holy Father John Paul II had proclaimed, "I give thanks to divine Providence that I have been enabled to contribute personally to the fulfillment of Christ's will, through the institution of the Feast of Divine Mercy." Our Lord also insisted that it be celebrated on a specific day - the Sunday after Easter
During the Mass of canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000, the year of the Great Jubilee, Pope John Paul II proclaimed: "It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church, will be called Divine Mercy Sunday." The readings on that Sunday are always about mercy, trust and the forgiveness of sins.
By the words "the whole message," the Holy Father was referring to the strict connection between the "Easter Mystery of the Redemption" -- the suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, followed by the sending of the Holy Spirit -- and this Feast of Divine Mercy, the Octave Day of Easter. This feast adds so much more meaning to the Easter celebrations. It was Jesus, Himself who asked for it to be celebrated on this particular Sunday following Easter.

This Feast of Mercy is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Day of Atonement (see Lv 16, Lv 23:29-32 and Sir 50) which was an annual feast where all sins and punishment were washed away. The Feast of Mercy is an annual celebration, which, as Jesus revealed, also has the promise of the total forgiveness of sins and punishment. Our Lord Jesus said, "The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened." (Diary, 699) .

Divine Mercy Novena Day 9

Friday, March 28, 2008

Divine Mercy Novena Day 8


"Today bring to Me
the souls who are detained in purgatory,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy.
Let the torrents of My Blood
cool down their scorching flames.
All these souls are greatly loved by Me.
They are making retribution to My justice.
It is in your power to bring them relief.
Draw all the indulgences
from the treasury of My Church
and offer them on their behalf.
Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer,
you would continually offer for them
the alms of the spirit
and pay for their debt to My justice."


Most Merciful Jesus,
You Yourself have said that You desire mercy;
so I bring into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory,
souls who are very dear to You,
and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice.
May the streams of Blood and Water
which gushed forth from Your Heart
put out the flames of Purgatory,
that there, too,
the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze
upon the souls suffering in Purgatory,
who are enfolded
in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
I beg You,
by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son,
and by all the bitterness
with which His most sacred Soul was flooded:
Manifest Your mercy to the souls
who are under Your just scrutiny.
Look upon them in no other way
but only through the Wounds of Jesus,
Your dearly beloved Son;
for we firmly believe
that there is no limit
to Your goodness and compassion.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy



Thursday, March 27, 2008

Divine Mercy Novena Day 7


"Today bring to Me
the souls who especially venerate
and glorify My mercy,
and immerse them in My mercy.
These souls sorrowed most over my Passion
and entered most deeply into My spirit.
They are living images
of My Compassionate Heart.
These souls will shine
with a special brightness in the next life.
Not one of them will go into the fire of hell.
I shall particularly defend
each one of them at the hour of death."

Most Merciful Jesus,
whose Heart is Love itself,
receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart
the souls of those who particularly extol
and venerate the greatness of Your mercy.
These souls are mighty
with the very power of God Himself.
In the midst of all afflictions
and adversities they go forward,
confident of Your mercy;
and united to You, O Jesus,
they carry all mankind on their shoulders.
These souls will not be judged severely,
but Your mercy will embrace them
as they depart from this life.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls
who glorify and venerate
Your greatest attribute,
that of Your fathomless mercy,
and who are enclosed
in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
These souls are a living Gospel;
their hands are full of deeds of mercy,
and their hearts,
overflowing with joy,
sing a canticle of mercy to You,
O Most High! I beg You O God:
Show them Your mercy according to the hope
and trust they have placed in You.
Let there be accomplished in them
the promise of Jesus,
Who said to them that during their life,
but especially at the hour of death,
the souls who will venerate
this fathomless mercy of His,
He, Himself, will defend as His glory.

Amen.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Divine Mercy Novena Day 6


"Today bring to Me
the meek and humble souls
and the souls of little children,
and immerse them in My mercy.
These souls most closely resemble My Heart.
They strengthened Me during My bitter agony.
I saw them as earthly Angels,
who will keep vigil at My altars.
I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace.
Only the humble soul
is capable of receiving My grace.
I favor humble souls with My confidence."


Most Merciful Jesus,
You yourself have said,
"Learn from Me
for I am meek and humble of heart."
Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart
all meek and humble souls
and the souls of little children.
These souls send all heaven into ecstasy
and they are the heavenly Father's favorites.
They are a sweet smelling bouquet
before the throne of God;
God Himself takes delight in their fragrance.
These souls have a permanent abode
in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus,
and they unceasingly sing out a hymn
of love and mercy.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls,
upon humble souls,
and upon little children
who are enfolded in the abode
which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son.
Their fragrance rises from the earth
and reaches Your very throne.
Father of mercy and of all goodness,
I beg You by the love You bear these souls
and by the delight You take in them:
Bless the whole world,
that all souls together
may sing out the praises of Your mercy
for endless ages.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Divine Mercy Chaplet

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Divine Mercy Novena Day 5


"Today bring to Me
the souls of those who have separated themselves
from My Church,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy.
During My bitter Passion
they tore at My Body and Heart,
that is, My Church.
As they return to unity with the Church
My wounds heal
and in this way they alleviate My Passion."


Most Merciful Jesus,
Goodness itself,
You do not refuse light
to those who seek it of You.
Receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart
the souls of those who have separated themselves
from Your Church.
Draw them by Your light
into the unity of the Church,
and do not let them escape
from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart;
but bring it about that they, too,
come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze
upon the souls of those who have separated themselves
from Your Son's Church,
who have squandered Your blessings
and misused Your graces
by obstinately persisting in their errors.
Do not look upon their errors,
but upon the love of Your own Son
and upon His bitter Passion,
which He underwent for their sake,
since they, too,
are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart.
Bring it about that they also
may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Monday, March 24, 2008

Divine Mercy Novena Day 4


Today bring to Me
those who do not believe in God
and those who do not yet know Me.
I was thinking also of them
during My bitter Passion,
and their future zeal comforted My Heart.
Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

Most Compassionate Jesus,
You are the the Light of the whole world.
Receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart
the souls of those who do not believe in God
and of those who as yet do not know You.
Let the rays of Your grace
enlighten them that they, too,
together with us,
may extol Your wonderful mercy;
and do not let them escape
from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls
of those who do not believe in You,
and of those who as yet do not know You,
but who are enclosed
in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
Draw them to the light of the Gospel.
These souls do not know what great happiness
it is to love You.
Grant that they, too,
may extol the generosity of Your mercy
for endless ages.

Amen.


In the end of Novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Divine Mercy Novena Day 3

Third Day


"Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls,

and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

In the end of novena we pray Divine Mercy Chaplet :


Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, for those in my own home and in my family. Amen