Pray for Us, Mother of Grace

Holy Mary, Most Pure Temple of the Holy Spirit, Pray for Us.

Mary "is endowed with the high office and dignity of the Mother of the Son of God, and therefore she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit" (Lumen gentium, n. 53). With this quote from the Second Vatican Council, Blessed Pope John Paul II expressed in concise form the Trinitarian dimension of Marian doctrine, which was the subject of his catechesis at the General Audience on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 1996. Here is a translation of his address, which was the 11th in the series on the Blessed Virgin and was given in Italian. (Courtesy EWTN)

Excerpt: Mary's dignity surpasses that of every creature

Mary's privileged relationship with the Trinity therefore confers on her a dignity which far surpasses that of every other creature. The Council recalls this explicitly: because of this "gift of sublime grace" Mary "far surpasses all creatures" (Lumen gentium, n. 53). However, this most high dignity does not hinder Mary's solidarity with each of us. The Constitution Lumen gentium goes on to say: "But, being of the race of Adam, she is at the same time also united to all those who are to be saved" and she has been "redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son" (ibid.).

Here we see the authentic meaning of Mary's privileges and of her extraordinary relationship with the Trinity: their purpose is to enable her to co-operate in the salvation of the human race. The immeasurable greatness of the Lord's Mother therefore remains a gift of God's love for all men. By proclaiming her "blessed" (Lk 1:48), generations praise the "great things" (Lk 1:49) the Almighty has done in her for humanity, "in remembrance of his mercy" (Lk 1:54).

Prayer to Mary's Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart

Beautiful prayer composed by Berthe Petit.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, dwelling pure and holy, cover my soul with your maternal protection so that being ever faithful to the voice of Jesus, it responds to His love and obeys His Divine Will.

I wish, O, my Mother to keep unceasingly before me your co-redemption in order to live intimately with your Heart that is totally united to the Heart of your Divine Son.

Fasten me to this Heart by your own virtues and sorrows.

Protect me always. Amen.

Give Thanks to GodFor All His Goodness!

Psalm 118

Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say: God's love endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say, God's love endures forever.
Let those who fear the LORD say, God's love endures forever.

In danger I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is with me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do against me?
The LORD is with me as my helper; I shall look in triumph on my foes.
Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one's trust in mortals.
Better to take refuge in the LORD than to put one's trust in princes.

All the nations surrounded me; in the LORD'S name I crushed them.
They surrounded me on every side; in the LORD'S name I crushed them.
They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like fire among thorns; in the LORD'S name I crushed them.
I was hard pressed and falling, but the LORD came to my help.
The LORD, my strength and might, came to me as savior.

The joyful shout of deliverance is heard in the tents of the victors: "The LORD'S right hand strikes with power;
the LORD'S right hand is raised; the LORD'S right hand strikes with power."
I shall not die but live and declare the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD chastised me harshly, but did not hand me over to death.

Open the gates of victory; I will enter and thank the LORD.
This is the LORD'S own gate, where the victors enter.
I thank you for you answered me; you have been my savior.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
LORD, grant salvation! LORD, grant good fortune!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the LORD'S house.
The LORD is God and has given us light.
Join in procession with leafy branches up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, I give you thanks; my God, I offer you praise.
Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever.

Prayer to Saint Dymphna

Today is the feast day of Saint Dymphna

Glorious Saint Dymphna, you are the patron of the nervous and emotionally disturbed. I am certain, however, that your charity embraces everyone. I am certain that you lend a listening ear to any prayer offered for any special need. You will, I am sure, take my problem to heart and pray for me that it may be happily settled. (Here
mention your special problem or difficulty.) You will plead for me and obtain the help I need. Already I offer you my sincere and grateful thanks, so great is my confidence that God will hear and answer your prayers. Amen.

Saint Dymphna, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, patron of nervous and emotional illnesses, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, crowned for the glory in heaven, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, faithful to your covenant with Christ, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, precious in the eyes of the Lord, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, our helper in every need, pray for us.
Saint Dymphna, our friend at heaven's court, pray for us.

Read more about Saint Dymphna.

The Words of Our Mother

Let us reflect on the words of Mary, today, the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima.


From Saint Luke's Gospel, Chapter 1:38-56.


Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Did You Pray the Chaplet Today?

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a special gift that Our Lord Himself gave to Saint Faustina to share with all of us to aid the world and to save souls. Let's pray the Chaplet with the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.

Jesus, Compassionate High Priest

From Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Jesus desires our love and affection. He wants us to talk to Him as a best friend. He wants to hear about all our joys, disappointments, dreams and even our smallest needs.

Go to the throne of mercy at 3 o'clock -- the hour of mercy -- and find the help you seek.

Our Lord said to Saint Faustina in February 1938,
I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world -- mercy triumphed over justice. 


My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore,  in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. I claim veneration for My mercy from every creature, but above all from you; since it is to you that I have given the most profound understanding of this mystery. (Diary entry 1572)

Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love.

Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal,

the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth,

the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven,

the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee, and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,

the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,

the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable,

the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may dread in any way to displease Him.

Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.

Sister Miriam Teresa, Pray for Us

Let us today remember a holy woman, Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, a Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth. She was born in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1901, the youngest of seven children. After attending public schools, she entered the College of Saint Elizabeth and graduated with highest honors in 1923. Two years later she entered the community of Sisters of Charity at Convent Station in New Jersey. In June 1926, her spiritual director, Father Benedict Bradley OSB, asked her to write conferences for the novitiate. She wrote 26 conferences which, after her death, were published in a book, "Greater Perfection." After profession of vows as a Sister of Charity, Teresa died in Saint Elizabeth Hospital on May 8, 1927. She was 26 years old.

Because of her saintly life, her striving for perfection in her religious life, her spiritual writings, the mystical privileges accorded her by God during life and the favors received by others after her death through her intercession with God, the Sisters of Charity petitioned Rome for permission to open her Cause for Beatification and Canonization. Read more on the cause.

Prayer for Beatification

Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, Whom Sister Miriam Teresa loved so ardently, grant that we, like her, may become ever more conscious of Thy Divine Presence within our souls.  We implore Thee to show signs that Thy humble servant enjoys glory with Thee in Heaven, and to hasten the day when we may render her a public tribute of our veneration and love.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Today's Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The Promises of Divine Mercy

Our Lord said to Saint Faustina on February 22, 1931

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world. (Diary entry 47)

I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary entry 48)

Remember My Passion

In February 1935, Saint Faustina wrote,

During one of the adorations, Jesus promised me that: With souls that have recourse to My mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim My great mercy to others, I will deal according to My infinite mercy at the hour of their death.

My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart! Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds. (Diary entry 379)

Pope John Paul II, Rich in Mercy

Let's consider Pope John Paul II's second encyclical, Dives in Misericordia, which is Latin for "Rich in Mercy." Reflect the encyclical and how it explores the role of God's mercy and the need for human mercy in the world.

Jesus Desires Our Trust

Our Lord told Saint Faustina on February 22, 1931, that we must trust, 

Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts]. (Diary entry 50)

Pope John Paul II and Divine Mercy

Pope John Paul II visited and prayed at the Shrine
of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland, June 7, 1997.

What a joyous day this is for the world. Our beloved Pope John II is beatified in Rome on this Divine Mercy Sunday, the feast he made official in 2000 at the canonization of Saint Faustina.

Let us pray to him for the strength and courage he exemplified during his pontificate. When the will is weak we must have faith in God and seek strength and hope from His unfathomable Divine Mercy.

This excerpt is taken from John Paul II's homily on the first universal celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2001.

"Jesus, I trust in You!"

This prayer, dear to so many of the devout, clearly expresses the attitude with which we too would like to abandon ourselves trustfully in Your hands, 0 Lord, our only Savior.

You are burning with the desire to be loved and those in tune with the sentiments of Your Heart learn how to build the new civilization of love. A simple act of abandonment is enough to overcome the barriers of darkness and sorrow, of doubt and desperation. The rays of Your Divine Mercy restore hope, in a special way, to those-who feel overwhelmed by the burden of sin.

Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us always to have this trust in your Son, our Redeemer. Help us too, St. Faustina, whom we remember today with special affection. Fixing our weak gaze on the divine Savior's face, we would like to repeat with you: "Jesus, I trust in You!" Now and for ever. Amen.

Feast of Divine Mercy

Jesus said to Saint Faustina, I am King of Mercy. I desire that this image be displayed in public on the first Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is the Feast of Mercy. Through the Word Incarnate, I make known the bottomless depth of My mercy. (Diary entry 88)

Today, go to Jesus with a humble and contrite heart, repent of all your sins:

• Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance.
• Receive Holy Communion.
• Venerate the image of Divine Mercy.
• Trust in Jesus completely. He will take care of you.
• Rejoice, for His mercy is endless.

Go to your parish church and ask that the Chaplet of Divine Mercy become part of the daily devotions offered.

Urge your pastor to include opportunities to pray the Chaplet as a group on special feast days and at church events.

We need Divine Mercy so much, and you can make it happen.