Infant Jesus, Attend to My Distress

Saint Faustina wrote this beautiful prayer in her diary in December 1936.

O Light Eternal, who come to this earth, enlighten my mind and strengthen my will that I may not give up in times of great affliction. May Your light dissipate all the shadows of doubt. May Your omnipotence act through me. I trust in You, O uncreated Light! You, O Infant Jesus, are a model for me in accomplishing Your Father's will, You, who said, "Behold, I come to do Your will." Grant that I also may do God's will faithfully in all things. O Divine Infant, grant me this grace! (Diary entry 830)

Trust in Jesus

Jesus said to Saint Faustina in April 1937:

Write this: Everything that exists is enclosed in the bowels of My mercy, more deeply than an infant in its mother's womb. How painfully distrust of My goodness wounds Me! Sins of distrust wound Me most painfully. (Diary entry 1076)

Litany to Our Lady of Czestochowa

Based on a Homily-Litany of the Martyred Polish Priest, Father Jerzy Popieluszko
For private recitation.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us.
Mother of those who place their hope God's providence, pray for us.
Mother of those who are deceived, pray for us.
Mother of those who are betrayed, pray for us.
Mother of those who are arrested in the night, pray for us.
Mother of those who are imprisoned, pray for us.
Mother of those who suffer from the cold, pray for us.
Mother of those who live in fear, pray for us.
Mother of those who were subjected to interrogations, pray for us.
Mother of those who are subjected to interrogations, pray for us.
Mother of those innocents who have been condemned, pray for us.
Mother of those who speak the truth, pray for us.
Mother of those who cannot be corrupted, pray for us.
Mother of those who resist evil and tyranny, pray for us.
Mother of orphans, pray for us.
Mother of those who have been attacked or taunted because they wore thy image, pray for us.
Mother of those who are forced to sign declarations contrary to their conscience, pray for us.
Mother of mothers who weep, pray for us.
Mother of fathers who have been so deeply saddened, pray for us.
Mother of suffering Poland, pray for us.
Mother of always faithful Poland, pray for us.
We beg thee, O Mother in whom resides the hope of millions of people,
grant us to live in liberty and in truth, in fidelity to thee and to thy Son. Amen.

Only by Faith

Matthew 17:14-20

A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said,
"Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;
often he falls into fire, and often into water.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him."
Jesus said in reply,
"O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you?
Bring the boy here to me."
Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,
and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
"Why could we not drive it out?"
He said to them, "Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
"Move from here to there," and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you."

Thank the Lord for His Goodness

Jesus said to Saint Faustina in April 1937

When I was saying good night to the Lord before retiring, I heard the words, Host, dear to My Heart, for your sake I bless the earth. (Diary entry 1078)

Grace Though the Holy Eucharist

What are the chief effects of a worthy Holy Communion?

The chief effects of a worthy Holy Communion are:

First, a closer union with Our Lord and a more fervent love of God and of our neighbor;

second, an increase of sanctifying grace;

third, preservation from mortal sin the and remission of venial sin;

fourth, the lessening of our inclinations to sin and the help to practice good works.

Read more about the Holy Eucharist.

Put on the New Self

2 Eph 4:17, 20-24


Brothers and sisters:
I declare and testify in the Lord
that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,
in the futility of their minds;
that is not how you learned Christ,
assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,
as truth is in Jesus,
that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,
corrupted through deceitful desires,
and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
and put on the new self,
created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Lord, in Your Great Love,Answer Me

Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink!
may I be rescued from my foes,
and from the watery depths.
Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me,
nor the abyss swallow me up,
nor the pit close its mouth over me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Honor Mother Mary on Her Assumption Into Heaven

The Feast of the Assumption is also known as the Feast of the Dormition (falling asleep) of Mary. The feast commemorates Mary's assumption into Heaven, body and soul -- and is a holy day of obligation.

Almighty God,
You gave a humble Virgin
the privilege of being mother of your Son,
and crowned her with the glory of heaven.
May the prayers of the Virgin Mary
bring us to the salvation of Christ
and raise us up to eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us

O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in your most holy Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, and grant us by her most powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

I Am the Bread of Life

Trust in God's goodness. Go to Jesus, in the Mass, and seek to worthily receive Holy Communion as often as possible. (Read more about the Holy Eucharist.)

Gospel John 6:41-51

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven,"
and they said,
"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say,
'I have come down from heaven?'"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

Litany to Saint Philomena

There is a very special saint who is good, loving and gracious -- as all saints are -- but this saint, Philomena, is particularly generous. Today is her feast day. Ask her for whatever you need and she will attend to you. Trust in Jesus, Mary and Virgin and Martyr, Saint Philomena.

Composed by Saint John Vianney. For private recital only. 
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Virgins, pray for us.

Saint Philomena, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, filled with the most abundant graces from the cradle, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, model of Virgins, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, temple of the most perfect humility, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, inflamed with zeal for the Glory of God, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, victim of the love of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, example of strength and perseverance, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, invincible champion of chastity, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, mirror of the most heroic virtues, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, firm and intrepid in the face of torments, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, scourged like thy Divine Spouse, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, pierced by a shower of arrows, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, consoled by the Mother of God when in chains, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, cured miraculously in prison, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, comforted by Angels in thy torments, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, who preferred torments and death to the splendors of a throne, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, who converted the witnesses of thy Martyrdom, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, who wore out the fury of thy executioners, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, protectress of the innocent, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, patron of youth, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, refuge of the unfortunate, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, health of the sick and the weak, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, new light of the Church Militant, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, who confounds the impiety of the world, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, who stimulates the faith and courage of the faithful, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, whose name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, made illustrious by the most striking miracles, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, all powerful with God, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, who reigns in glory, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, Great Saint Philomena,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

We implore Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, who was ever most pleasing to Thine eyes by reason of her eminent purity and the practice of all the virtues, pardon us our sins and grant us all the graces we need [name any special grace you may require]. Amen.

Read more about Saint Philomena ad the Universal Living Rosary Association at http://www.philomena.org/

Do Not Fear the God of Mercy

Read this passage from Saint Faustina's diary, where Jesus speaks to a sinful soul. Read it with an open heart.

My child, do you fear the God of Mercy? My holiness does not prevent Me from being merciful. Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth -- the tabernacle -- and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart. I am not surrounded by a retinue or guards. You can come to me at any moment, at any time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace.

The Goodness of God

The mercy of God, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, the voice of the Lord who speaks to us from the throne of mercy; Come to me, all of you.

Conversation of the Merciful God with a Sinful Soul.

Jesus: Be not afraid of your Savior, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me. Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart.

Soul: Lord, I hear your voice calling me to turn back from the path of sin, but I have neither the strength nor courage to do so.

Jesus: I am your strength, I will help you in the struggle.

Soul: Lord, I recognize your holiness, and I fear you.

Jesus: My child, do you fear the God of Mercy? My holiness does not prevent Me from being merciful. Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth -- the tabernacle -- and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart. I am not surrounded by a retinue or guards. You can come to me at any moment, at any time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace.

Soul: Lord, I doubt that You will pardon my numerous sins; my misery fills me with fright.

Jesus: My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent  of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.

Soul: You have conquered, O Lord, my stony heart with Your goodness. In trust and humility I approach the tribunal of Your mercy, where You Yourself absolve me by the hand of your representative. O Lord, I feel Your grace and Your peace filling my poor soul. I feel overwhelmed by Your mercy, O Lord. You forgive me, which is more than I dared to hope for or could imagine. Your goodness surpasses all my desires. And now, filled with gratitude with so many graces, I invite You to my heart. I wandered, like a prodigal child gone astray; but you did not cease to be my Father. Increase Your mercy toward me, for you see how weak I am.

Jesus: Child, speak no more of your misery; it is already forgotten. Listen, my child, for what I desire to tell you. Come close to My wounds and draw from the Fountain of Life whatever your heart desires. Drink copiously from the Fountain of Life and you will not weary on your journey. Look at the splendors of My mercy and do not fear the enemies of your salvation. Glorify My mercy. (Diary entry 1485)

First Saturday Devotion

Today is the first Saturday of the month, and therefore a great opportunity to start the practice of the Five First Saturdays devoted to Our Lady.

To make this devotion, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months,
-Confess your sins and receive Holy Communion.
-Recite five decades of the Rosary.
-Spend an additional 15 minutes with Mary by meditating on some of the mysteries of the Rosary.
-Pray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (see it here).
-Pray this prayer of reparation for the offenses committed against Our Mother:

Most Holy Virgin, and our beloved Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of thy Immaculate Heart, surrounded with thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Moved by the ardent desire of loving thee as our Mother and of promoting true devotion to thy Immaculate Heart, we prostrate ourselves at thy feet to prove the sorrow we feel for the grief that men cause thee and to atone by means of our prayers and sacrifices for the offenses with which men return thy tender love. Obtain for them and for us the pardon of so many sins. A word from thee will obtain grace and forgiveness for us all. Hasten, O Lady, the conversion of sinners, that they may love Jesus and cease to offend God, already so much offended, and thus avoid eternal punishment. Turn thine eyes of mercy toward us so that henceforth we may love God with all our hearts while on earth and enjoy Him forever in Heaven. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Read more about this beautiful and wise devotion to Our Lady.

First Saturdays for Peace

May is the month devoted to Our Most Blessed Virgin Mother Mary.

Today is the first Saturday of the month, and therefore a great opportunity to start the practice of the Five First Saturdays devoted to Our Lady.

To make this devotion, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months,
-Confess your sins and receive Holy Communion.
-Recite five decades of the Rosary.
-Spend an additional 15 minutes with Mary by meditating on some of the mysteries of the Rosary.
-Pray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (see it here).
-Pray this prayer of reparation for the offenses committed against Our Mother:

Most Holy Virgin, and our beloved Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of thy Immaculate Heart, surrounded with thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Moved by the ardent desire of loving thee as our Mother and of promoting true devotion to thy Immaculate Heart, we prostrate ourselves at thy feet to prove the sorrow we feel for the grief that men cause thee and to atone by means of our prayers and sacrifices for the offenses with which men return thy tender love. Obtain for them and for us the pardon of so many sins. A word from thee will obtain grace and forgiveness for us all. Hasten, O Lady, the conversion of sinners, that they may love Jesus and cease to offend God, already so much offended, and thus avoid eternal punishment. Turn thine eyes of mercy toward us so that henceforth we may love God with all our hearts while on earth and enjoy Him forever in Heaven. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Read more about this beautiful and wise devotion to Our Lady.

Prayer for Complete Trust in God

Saint John Vianney, the Curé of Ars and patron of all priests, pray for us that we may have perfect love of Christ because of our total trust in His Divine Mercy.

Saint John Marie Baptist Vianney, what confidence the people had in your prayers! You could not leave your old rectory or your humble church without being surrounded by imploring souls, who appealed to you as they would have appealed to Jesus Himself during His earthly life. And you, O good Saint, gave them hope by your words, which were full of love for God.

You, who had always counted entirely on the heart of God, obtain for me a deep filial trust in His Providence. As the hope of divine goods fills my heart, give me courage and help me to always obey the Commandments of God.

Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me, especially for ... (mention your special intentions).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/novena/vianney.htm#ixzz22aNwSU7G

Faustina, A Model of Strength and Hope in Torments

Jesus, You alone know how the soul, engulfed in darkness, moans in the midst of these torments and, despite all this, thirsts for God as burning lips thirst for water. It dies and withers; it dies a death without death; that is to say, it cannot die. All its efforts come to nothing; it is under a powerful hand. Now the soul comes under the power of the Just One. All exterior temptations cease; all that surrounds it becomes silent, like a dying person who loses contact with everything around it: the person's entire soul is in the hand of the Just God, the Thrice-Holy God,-rejected for all eternity! This is the culminating moment, and God alone can test a soul in this way, because He alone knows what the soul can endure.

When the soul has been saturated through and through by this infernal fire, it is, as it were, cast headlong into great despair. My soul experienced this moment when I was all alone in my cell. When my soul began to sink into this despair, I felt that the end was near. But I seized my little crucifix and clutched it tightly in my hand. And now I felt my body separate itself from my soul; and though I wanted to go to my Superiors, I no longer had the physical strength. I uttered my last words: "I trust in Your Mercy!"-and it seemed to me that I provoked God to an even greater anger. And now I was drowned in despair, and all that was left me was a moan of unadulterated pain which, from time to time, tore itself from my soul. The soul is in agony-and it seemed to me that I would remain in this state, because by my own strength I could not emerge from it. Every recollection of God opened up an unspeakable ocean of suffering, and yet despite this there is something within the soul which is drawn to Him, though it seems to her for this only-that she suffer more. The memory of the love with which God formerly surrounded it is still another kind of suffering. His gaze pierces it, and everything within the soul is burned by this gaze.


After some time, one of the sisters came into the cell and found me almost dead. She was frightened and went to find the Directress of Novices who, in the name of holy obedience ordered me to get up from the ground. My strength returned immediately, and I got up, trembling. The Directress recognized immediately the state of my soul and spoke to me about the inscrutable mercy of God, saying, "Do not be distressed about anything, Sister. I command this of you in virtue of obedience." Then she said to me, "I see now, Sister, that God is calling you to a high degree of holiness; the Lord wants to draw you very close to Himself since He has allowed these things to happen to you so soon. Be faithful to God, Sister, because this is a sign that He wants you to have a high place in heaven." However, I did not understand anything of these words. When I went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul had been set free from everything, as though I had just come forth from the hand of God. I perceived the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny child.

Suddenly I saw the Lord interiorly, and He said to me, Fear not, My daughter; I am with you. In that single moment, all the darkness and torments vanished, my senses were inundated with unspeakable joy, [and] the faculties of my soul filled with light.

I want to add that, although my soul was already in the rays of His love, traces of my past tortures remained on my body for two days: a deathly pale face and bloodshot eyes. Jesus alone knows what I suffered. What I have written is very poor compared to the reality. I cannot put it in words; it seemed to me that I had come back from the other world. I feel an aversion for everything that is created; I snuggle to the heart of God like a baby to its mother's breast. I see everything differently now. I am conscious of what the Lord, by one single word, has done in my soul, and I live by it. I shudder at the recollection of this past torture. I would not have believed that one could suffer so, if I had not gone through it myself. This is a completely spiritual suffering.

However, in all these sufferings and struggles, I was not omitting Holy Communion. When it seemed to me that I should not communicate, I went, before Holy Communion, to the Directress and told her that I could not approach the Sacrament, because it seemed to me that I should not do so. But she would not permit me to omit Holy Communion, so I went, and I understand now that it was only obedience that saved me.

The Directress herself told me later that my trials had passed quickly, "and this solely because you were obedient, Sister; and it was through the power of obedience that you struggled through this so bravely." It is true that it was the Lord himself who brought me out of this torment, but my fidelity to obedience did please Him. (Diary enteries 101 to 105)