Happy Easter

Saint Faustina wrote in her diary on Easter Sunday, March 28, 1937.

Resurrection. During the Mass of Resurrection, I saw the Lord in beauty and splendor, and He said to me, My daughter, peace be with you. He blessed me and disappeared, and my soul was filled with gladness and joy beyond words. My heart was fortified for struggle and sufferings. (Diary entry 1067)

Easter Prayer

May the risen Lord be with you always, bestowing the gift of peace and His Holy Spirit. And may Mary, the Mother of the Lord, obtain for you from Jesus, her Son, lively faith, steadfast hope and abundant love. Amen.

The Novena to Divine Mercy - Day 3

Today's Novena to Divine Mercy continues with prayers for devout and faithful souls, who are enclosed in Jesus's most Merciful Heart.

Jesus asks: 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 that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.

Let us pray together.

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 of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

The miracles of mercy are impenetrable.
Neither the sinner nor just one will fathom them.
When You cast upon us an eye of pity,
You draw us all closer to Your love.

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 they may 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.


Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

The Novena to Divine Mercy - Day 2

Today's Novena to Divine Mercy continues with prayers for priests and religious. They especially need our prayers for strength and courage to do the Lord's work and follow his divine Will.

Jesus asks: Today bring to me the souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me the strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them, as through channels, My mercy flows out upon mankind. 

Let us pray together.

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in us, that we may perform worthy works of mercy, and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

The fountain of God's love
Dwells in pure hearts,
Bathed in the Sea of Mercy,
Radiant as stars, bright as the dawn.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of [chosen ones] in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation, and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

The Novena to Divine Mercy - Day 1

It's Good Friday, and the first day of the Novena to God's Divine Mercy.

Jesus asks: Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.

Let us pray together.

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from it. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Oh omnipotence of Divine Mercy,
Salvation of sinful people,
You are a sea of mercy and compassion;

You aid those who entreat You with humility.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Jesus said to Saint Faustina in August 1937,

I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they need in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death.

On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of My mercy. On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My bitter Passion, for graces for these souls. (Diary entry 1209)

How to Prepare Your Heart for the Feast of Divine Mercy

Our Lord gives us all of His Merciful Heart in the feast of The Divine Mercy.

Open you ears, eyes and hearts to Him. Saint Faustina wrote in her diary on Good Friday, March 26, 1937:

Jesus is commanding me to make a novena before the Feast of Mercy, and today I am to begin it for the conversion of the whole world and for the recognition of The Divine Mercy...so that every soul will praise My goodness. I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy.  (Diary entry 1059)

To observe this wonderful feast on April 7 and receive holy grace and forgiveness, do the following:

• Firmly place all your trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart.
• Start a Novena to the Divine Mercy, using the Chaplet, on Good Friday in preparation for the feast.
• Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance on April 7, or seven days before or after, with  the desire never to sin again. Be contrite and humble as you pray at the tabernacle.
• Receive Holy Communion on April 7.
• Venerate the image of Divine Mercy.
• Practice works of selfless love and mercy, by helping others and offering prayers to save souls.

* * *

My daughter, look into My Merciful Heart and reflect its compassion in your own heart and in your deeds, so that you who proclaim My mercy to the world, may yourself be aflame with it. (Diary entry 1688)

How to Talk to God

Reading the passion story of Jesus Christ, let's focus on one part that teaches us how to talk to God. We must be like the good thief when we approach Christ.

It's easy to react like the other criminal, who says “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us” as the three are dying on their crosses.

How many times have we said, "Jesus, where are You? Help me! You can do anything. Are You listening?"

But, instead, our prayer should be attentive to the will of God first. So like the good thief, we must say, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Let our prayer be: "Jesus, I love you and I want only Your will for me. Hear me, for I trust in You. I ask for grace, strength, patience and peace of mind and heart. Have mercy on us."

From Luke's account of Christ's passion and death:
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”


Read today's Gospel, Luke 22:14—23:56

Saint Joseph, Intercede for Me

Today is the feast of the foster father of Jesus, Saint Joseph. Protector, companion, dedicated worker, holy husband and father, hear us and help us to open our hearts to the Lord.

The new pope today focused on Saint Joseph in the homily of his inaugural Mass, saying, “I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church." Full text.

How beautiful! Let us, too, call on Saint Joseph. This prayer is among the earliest prayers to Saint Joseph (from around A.D. 50) and also one of the best known.

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. Saint Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen.

We Must Never Tire of Asking for God's Mercy

Today, Pope Francis gave his first Angelus address since his election to the papacy. Using today's Gospel reading for the theme of his noontime talk, Francis spoke to the crowd in Saint Peter's Square about God's infinite and boundless Mercy.

The Gospel of John 8:1-11 shows us that we must not judge or be critical of others because not one of us is without sin. How can we condemn others, when we ourselves have faults and failings?

A woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus, and in a test the scribes and Pharisees ask Him if according to the law the woman should be stoned. Jesus says: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” In response they leave and Jesus is alone with the woman. He says to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

God is Good. No matter how we fail, He forgives through His Mercy.

Francis said something that we need to remember every day: "The Lord never tires of forgiving, never! It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness."

If we want mercy, we must ask for it and then show mercy to others.

There's the challenge and the directive for us. To be like our creator we must be merciful, forgive others and, as important, ask for our own forgiveness. We cannot heal if we don't seek forgiveness. It is necessary.

Pray for forgiveness and the strength to forgive others. If we do, we will make the world, as Francis said today, "less cold and more just."

Share in the Lord's Passion

March 5, 1937. Today, I experienced the Passion of the Lord Jesus in my own body for along while. The pain is very great, but all this is for the sake of immortal souls. (Diary entry 1010)

Prayer to Our Lady of Victory

O sweet and gentle Lady, Immaculate Mother of God, we beg you to be our Mother now and all the days of our life.

Shield us Mother Mary with your holy mantle that nothing of the enemy could harm or molest us.

Ask your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to spare us from any calamities that will cause our life misery.

Pray for us that we may lead a life pleasing to Him, and when our end comes present us to Him and may we live in His kingdom forever. Amen.

Our Lady of Victories, please pray for us.

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