Saturday, March 30, 2013

Prayer for Second Day of Divine Mercy Novena

Divine Mercy Novena - Second Day - Prayer for Second Day of Divine Mercy Novena
Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service, that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

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.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Prayer for First Day of Divine Mercy Novena

Divine Mercy Novena - First Day - Prayer for First Day of Divine Mercy Novena

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.

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.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet - Novena Begins Tomorrow!

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet - Chaplet of the Divine Mercy

The Chaplet is prayed on a regular Rosary.

Here's How:

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

2. Pray the Opening Prayers
"You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us."
"O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!" (three times)

3. Pray the Our Father

4. Pray the Hail Mary

5. Say the Apostles' Creed

6. On the "Our Father" Beads, Pray the Prayer "Eternal Father"
"Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Amen."

7. On the "Hail Mary" beads, Pray the Prayer "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion" Ten Times
"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
Repeat Steps 6 and 7

On each of the next four decades of the Chaplet, repeat steps 6 and 7 (pray the Eternal Father, followed by ten "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion").

8. Pray the Concluding Doxology Three Times
"Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." (three times)

9. Pray the Closing Prayer
"Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself. Amen."

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Jesus enters his Own City of Jerusalem to shouts of acclamation. The scribes and Pharisees demand that He silence them, but Jesus responds that the stones will cry out if His disciples do not. Will our hearts cry out to Him, asking Him to save us? Or will they cry out like the crowds did so long ago, rejecting Him as our king, rejecting His salvation, asking for His execution out of our lives and hearts?

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Fifth Sunday of Lent

No matter what we have done, the Lord is willing to forgive, but we must make a commitment to sin no more. We are all sinners, and we remind ourselves that it is not the sin we have done, but the love of the Lord that most defines us!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Fourth Sunday of Lent

The prodigal father is an extravagant lover of both his sons. But both sons have a fatal flaw in their thinking. The first son, the youngest, asks for his inheritance which is akin to wishing the father dead. He takes the wealth, and squanders it. When it is gone, he realizes his flaw: he forgot his dignity, and though he knows he does not deserve it, he prepares to ask forgiveness and returns home. The Father restores that dignity after running to him. The older son, however, comes in from work. He refuses to recognize his brother. The Father goes to him, begs him. The son complains that he was never giving anything, even after following ever command. He does not know his dignity as son.
The question to us as the listener is not which son we are, but are we able to receive with joy the dignity that the Lord longs to give us, to know that He comes to us to redeem us!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Third Sunday of Lent

When faced with evil, we might be tempted to blame God, or say that evil happened because the person sinned. Jesus, however, states that this is a cause for conversion, that we will all perish as they did. We need to live our lives prepared. We sometimes play the spiritual game that I only have to be better than 'the other person', but what we really need is to be better, period. We need to respond to the call of God.