Divine Mercy Congress
World Apostolic Congress on Mercy
April 2 – 6, 2008
The Catholic Church, under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, will hold the first World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Rome on April 2-6, 2008.
Pope Benedict XVI encouraged this World Congress on mercy. The Holy Father will open the Mercy Congress with Holy Mass at St. Peter's Square. Click the link below for details of how you can attend this Congress.
http://thedivinemercy.org/worldcongress/index.php
"How many people feel that God will not forgive them?" Bishop Lori said. "How many people feel they do not need God's forgiveness? ... How many times does society become deeply unmerciful? And, of course, we're living in a time when there is terrorism going on, and a 'take-no-prisoners, merciless' approach. And so I think the Church simply wants to let the beauty, the goodness, the accessibility of Divine Mercy shine forth for the whole world, and then to have it catch fire in dioceses and parishes and countries throughout the world."
"God, in His Providence, sought to use St. Faustina as His 'secretary,' almost dictating to us His wonderful terms of mercy so that we, in our time, would clearly perceive that God, the Father, is Mercy, and has shown us His face in Jesus Christ," continued Bishop Lori. "And this mercy —this overwhelming love and forgiveness, God's accessibility to us — is available so that we could take hold of it and find the love of God in our life."
April 2 – 6, 2008
Truly, the Divine Mercy devotion was given by Our Lord for this generation. It is for just such a time as this, critical in the history of man and the world, that once again, Jesus manifested His great love for mankind by giving, through Saint Faustina, this devotion of Mercy.
Saint John tells us, "God is Mercy" but even more importantly, God Himself tells us so directly through the manifestation of that Mercy in the form of sending His Divine Son among us for the remission of sins. God became one of us in the flesh, born of the Virgin Mary.
How many chances we have had, opportunities for turning ourselves around and heading in the right direction for all eternity. This world is passing. We live by its standards and wonder why we get frustrated and depressed...those 'standards' are ever-changing and solely pleasure-oriented. God wants us to enjoy His creation but He has established guidelines in order to do so. These Ten Commandments have never been amended or changed. Our problems come into play when we violate them, every time.
But there is good news, great news actually. God provided for even the most hardened sinner, the one who believes that something he or she has done is totally unforgiveable. It simply does not matter what we have done, think we have done, or others say we have done. It doesn't matter what the world thinks of us; it matters what God sees in us and He sees His Son. Like the Prodigal son's father who waited day and night at the end of his property for any sign of his lost son coming back to him, God stands at the gate of His domain and awaits a little cloud of dust in the road, a small sign of a figure coming down the road...and then, when He spots you and me, He RUNS, yes runs out to meet us more than half way.
His joy is beyond measure as without a word, He wraps His loving arms around us, embraces us as only a Father can do - without questions or comments, and walks us gently home to His kingdom. Experience that love now, before it could be too late. Confession is a Sacrament of Love left to us by Jesus. He empowered Priests to release us from the bondage of sin and return us to the pristine state so loved by Almighty God. It is in Confession alone on this side of eternity that Divine Justice gives way to Divine Mercy. The Blood and Water flowing from the heart of Jesus Himself pours itself over that soul so blackened with sin and covers it, restores it and renews it so that the Heavenly Father sees a child of His own.
Please, please if you never do another thing, come to that Throne of Mercy in the Sacrament of Confession (Reconciliation) and Be Not Afraid anymore. Whatever you have done - no matter what - is forgiveable.
The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC:
A - Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.
B - Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.
C - Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.
This message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God's mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.
The message and devotional practices proposed in the Diary of Saint Faustina and set forth in this web site and other publications of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception are completely in accordance with the teachings of Church and are firmly rooted in the Gospel message of our Merciful Savior. Properly understood and implemented, they will help us grow as genuine followers of Christ.
Spend time to learn more about the mercy of God, learn to trust in Jesus, and live your life as merciful to others, as Christ is merciful to you.
The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy
In 1935, St. Faustina received a vision of an angel sent by God to chastise a certain city. She began to pray for mercy, but her prayers were powerless. Suddenly she saw the Holy Trinity and felt the power of Jesus’ grace within her. At the same time she found herself pleading with God for mercy with words she heard interiorly:
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; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us. (Diary, 475)
As she continued saying this inspired prayer, the angel became helpless and could not carry out the deserved punishment (see 474). The next day, as she was entering the chapel, she again heard this interior voice, instructing her how to recite the prayer that our Lord later called "the Chaplet." This time, after "have mercy on us" were added the words "and on the whole world" (476). From then on, she recited this form of prayer almost constantly, offering it especially for the dying.
In subsequent revelations, the Lord made it clear that the Chaplet was not just for her, but for the whole world. He also attached extraordinary promises to its recitation.
Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you (1541). Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death (687). When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior (1541). Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy (687). I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (687). Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. (1731)
Prayed on ordinary rosary beads, The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is an intercessory prayer that extends the offering of the Eucharist, so it is especially appropriate to use it after having received Holy Communion at Holy Mass. It may be said at any time, but our Lord specifically told St. Faustina to recite it during the nine days before the Feast of Mercy (the first Sunday after Easter). He then added: "By this Novena, [of Chaplets] I will grant every possible grace to souls." (796)
It is likewise appropriate to pray the Chaplet during the "Hour of Great Mercy" — three o'clock each afternoon (recalling the time of Christ’s death on the cross). In His revelations to St. Faustina, Our Lord asked for a special remembrance of His Passion at that hour.
The Hour of Great Mercy
In His revelations to St. Faustina, Our Lord asked for a special prayer and meditation on His Passion each afternoon at the three o’clock hour, the hour that recalls His death on the cross.
At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary, 1320).
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, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy 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. (1572)
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 Most 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. (1572)
