Jesus, I trust in you
In 1931, one of the most famous apparitions in the history of the Church happened in Poland when Jesus appeared frequently in prayer to a nun named Maria Faustina Kowalska. She describes the experience in her Diary: "In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence, I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy" (Diary of Faustina, 47). Jesus spoke to St. Faustina, telling her: "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" (47).
St. Faustina's spiritual director, Bl. Michael Sopocko, commissioned an artist, Eugene Kazimirowski, to paint the Divine Mercy image. Eugene worked closely with St. Faustina to complete the image that she had seen. Another message that Jesus gave St. Faustina was that he wanted a Feast of Divine Mercy established in the Church. In 2000, St. Pope John Paul II officially designated the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.
What exactly is Divine Mercy? The simple answer is: when God's love meets us and helps us in the midst of our suffering and sin. It gets to the heart of Scripture and the center of our faith. For a more detailed explanation click here.
Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet is one of the primary Divine Mercy devotions. Using your rosary beads to count the prayers of the Chaplet, it only takes about 10 minutes and is a simple form of prayer to use with your children. It can of course be prayed at any time, but 3 o'clock is the Great Hour of Mercy-the hour of Christ's Passion. On Divine Mercy Sunday, it is the custom to have a Holy Hour at 3 pm. Deacon John Murray established this tradition here at St. Patrick's, as he had a great devotion to Divine Mercy. And from the time I was a kid, I can remember him reminding us every Good Friday to start the Divine Mercy Novena.
What exactly is Divine Mercy? The simple answer is: when God's love meets us and helps us in the midst of our suffering and sin. It gets to the heart of Scripture and the center of our faith. For a more detailed explanation click here.
Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet is one of the primary Divine Mercy devotions. Using your rosary beads to count the prayers of the Chaplet, it only takes about 10 minutes and is a simple form of prayer to use with your children. It can of course be prayed at any time, but 3 o'clock is the Great Hour of Mercy-the hour of Christ's Passion. On Divine Mercy Sunday, it is the custom to have a Holy Hour at 3 pm. Deacon John Murray established this tradition here at St. Patrick's, as he had a great devotion to Divine Mercy. And from the time I was a kid, I can remember him reminding us every Good Friday to start the Divine Mercy Novena.
The Divine Mercy Novena, is the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayed every day for 9 days, starting on Good Friday. For each day there is a special intention, given to us from Jesus, as recorded in St. Faustina's Diary.
In addition to praying the Chaplet and the Novena, you can create some fun activities with your children to celebrate God's Divine Mercy. After Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, make a special breakfast of heart shaped pancakes and top it with strawberries and blueberries (the rays denote the Blood and Water that poured from Christ's side when he was pierced with a lance). Or for dessert- Divine Mercy Sundaes, ice cream topped with red and blue sprinkles. Pretty much anything you can think of that keeps with the red, blue and heart theme. Don't have the Divine Mercy image in your home? Have your kids complete this craft to display when you pray the Chaplet.
In addition to praying the Chaplet and the Novena, you can create some fun activities with your children to celebrate God's Divine Mercy. After Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, make a special breakfast of heart shaped pancakes and top it with strawberries and blueberries (the rays denote the Blood and Water that poured from Christ's side when he was pierced with a lance). Or for dessert- Divine Mercy Sundaes, ice cream topped with red and blue sprinkles. Pretty much anything you can think of that keeps with the red, blue and heart theme. Don't have the Divine Mercy image in your home? Have your kids complete this craft to display when you pray the Chaplet.
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