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Divine Mercy Sunday, April 24
By Philip Kosloski, Courtesy Aleteia
In the midst of any severe trial, St. John Paul II pointed to the Divine Mercy message for hope and consolation.St. John Paul II firmly believed in the power of the Divine Mercy image and message. He did all he could during his entire priestly ministry to spread this message far and wide.
During the canonization Mass of St. Faustina, St. John Paul II pointed to the power of this message to lift-up the hearts of those suffering through an intense trial.
Sr. Faustina Kowalska wrote in her Diary: “I feel tremendous pain when I see the sufferings of my neighbors. All my neighbors’ sufferings reverberate in my own heart; I carry their anguish in my heart in such a way that it even physically destroys me. I would like all their sorrows to fall upon me, in order to relieve my neighbor” (Diary, p. 365). This is the degree of compassion to which love leads, when it takes the love of God as its measure!
It is this love which must inspire humanity today, if it is to face the crisis of the meaning of life, the challenges of the most diverse needs and, especially, the duty to defend the dignity of every human person. Thus the message of divine mercy is also implicitly a message about the value of every human being. Each person is precious in God’s eyes; Christ gave his life for each one; to everyone the Father gives his Spirit and offers intimacy.
With this in mind, St. John Paul II believed that knowing you are loved by God and precious in his eyes can help lift the burden you may be feeling.
This consoling message is addressed above all to those who, afflicted by a particularly harsh trial or crushed by the weight of the sins they committed, have lost all confidence in life and are tempted to give in to despair.To them the gentle face of Christ is offered; those rays from his heart touch them and shine upon them, warm them, show them the way and fill them with hope. How many souls have been consoled by the prayer “Jesus, I trust in you“, which Providence intimated through Sr Faustina! This simple act of abandonment to Jesus dispels the thickest clouds and lets a ray of light penetrate every life. Jezu, ufam tobie.
This message, prayer and image of God is a beautiful one. It reminds us to place our trust in God in the midst of our suffering and to know that he is here and his “gentle face” is near to us.
God wants to be with us, in our agony.
Whenever we feel the dark clouds of despair, turn to the Divine Mercy image and pray, “Jesus, I trust in you!”
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Jesus sends his message of mercy to a broken world
By Msgr. Joseph Prior, Courtesy CatholicPhilly.com
“The Lord is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!” “He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!”Our celebration of the Lord’s resurrection continues today as we observe Divine Mercy Sunday. The celebration recalls the great love that the Lord of Life pours out on us in his resurrection. God created us in love, has redeemed us in love and sustains us in his love. Today we are reminded that the gift of divine mercy is showered upon us, delivering us from sin and fear.
The Gospel passage for today’s liturgy recalls one of Jesus’ encounters with the disciples following his resurrection. The disciples are gathered in a locked room filled with fear. They are distraught as what has happened to Jesus.
So much has happened in a few short days. Jesus had been welcomed to such acclaim in Jerusalem in the beginning of the week. Then he was betrayed and arrested while at prayer in the garden. Most of the disciples fled at this point. Peter stayed but caved in fear when he denied the Lord three times. Then came the trial, scourging and cross. Now the tomb is empty. Fear and confusion are intermingled with a glimpse of hope.
Jesus enters the locked room and immediately greets them with “Peace be with you!” Sensing their state of shock, he shows them his hands and side. Again, he offers them peace, this time saying: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
The peace Jesus offers is a sign of mercy and reconciliation. He forgives them but also forgives all. This message of mercy is to be carried far and wide by the apostles and disciples. The first reading recalls an early stage of the spread of the Gospel. Peter has heard the call of Jesus and is bringing the message of mercy to many in Jerusalem. Soon that same message will be carried throughout the world. The message continues to be spread today.
St. John Paul II, recognizing the need for the message of mercy to be highlighted, designated this “Second Sunday of Easter” as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” We live in a fragile, broken world. This year we are witnessing the horrors of an unprovoked aggressive war in Ukraine. Millions of people are directly affected. In addition to the death of brave soldiers, civilians, including the children and babies, are mercilessly killed.
Perhaps this is the most vivid example today of the fragile state of humanity. The last century with its epoch of wars and destruction were a distant memory until the recent events forced us to remember. The fragility of mankind is seen in the precursors to war such as fear, greed, lack of trust, broken relationships, pride and power. This coupled with the ever-growing discrepancy between the ultra-wealthy and the rest of the population seem to help spread those precursors to other parts of the world.
It is into this world, fragile as it is, that Jesus sends his message of mercy: “Peace be with you.”
St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), a young Polish nun, had several visions of Jesus who asked her to be a messenger of mercy. In one of those visions St. Faustina saw the image of Christ with two rays, one of red and one of white, coming forth from his risen body. The image recalls the pouring forth of divine mercy.
Paintings of the image have circulated throughout the world coupled with the recitation of the chaplet as a message of mercy for a broken world.
Jesus’ victory over sin and death comes with his resurrection. He took upon himself the worst of human suffering and affliction. In doing so, he gives the greatest witness of love: “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” The resurrection breaks the power of sin and death. Nothing has the power to destroy God’s love for us. It is in that love that he continues to pour out his mercy — the mercy that heals, strengthens, restores and enlivens hope. We celebrate that mercy today.
The mercy that God pours out in his Son is for the whole of humanity as well as for each human being. He knows each one of us by name just as he knew Peter, Thomas, John Paul and Faustina. Today we celebrate that love that sees us through fear to peace, death to life, suffering to relief, sorrow to consolation, grief to joy, and confusion to understanding.
As we recognize his mercy in our lives, we also hear the call to go forth and share the message of mercy, and the most effective way is to live mercy, to forgive as we have been forgiven, to love as we have been loved.
“The Lord is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!” “He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!”
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How to recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary Rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and followed by a closing prayer.
1. Make the Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Optional Opening Prayers (St. Faustina’s Prayer for Sinners)
O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equalled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 72).
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.
(Repeat the following three times)
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!
3. Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.
4. Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
5. The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
6. The 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.
7. On the 10 Small Beads of Each Decade
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8. Repeat for the remaining decades
Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
10. Optional Closing Prayers
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.
O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy — to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your [Son’s] final coming — that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven (Diary, 1570).
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Second Sunday of Easter: Divine Mercy Sunday
By John Grondelski, Courtesy National Catholic Register
Divine Mercy receives its ultimate expression in the seven sacraments
The Second Sunday of Easter is also Divine Mercy Sunday. It was once called “Dominica in albis,” (Sunday in white) because it was on the eighth day — the perfect, eschatological day — that the newly baptized at the Easter Vigil finally took off the white robes they were given at the baptismal font.
Today also ends the Easter Octave. Today is the Second Sunday of Easter — the Sundays that follow Easter are Sundays of Easter, not Sundays after Easter, to underscore that the “joy of the Resurrection fills the whole world” so pervasively that, through Pentecost, this is the Church’s one great feast that gives meaning to the whole of the Christian year and life.
The Gospel of the Second Sunday of Easter is always John 20:19-31, which contains four key elements:
1. John’s account of Jesus’ first appearance to all his Apostles (minus Thomas) on Easter Sunday night;
2. Christ’s wish of peace and gift of the Holy Spirit in words that the Church has understood to be the institution of the sacrament of Penance;
3. The observation that Thomas was absent; and
4. Jesus’ appearance to his Apostles on the Sunday following the Resurrection, i.e., today, when Thomas is present and professes his faith.
The Apostles are in the Upper Room and scared. They still don’t know about their own safety after the judicial murder of Jesus on Friday. Now there are all sorts of stories going around about Jesus’ Tomb being empty, his body gone and him appearing to individuals. No doubt they also feel a certain guilt, having either run away or denied Jesus when he needed them most.
Jesus appears to them. He wishes them shalom. It’s not simple “peace.” It is peace that comes from a profound reconciliation, settling of accounts and forgiveness. That is what Jesus’ whole life (especially during the past three days) has been all about. He now returns to those upon whom he had planned to build his Church, and launches them into this new era.
He breathes on them. There is a deliberate parallel to Genesis 1:2, where the Spirit of God moves over the waters. That same Spirit, breathed on to the world at creation, is now breathed on to a new world that has just been created at the garden tomb as the new principle of its life.
That new principle of life does not erase the old world or its history. In that world, man sinned. In the new order of creation, the Spirit is given to fix that old wound: if sin is what warped creation, the forgiveness of sins is what Jesus offers for that new world.
The Church has always recognized in John 20:21-23 the institution of the sacrament of Penance. The mission to overcome sin was given by the Father to Christ. He made that possible by dying on the Cross and rising from the grave. Jesus makes overcoming all sin possible, but there is no generic sin. There are only your sins and my sins. They have to be overcome by personal encounter, but we human beings are stuck in space and time (which Jesus apparently already isn’t, having entered through the locked door). So his mission to “take away the sins of the world” has to be shared, passed on to others who, in this place and this time, will declare that same “peace” Jesus did that first Easter night. That is the role of the Apostles, the role of priests in the sacrament of Penance. “Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?” Because that’s how Jesus himself, the source of your forgiveness who respects your place in space and time, set it up. (Now, are you really sorry for your sins if you don’t want to accept forgivness on the terms he set up?) He made it possible, but somebody has to make it real, in the lives of John and Mary and Linus and Perpetua. That’s the priest’s Christ-given job.
As noted above, John 20 has always traditionally been the Gospel for this Sunday. When St. John Paul II established today as “Divine Mercy Sunday,” acceding to the Lord’s wish expressed through St. Faustina Kowalska, it was serendipitous (and Providential) that the Church had always used John 20 for the Gospel reading of the day. God’s mercy and the forgiveness of sins receives its ultimate expression in the sacraments: in Baptism, where we become children of God and heirs of heaven, and in Penance where, despite our treasons and our failings, the Father is always ready to take his prodigal sons and daughters back. That is why St. Faustina says that Our Lord attributed a special privilege to receiving the sacrament of Penance (at some point on or after Good Friday) and Communion today:On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, no. 699).
People have a choice to accept God or reject him, but rejecting him does not mean God goes away and people are free to do as they want. Today, Jesus offers us peace through his mercy. If we don’t want that peace, i.e., we don’t want what Jesus died for, what the past Triduum and Octave have been all about, then it means we want the old world in which sin reigned — one subject to justice, under whose imprint we then also voluntarily subject ourselves. As Sr. Faustina records Jesus telling her:Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice …” (Diary, no. 1146).
All this requires faith, faith to acknowledge that this Man died and rose, conquering sin and death. That he is not just an inspired teacher or a politically-driven Messiah to whom some people attached their wagon carts, but the God-Man who, because of what happened on that first Easter, has changed the whole direction of human history in a process that encompasses all peoples of all times that will only end with the End of the World. That, because of Easter, nothing will ever be the same again.
That is what Jesus wants when he asks us not to persist in unbelief but to believe. It is what Thomas was initially not wont to do. In some ways, Thomas is a thoroughly-modern man. “C’mon, guys? Some dead guy rising? You been sippin’ the seder wine? We bet on the wrong guy, he got nailed, it’s over, now let’s move on.”
That doubt is contending with faith — otherwise, why would Thomas have come back that next Sunday? If he really did not believe, he would have packed up and gone home, perhaps back to Galilee. He didn’t. What was he hanging around for? There is a spark of faith there — he’s doubting Thomas, not disbelieving Thomas. And that spark is enough for God to kindle, as we see in today’s Gospel. Kindle with the tangible proofs that now make Thomas (and the other Apostles) the sources of credibility backing up our own faith, of we “who have not seen but believed.”
Duccio di Buoninsegna
Today’s Gospel is illustrated in art by the 14th-century artist from Siena (140 miles north/northwest of Rome), Duccio di Buoninsegna. It was one panel of approximately 80 that made up the Maestà, a 16-foot-by-16-foot altarpiece for the main altar in Siena’s cathedral. The work is tempera on wood, meaning it took colored pigments and made them adhere to the wood using some other medium, typically egg yolk.
The panel was deliberately designed with today’s Gospel in mind, depicting Jesus’ first Johannine appearance on Easter Sunday. How do we know? There are 10 Apostles present, symmetrically five on each side of Jesus. Thomas “was not with them” and Judas had hung himself. Jesus stand in front of a door still locked, through which he has passed. [After all, Jesus is “the Way” (John 14:6) and “the Gate” (John 10:9) through whom he has already told his Apostles that those who would follow him really must pass].
Jesus’ hand is raised in blessing (and not unlike absolution). His wounds are clear, at least on his feet. The hands of the four Apostles in the foreground — the only ones whose hands are visible — in turn gesture toward the Lord, almost as a kind of affirmation of faith. Can we suggest that that the gray-bearded older man on his right, in blue and green, is Peter and the young, unbearded man on his left, in reddish hues, is John?
The style of the painting has both Byzantine elements in its icon-style as well as late medieval Gothic stylization. This is in keeping with the influences of East and West in what is today Italy.
The Maestà was taken apart in 1711, with various components (including this one) on display in the Siena Cathedral museum.
Divine Mercy Image
In conjunction with the Feast of Divine Mercy, Our Lord charged St. Faustina Kowalska to have the image of Divine Mercy which she saw painted. Eugeniusz Kazimirowski painted the first version, which was displayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Ostrabrama in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 26-28, 1935. The painting was later kept at St. Michael’s Church in Vilnius, until the Soviets closed the church in 1948. It was later hidden at Vilnius’ Dominican church, then later in a church in Belarus, only to be returned to Lithuania and returned to public view as communism was falling.
According to St. Faustina (Diary, no. 47), Jesus instructed her to promote veneration of this image of Jesus’ Divine Mercy, ultimately throughout the world.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. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.
Once upon a time, Catholics had the custom of having religious and devotional images in their home. Why not add this daily reminder of trust in Jesus’ Mercy to your house?
Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, “Divine Mercy,” 1935
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Divine Mercy Sunday 2022: Here's how to obtain a plenary indulgence
Courtesy Catholic News Agency
What do a certain Polish nun and a certain Polish pope have in common? They both became saints and they were both instrumental in the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday, which offers many graces to the faithful.
Be sure to thank St. John Paul II and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska this April 24 because as Divine Mercy Sunday rolls around again this year, the faithful have the opportunity to take refuge in the depths of Christ’s mercy by receiving either a plenary or partial indulgence.
Some facts about Divine Mercy Sunday, including the Church’s guidance on how to receive indulgences on the day, can be read below:
What is Divine Mercy Sunday?
Divine Mercy Sunday is the Sunday after Easter each year. Divine Mercy Sunday was first announced in an April 2000 homily given by John Paul II for the Mass celebrating the canonization of Maria Faustina Kowalska.
St. Faustina is a Polish nun who received prophetic messages from Christ. These messages included revelations about the infinite mercy of God – coined the “Divine Mercy” – and her obligation to spread the message to the world, as recorded in her diary, “Divine Mercy in my soul.”
The late pope said in his homily that “the light of divine mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sr Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third millennium.”
John Paul II granted plenary and partial indulgences to the faithful who observed certain pious practices on Divine Mercy Sunday each year in a June 2002 decree. He did this in order to inspire the faithful in devotion to the Divine Mercy.
What is an indulgence?
An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven, and it can be plenary or partial.
Plenary indulgence
A plenary indulgence can be obtained by going to a church on Divine Mercy Sunday “in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin,” and participating in the prayers held in honor of Divine Mercy, the 2002 decree says.
Those practices could consist of devotions such as the divine mercy chaplet, eucharistic adoration, and the sacrament of confession.
The faithful could also visit the Blessed Sacrament either exposed or in the tabernacle, and recite the Our Father, the Nicene Creed, and a devout prayer to Christ. The example of a devout prayer that is given in the Decree is “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”
In order to receive the indulgence, the three usual conditions of going to confession, receiving Holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father must also be met. While it is appropriate that the two sacraments to be received on the same day, the Church permits them to be received up to about 20 days before or after the day the indulgenced work is performed.
Can’t make it to a church? Be not afraid
For the sick or others who are unable to make it to church that day, a plenary indulgence may still be obtained. One must intend to make a confession, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father as soon as possible, while praying one Our Father and the Nicene Creed before an image of Jesus. In addition, one also must pray “a devout invocation” to Christ such as “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you.”
For those faithful who cannot fulfill those obligations either, it is still possible to earn a plenary indulgence. If “with a spiritual intention” one unites themselves to all the faithful hoping to obtain the indulgence through the prescribed prayers and they offer a prayer and their sufferings to Christ, then they are able to obtain the plenary indulgence. They also must intend to go to confession, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the pope as soon as possible.
Partial indulgence
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who on that day pray “a legitimately approved invocation” with a contrite heart. As is written in the decree, this invocation could be “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”
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Parish Celebration of St. Joseph!
You're invited!
“God’s Son, my Son”, a live, one-man theatrical presentation about St. Joseph, is coming to St. Timothy Parish!
Please join us on Friday, March 18th at 6pm where we'll start the evening with a "homemade soup & bread supper" (no cost to you) in honor of St. Joseph's Day this year (the Solemnity of St. Joseph is Saturday, March 19th). Following that, Michael Sacilowski will perform and share the life story of St. Joseph at 7pm (duration of the presentation approximately 1 hour).
Accompany St. Joseph as he fulfills his call to be the human father to Jesus. From a turbulent and compelling beginning with Mary and infant Jesus, to living a simple life; hear how Joseph strived to protect his family and how he raised Jesus during the hidden years. See how this righteous man put his trust in God’s plan for him, and lived a life of obedience and action. Witness how he participated in the work of God and trusted in God to faithfully carry out the mission that God gave him. Listen to the "Patron Saint of Workers" share his words of wisdom and insights into the purpose of work, and how work can be a path to holiness.
This presentation is free and open to all ages.
Mr. Sacilowski has presented many one-man saint plays throughout the years, telling the stories of St. Joseph, St. Benedict, St. Nicholas, St. Patrick, and St. Francis. If you submit the form in the bulletin to let us know how many plan to attend, we can better plan for the food for the evening. But everyone is welcome, even if you forget to fill out the form.
Come join us!
More on the the origin of the play “God’s Son, my Son” (courtesy of Marc Massery and marian.org):
Walking the dog every morning for many months, Mike Sacilowski of Cheektowaga, New York, had his mind on St. Joseph. During those walks, he memorized a 6,000-word script about the life of St. Joseph. He wrote it himself over a span of six months, using various resources including Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC.
"I put my heart and soul into [the script]," he said. ... "This is one of the greatest things that I've ever done. I'm really happy with it."
The name of Mike's play is "God's Son, my Son." It features himself playing St. Joseph. The pandemic delayed the presenting of it at churches in the area.
Mike has been giving presentations about saints for the past five years. It began as an assignment in a class on spirituality when he was working on his master's degree in theology. "We were encouraged to dress up as a saint and present their spirituality. That's where it all started." In his first presentation, he portrayed St. Benedict. Then when he took a job as a director of religious education, he was inspired to create another one.
"I was at our [Catholic] school and noticed St. Patrick's Day decorations, which included leprechauns and pots of gold. I thought 'What about St. Patrick?' That was my impetus to start [doing more presentations on saints]. People were losing sight of the true meaning of feast days. I found that giving presentations is a good way to spread the faith in an entertaining way."
"It's so hard in today's society to express our love for God to people. We tend to shy away from that. If I went around and said to people, 'I love Jesus and God,' people might not respond as well. But with presentations like mine, people are drawn in a little more because it's St. Joseph saying everything, so that awkwardness is eliminated."
Mike read Consecration to St. Joseph as soon as it came out in early 2020. Before then, Mike admits he had never had much of a devotion to the earthly father of Jesus.
"But now that I've spent the last year asking for his intercession, I feel he's really interceded. So many things have fallen into place in the last year, and I attribute it to St. Joseph." Then in late 2020, Pope Francis declared a "Year of St. Joseph." "Everything seemed to be coming together," Mike said.
When he finished the presentation, Mike sent it to Fr. Donald. "He took the time to watch it from beginning to end. I was so impressed with that. Fr. Donald said it was 'theologically sound.' And one of the things that really resonated with me was when he said that he hopes this presentation brings people 'closer to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.' And that's really what this is all about."
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The prayer to St. Joseph that Pope Francis has said for more than 40 years
In a footnote in his recent apostolic letter on St. Joseph, Pope Francis notes that for more than 40 years, he has said a special prayer to St. Joseph after morning prayer.
He explains that it is taken from a 19th-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary.
“It expresses devotion and trust, and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph,” the Holy Father reflects.
Here is the prayer, as he shares it in the letter:
"Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty.
Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome.
My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power.
Amen.
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Weekly Devotions: All are invited to join us.
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Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited every Thursday after the 10am Mass.
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Miraculous Medal
Novena in honor of the Miraculous Medal of the Virgin Mary recited on Wednesdays following 10am Mass.
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Daily Rosary
Throughout the year, the rosary is recited Monday through Friday before 10am Mass.
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