Divine Mercy

The Holy Father has given a new gift to the pro-life movement. You have likely seen the picture of Jesus standing with his hand pointed to his heart, from which red and pale rays emanate. The words “Jesus, I trust in you” are at the bottom. This image represents the devotion to Divine Mercy, based on revelations given to St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938).

The image itself was revealed to her, as was the “Chaplet of Divine Mercy,” in which we pray the following words:

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 and on the whole world.

Pope John Paul II has fostered this devotion within the Church, and has declared the Sunday after Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. Many of the faithful, especially in the pro-life movement, practice this devotion.

Indeed, the link between this devotion and abortion is established by St. Faustina herself and recorded in her “Diary.” Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, who was a principal translator of St. Faustina’s diary, and the postulator of her cause of canonization, writes the following:

“On at least three occasions, from 8:00-11:00 in the evening, she felt like her insides were being torn apart. She suffered so much that she thought she was going to die. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was ailing her, and no medication was able to alleviate her sufferings. Later, she was given to understand that she was undergoing those pains for mothers who were aborting their children (Diary, 1276). “On another occasion, she had a vision of an angel coming with thunderbolts to destroy one of the most beautiful cities of her country. And she felt powerless to do anything about it (Diary, 474). What antidote did the Lord give her? The Chaplet of Divine Mercy. [She explained] that the city was to be chastised for its sins, primarily the sin of abortion.” (“Wombs of Mercy,” Marian Helpers Bulletin, Summer 1995, p.13).

Now the Pope has personally emphasized this connection once again, by signing a special Papal Blessing for those who pray the Chaplet for an end to abortion. The blessing, signed on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2003, is addressed to the Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy and to “all the faithful worldwide who join them in offering the Divine Mercy Chaplet...for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the Culture of Life, so as to put an end to the culture of death.”

God cannot fail to hear our prayer; let’s not fail to pray it.

For all of us who were spared from abortion, let us never forget those souls who have been victimized by THE most insidious procedure ever invented by mankind. May God have mercy on their souls! Here is a first hand account

Divine Mercy in My Soul

Theresa Bonopartis

"We are to show to those in need His goodness to ourselves . . ."

This phrase at Mass speaks to my heart. It reminds me of the despair, the grief, the pain of abortion from which Christ delivered me. It reminds me also of my duty to give hope to those still suffering, to help point the way to a place of shelter and peace in the heart of Jesus. And so, I relate my experience--unique and personal, but not unlike the stories of many other women. But this story is not, finally, about me. It's about our good and merciful God . . . always there, wanting to forgive us and to make us whole again.

* * *

At 18 I honestly believed I was the only one not having sex. I gave in to peer pressure and slept with someone I was seeing occasionally. I remember vividly the day I phoned the doctor for my test results and learned I was pregnant.

After months of denial, I was nearly four months pregnant, so I knew the answer long before the word "positive" was uttered. I was overwhelmed by a range a feelings: happiness at the thought of a child growing within me, but also fear of telling my parents--the reason I had "denied"it for so long.

I immediately told the father of the child, and we decided to get married. Although we planned to tell our parents together, I blurted the truth to my mother and father. Their reaction took me by surprise. Shocked, angry and disappointed, they told me to leave the house and forget that I was their daughter.

In retrospect, their reaction was understandable. They believed that premarital sex was wrong and thought it would be a disgrace to have a child out of wedlock. At least, I thought, my parents were practicing Catholics and would never ask me to abort my child. I left the house with no job, no money, no home and nowhere to turn, feeling utterly abandoned and alone. It wasn't long before the babys father and I broke up. Still, I was certain I would not get an abortion. I wanted my child.

A friend's mother invited me to stay in their home. I had no idea how I could support the baby and myself, and things began to feel hopeless. During this period, my father sent several messages urging me to have an abortion. He even offered to pay for it. I refused. But as I began to feel more desperate, I decided, finally, to let the abortion happen. I shut down my feelings and went through the motions, functioning more like an observer in a surreal world than someone in control.

Thirty years later, I still can't remember how I got to the hospital. But I do remember being alone in the hospital room when a doctor entered, and I'll never forget the sadistic look on his face as he injected saline into my abdomen.

No one explained to me the baby's development or what the abortion would be like. I had no idea what was going to happen. I lay there just wishing that I could die. I could feel the baby thrashing around as his skin and lungs were burned by the saline. He was dying. Labor began. After twelve hours of labor, alone in the room, I gave birth to a dead baby boy.

I looked at his tiny feet and hands. All I wanted to do was pick up my son and put him back inside of me. I couldn't fathom what I had done. I rang for the nurse. She came in, picked up my son and dumped him in what looked like a large mayonnaise jar, a jar marked 3A. Then she left the room and I was alone again, filled with hatred for myself. The thought of death seemed comforting. My downward spiral had only just begun.

After the abortion I flew to California to spend time with my sister and her family so I could get my bearings again. I wasn't the same person anymore. I went through the motions of daily living, but I had no desire for anything. At night, in the room I shared with my two-year-old niece, I'd lie awake asking God over and over again to forgive me.

Three months later I returned to the New York area. Although I was not in contact with my father, my mom would slip out to meet me occasionally. Still trying to run away from myself, I moved to Florida. During my two years there, I called my dad and we began speaking again, although never mentioning my abortion.

When I returned to the area, I found a job and outwardly things seemed fine. But nothing was as it seemed. I tried hard not to think about who I was and what I had done. When I thought about my dead child, I would become depressed and despairing. Desperate to be loved, I became involved with the man I would marry, even though he was emotionally and psychologically abusive to me.

Two years later I was thrilled to be pregnant with our first child. But I was also afraid that God would punish me for the abortion, that something would be wrong with my child. I prayed constantly that the baby would not have to suffer for my sins, and was immensely relieved when he was born healthy.

The marriage began to fall apart soon after the baby's birth. My husband was abusing alcohol and we were arguing all the time. We tried counseling to salvage our marriage. Knowing that my abortion was at the root of my problems, I told the counselor about it. He told me to just forget about it. It was in the past. I could not make him understand that the abortion was very much in the present because I was living with the consequences every day.

For a while my husband stayed sober, and I became pregnant with our second child. By the time I was to give birth, however, his addiction was again full-blown. The night our second child was born, I did not expect my husband to be there. By the time he got home, I was well along in labor and we barely made it to the hospital in time.

The birth of my son was anything but joyous. I didn't know how I was going to care for two children, living with someone addicted to alcohol. Unlike the husbands of mothers around me, my husband did not show up the next day; he was recovering from a hangover. I lay alone in a hospital room, but this time my child was alive.

Soon after I brought the baby home, my husband overdosed and had to be rushed to the hospital. The incident helped me to begin breaking the cycle. During his two-week hospital stay, I began to enjoy my children for the first time. I didn't have to worry about where he was or what he was doing. I gave the children my full attention. I promised myself that I would not let them grow up in an abusive home, and that if he didn't straighten out, the children and I would begin a life for ourselves.

I kept my sanity by praying and reading the Bible. My husband stayed sober for two years before it began all over again. The day my older son, then four, told me to hide in the closet when he saw his father coming home, I knew we would have to leave.

For myself, I may well have stayed in that abusive relationship forever, but I did not want the boys to experience abuse. One day when my husband was drinking again, I took the children and walked out the door. Once again I found myself with no job, no money, no home. This time, thank God, I had my children.

My sister took me in to her already full apartment, and with my family's help (in this crisis I had their full support), I began to get my life together. Shortly after I walked out, my husband ended up in rehab, so the boys and I were able to move back into our apartment. I found a job. Within a year or two I returned to school to train as a substance abuse counselor. My family helped me both financially and by helping to care for the boys. I could not have made it without them.

After graduation, one of my teachers offered me a job. I thought I had finally gotten it together. Little did I realize how fragile this new life was.

By this time I had grown in my spiritual life and had a relationship with God, even though I did not truly know Him and still kept a distance from church. I still suffered from depression, entertained thoughts of suicide and had very low self esteem; the fact that I had been one of the few from my class offered a job did not raise my self-esteem.

In time, as I struggled with my personal problems, my professional work began to suffer. I experienced "burn out." It was devastating to have worked so hard to achieve what I had and then become unable to function. I realize now that it was God's way of drawing me closer to Him.

I quit my job and struggled to stay out of the hospital. My dad supported me and the kids. I just moved through life. Every day it was a challenge just to get out of bed and take care of the boys. I did, however, begin attending Mass again, sitting in the back of the church, certain that everyone knew I had had an abortion, certain that the walls would come crashing down on me. But I went, listening for some word of hope that I could be forgiven for my terrible, "unforgivable" sin.

By then my older son was seven and ready to make his First Penance. At a meeting for the parents, a priest talked about God's mercy and His desire to forgive any sin, even the sin of abortion. I remember thinking: Can this be true? Did I hear him correctly? Will God really forgive abortion? That evening I left with the first inkling of hope I had known in ten years.

It took time and courage, but I decided to contact that priest and ask him to hear my confession. Scared and nervous, I made my first confession in many years. The priest was gentle, trying to make it as easy as he could for me. He showed great empathy and support. At last, I was on my way home.

I began to see the priest regularly for spiritual direction. At first, all I could see was darkness. It was an effort to do the things he asked, like examining my life, because I was sure I would uncover only what a terrible person I was. But I was tired of the depression and desperate enough to try. I felt sorry for my children who had a mom who cried a lot and simply couldn't cope with life. I wanted more for the three of us. And so I prayed, went to Mass every day and spent time before the Blessed Sacrament. I needed so badly to trust in this God I had been told was so good.

Still I could not forgive myself. I continued to struggle with depression. I would beg Jesus for healing. I felt bad that I had not reached full healing, and my confessor's eyes showed his own sadness over my continued struggle. I understand now that the fullness of healing must come in God's time.

One night I felt depressed and suicidal again, but despite these feelings, I also somehow felt a deep trust in God. I didn't want the children to see me crying again, so after putting them to bed, I closed myself in the bathroom, crouched on the floor, and repeated over and over, "Jesus, I trust in You."

I don't know how many hours I did this, but well into the night I had an experience that changed my life. I experienced being on the cross with Christ. But instead of experiencing suffering, I felt love so intense that it was capable of taking away that pain. I felt His love wash away my sin and I knew my healing was complete.

I have never since felt the despair of abortion, only the profound love and forgiveness Christ gave me. I've watched my life be transformed, miraculously, as I've been privileged to help countless women and men suffering from abortion's aftermath. Christ's love transformed not only my life, but the lives of those I love.

Before my mother died, I learned that my abortion had caused her great suffering, although she had never told me. One day when we were watching TV, abortion was mentioned. She said, "Well, sometimes it's all right to have an abortion." I said, "Mom, it is never all right."

God gave us this moment of grace. She told me that my abortion was her sin and that she would take it to the grave with her. I was able to comfort her, telling her that we both bore responsibility for it. I told her that I forgave her and asked her to forgive me. After that my mother went to confession to the same priest I had seen for direction, and she felt that her terrible burden was lifted.

Most difficult was telling my children. I felt that God was calling me to speak out about abortion, but I knew I couldn't unless my children knew first. I was terrified they would hate me. It took me years to muster the courage. By now I was active in the pro-life movement and they had been brought up to respect human life.

I planned to tell them many times, but each time I backed out, afraid to say the words. Finally one day I knew I was being given the grace to talk to them. How can I describe that day? I trembled as I told them of how our lives had come to be as they were. If not for my abortion, they would not be living in a fatherless household or seeing the strained relationship between my father and me.

The boys wrestled with their feelings. They were angry at me. They grieved for the brother they never knew. They felt guilty for surviving. It took time, a lot of talking, and the grace of God, but they understood finally why things were as they were, and why I had spent years crying. They grew closer to God, and we grew closer to one another.

I didn't speak publicly right away. The boys needed time to deal with their feelings and cope with the loss of their brother before I would do that. I was even resigned and at peace with the fact that the day might never come. But a few years later, they gave me their blessing. To say I am proud of them is an understatement. They have become great advocates for life.

I've now worked for some years with the Sisters of Life, conducting Days of Prayer and Healing for those suffering abortion's trauma. I am grateful to be able to stand alongside the Sisters at the foot of the cross and minister to these children of God, and blessed to watch them be transformed by His love and forgiveness. I have witnessed countless miracles of His mercy and am convinced that God is marshaling an army of once-wounded women and men to dispel the lies of abortion.

Saint Faustina Kowalska's diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, tells of words spoken to her by Christ:

Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than asked. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy.

I know that this is true.

Jesus I trust in You.

Theresa Bonopartis assists the Sisters of Life and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in conducting spiritual retreats for those wounded by abortion.

FR Divine Mercy Thread

[Columbia Article]

Links from Columbia article:

• Knights of Mercy program
• John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy
• Eucharistic Apostles of Divine Mercy

MID RUMORS THAT HE WOULD announce his retirement due to failing health, Pope John Paul II traveled to Poland last summer and proclaimed a message far different to the expectant world. During a dedication Mass in the shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow Aug. 17, the pope announced: “Today, therefore, in this shrine, I wish solemnly to entrust the world to Divine Mercy.”

The Divine Mercy devotion, though humble in origin, offers nothing less than the promise of salvation and peace to all mankind. Efforts on many different fronts are furthering the hope that Catholics everywhere will soon know of the extraordinary graces promised by Our Lord to those who follow his simple call to mercy and trust.

(Above) A potrait of Sister Faustina Kowalska and the Divine Mercy image of Christ hangs from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during her canonization in 2000. (Right) Fourth Degree Knights at 2002 Mercy Sunday observances in Stockbridge, Mass.

ST. FAUSTINA:
THE MESSENGER
Helena Kowalska was born in Glogowiec, Poland, on Aug. 25, 1905. The third of 10 children born to poor, devout parents, she exhibited an early love of prayer, work, obedience and sensitivity to the poor. At age 7, she felt the first stirrings of a vocation in her heart, and before turning 20 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, where she received her religious name Sister Maria Faustina. Sister Faustina’s religious life seemed unremarkable to most observers. She spent her days attending to kitchen and garden tasks, or acting as the doorkeeper in various convents. But she experienced an extraordinary interior communion with God, the extent of which was known only to her superiors. Her supernatural gifts included revelations, visions, hidden stigmata, bilocation, prophecy and the reading of souls.

In 1934, at the urging of her spiritual director and, later, of Jesus himself, Sister Faustina began keeping a diary of her revelations from Jesus and mystical experiences. The result is the 600-page spiritual classic, Diary of St. Faustina: Divine Mercy in My Soul, which continues to astound scholars with its depth of spiritual and theological insight. She recorded this diary over the span of four years, ending it shortly before her death from tuberculosis in 1938.

DIVINE MERCY: THE MESSAGE “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 will be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy” (Diary, 1059).

Jesus’ message of mercy to St. Faustina was not a new revelation, but a reminder of those timeless truths of our faith about God’s merciful love for all mankind and his desire for us to turn to him with trust. What was new were the forms of devotion that Jesus requested, and the powerful promises attached to them. There are generally considered to be four basic elements of the Divine Mercy devotion: the image, the feast, the chaplet and the Hour of Mercy.

THE IMAGE
“I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening in the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red, and the other pale. … After a while Jesus said to me: paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: ‘Jesus, I trust in You’” (Diary, 47).

This image of the risen Christ reminds us of all Jesus did for us through his passion, death and resurrection. The two rays represent the blood and water that flowed from his heart when it was pierced by a lance. The hand raised in blessing recalls the scene of Easter Sunday eve and the institution of the sacrament of penance. St. Faustina further noted two promises given by Our Lord: “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory” (Diary, 48).

THE FEAST
Jesus specifically requested that the Sunday after Easter be designated as the feast of Mercy. In all, he made 14 requests for the feast in revelations to St. Faustina and attached a promise of mercy to those who observe it devoutly.

“Whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment. ... On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet” (Diary, 300 and 699).

Pope John Paul II prays in the God’s Mercy Basilica in Krakow during his August 2002 visit to Poland. The pope consecrated the basilica at a shrine where he used to pray on his way to forced labor in a salt quarry under the Nazis.

To observe the feast of Mercy properly, and to receive the great gift of forgiveness and remission of all temporal punishment — a new beginning such as conferred at baptism — we should sincerely repent of all our sins, place our trust in Jesus, go to confession within a reasonable time before the feast, receive holy Communion, venerate an image of Divine Mercy and practice acts of mercy. THE CHAPLET
Dictated to St. Faustina by Our Lord himself, the chaplet is to be prayed on ordinary rosary beads. Jesus instructed her to pray it “unceasingly,” and promised to souls who recited it devoutly great graces throughout life and particularly at the hour of death. To pray the chaplet, begin by saying the Our Father, Hail Mary and the Apostles’ Creed. Then on the large beads, pray:

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.

On the small beads, pray:

For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In conclusion, pray three times:

Holy God, holy Mighty One, holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Father Frank Gluhosky blesses a copy of the image of Divine Mercy surrounded by members of Father Michael J. McGivney Assembly in Stuart, Fla. Robert Allard, a member of the assembly, promotes devotion to Divine Mercy through various programs, including one expressly for Knights.

THE HOUR OF MERCY
In a revelation to St. Faustina in October 1937, Jesus requested daily prayer at 3 p.m. to honor the hour of his death and to implore mercy for sinners.

“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 for the whole world. … In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion” (Diary, 1320).

Jesus said that praying the Stations of the Cross at this hour would be beneficial, or, if that couldn’t be done, he asked for a visit to the Blessed Sacrament in adoration of the merciful heart of Jesus.

MERCY FOR OUR TIMES
Preparing the world for Our Lord’s return by spreading the message of Divine Mercy is a task that many in the Church have taken on. The Congregation of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception administer a National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., and sponsor the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy, which trains clergy, religious and laity in living and spreading the message. The Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy, a lay organization associated with the religious congregation, starts prayer cenacles in parishes that promote eucharistic adoration and perform works of mercy.

Knight Robert Allard, a member of Father McGivney Assembly in Stuart, Fla., is a prominent member of the organization.

Father Seraphim S. Michalenko, of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception and director emeritus of the Institute of Divine Mercy, says the popularity of the devotion is growing. “It’s individual lay people who are doing the most.

All of this is by word of mouth, people telling others about the graces they’ve received and then inviting them to the services, like to a chaplet that is said before Mass.”

Plowing the way for these seeds of evangelization is the world’s foremost champion of Divine Mercy, Pope John Paul II.

Dedicated to spreading the message since his days as a young priest, he has played what can only be described as a providential role in this mission.

In 1965, as archbishop of Krakow, he initiated the process by which, 35 years later as pope, he would declare Sister Faustina the first saint of the Jubilee Year 2000. At the canonization ceremony, on April 30, 2000, John Paul also announced that the Second Sunday of Easter would be henceforth known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

He marked his pontificate early with the theme of mercy by issuing in 1980 the encyclical Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy), and more recently, on Aug. 4, 2002, authorized a plenary indulgence for Catholics who observe the precepts on Divine Mercy Sunday. Given John Paul’s historic actions, the life and mission of St. Faustina, and the vitality and faith of the Polish people who have spread the message of mercy beyond their homeland, one is struck by Our Lord’s prophetic words to St. Faustina: “I bear a special love for Poland. ... From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for My final coming” (Diary, 1732).

Melaine Ryther is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in Catholic periodicals. She writes from Kennewick, Wash., where she is a wife and a mother.

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THE EUCHARISTIC APOSTLES OF THE
DIVINE MERCY,
under the patronage of "the Entirely Perfect Virgin, Holy Mary" of Guadalupe, is a Roman Catholic, non-profit lay outreach ministry of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Province of the Congregation of Marians of The Immaculate Conception B.V.M., headquartered in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
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Knights of Mercy Program

A call to all Knights of Columbus

Councils and Assemblies

Worldwide

Introduction

COMMISSIONED TO ASSIST OUR CHURCH

This is designed especially for the Knights of Columbus councils and assemblies so that they may assist our Holy Father John Paul II and our Church to celebrate our new feast called Divine Mercy Sunday. One of the necessary parts of the solemn celebration of this feast is the veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy in the Church and this will be the main focus of the “Knights of Mercy Program”.

This new feast was made official by decree on May 5^th 2000 by the Vatican at the request of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II indicated the he had fulfilled the will of Christ by instituting this new Feast of Divine Mercy. Jesus through St. Faustina requested a Feast of Mercy on the Sunday after Easter. Our Pope has been hoping that everyone takes full advantage of the special graces available on this feast day.

EXTRAORDINARY GRACES

What special graces, you might ask? It is the promise that Jesus made for a total pardon of sins and punishment for anyone that would go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on this Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday). Our Lord said “Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (From the diary of St. Faustina, entry 300)

To further put the Church’s stamp of approval on Our Lord’s promise, the Vatican just issued a Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday on June 29^th, 2002. The decree states that priests should inform the faithful about the plenary indulgence and to lead the prayers required after all the masses. It also calls for priests to be very generous in hearing confessions and to encourage everyone to do acts of mercy.

A SPECIAL CALLING FOR THE KNIGHTS

Because the Knights have a special calling to assist the Church in its endeavors, and because we are in solidarity with the mission of the Pope, we must do our best to assist every parish to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. It is very clear, from the words of Jesus that this feast is to be a refuge and shelter for all souls, especially for poor sinners. As Knights we are called to do acts of charity and there could be no greater act of charity than to participate in the salvation of the poor lost or alienated souls.

We have many Catholics that have fallen away from the Church. Many only go to mass once a year, probably on Easter. Many more have not gone to Confession in a long time and these poor souls could also be damned for eternity. What better acts of charity could we do than to assist our Church in celebrating this great feast which can provide for them the total forgiveness of their sins and punishment?

Our Lord said “On that day all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy…Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice is near.” (Diary, 699, 965)

WE ARE CALLED TO EVANGELIZE

Pope John Paul II stated in his greetings in August 2002 “The theme for the 120^th Supreme Convention – (“Now Is the Time for the Great Catch”)- is a summons to ever trust in the Lord’s command to 'put out into the deep' ( Lk 5:4) in obedience to His word." Our Lord is calling out to His Vicar, Pope John Paul II, as He did to Peter “to cast our nets out once more” using Divine Mercy Sunday to obtain that Great Catch. We must help our Holy Father to let down these nets. The results, as we remember from Luke’s Gospel, was an incredible catch of fish. In the same way, by trusting in the promise of Our Lord, we can bring home many lost souls on this new Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday).

Our Lord said “How very much I desire the salvation of souls!... if only they were willing to accept My grace. The greatest sinners would achieve great sanctity, if only they would trust in My mercy.” (Diary, 1784) The graces on Divine Mercy Sunday are fully capable of totally restoring a terrible lost sinner to complete sanctity and in turn, that new found soul in Christ will radiate that merciful love to all others.

OUR LORD’S INSTRUCTIONS AND PROMISE

Jesus said, “Do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace.” (Diary, 1074) And His promise: “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1075)

It is clear that we must do everything that we possibly can to spread the message of Divine Mercy. What follows is a simple plan to ensure that every parish will be prepared to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. This will bring about a great renewal in the Church and bring home that “Great Catch” of many inactive, poor lost souls.

THE SIMPLE PLAN

1. Contact your parish: Ask if your parish has an Image of Divine Mercy suitable for veneration and large enough for everyone to see on Divine Mercy Sunday. If they need an image, the Knights could offer to purchase one for the parish. They are available on this website in the on-line catalog in different sizes, laminated and ready to be framed, already framed, or as a ready to hang tapestry. Our goal is to have the image venerated in every single parish.

2. Approach your pastor: Ask your pastor if he has a copy of the Decree for the Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday. In case your pastor does not have a copy, print one out for him by clicking on the words above underlined in red that will access the official plenary indulgence from the Vatican website. Be sure to approach your pastor with much humility and respect.

3. Offer to have a procession: Approach your pastor again and make him an offer to process with the Image of Divine Mercy using the Honor Guards (if possible) on Divine Mercy Sunday. Remember that Our Lord asked that the image be solemnly blessed and venerated on the Feast of Mercy. If the Honor Guards are not available then Sir Knights can process in their Tuxedos or with other Brother Knights.

4. Show your pastor the images: Before purchasing an image, check with your pastor to see which one he would like to use. Show him the different kinds available on this website by printing out the Online Catalog or view it with him on the parishes’ office computer. Some of the pastors will want to permanently install the images in their churches or other facilities. You might also consider purchasing one for your council or assembly. Our Lord has made great promises regarding the veneration of the images.

5. Provide information about the feast: Also available on this website are many different articles about Divine Mercy Sunday that could be used for local and diocesan newspapers and also for the parish bulletin. You should focus on reaching those that have been away from the Church and those that have not been to Confession in a long time and are in need of receiving mercy.

6. Encourage your pastor: Try to encourage your pastor to announce the feast on Palm Sunday and especially on Easter Sunday when there are many people in attendance that do not attend mass weekly. Kindly ask him to encourage everyone to come back to the regular practice of Sunday mass, starting with Divine Mercy Sunday and encourage them to go to Confession if needed.

7. Prepare your fellow members: Explain to fellow members the graces that are available on Divine Mercy Sunday. Provide information so that they may tell others about Divine Mercy Sunday. Many have fallen away from going to Confession on a regular basis. Our Holy Father has called us all to resume the practice of frequent Confessions.

8. Ask for extra Confession time: Ask your pastor if he could make extra time for Confessions for those that did not go before Easter. According to a Vatican document issued during the Jubilee Year 2000 called "The Gift of the Indulgence" it is allowed for someone to go to Confession within about 20 days before or after the feast.

View the Online Image Catalog

Taken from the www.divinemercysunday.com website's "Knights of Mercy Program".

Call Robert R. Allard, Director, A.D.M for more information at 1-888-732-0722

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