My wife and her sister are traveling to Ballymena today to sing at the Divine Mercy mass they have been doing this for many years they will be singing their version of the chaplet below. I hope you can sing along with them at 3pm..
Yes, it is my favorite also. I am always floored when I explain the significance of this feast day to people and they don't immediately drop what they are doing to get to confession and reap the benefits promised by Jesus.
This is my favorite feast day of the year too!!!! I was "forced" to go to Faustina's beatification on the first leg of my pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 1993. I knew NOTHING about her. I was only interested in getting to Medjugorje in April and this was part of the deal.....well, Faustina GOT me. I was introduced to her, the prayers, the diary.....the legacy. Never have I been the same since. God Bless all of you today. Here in NJ Divine Mercy began with a horrible thunder storm which sounded like a nuclear bomb at 1am....we have had 50 mph winds since and will through 4pm....I find this to be quite in line with the strength of God's mercy....we can never underestimate His mercy. I also read that today is the actual anniversary of Jesus' crucifixtion on April 3, 33 AD.....and it falls on Divine Mercy Sunday!!!!!
Wow the next time Divine Mercy Sunday falls on the 3rd April will be in the year 2157.. I just love it when dates fall like that..my own joy was that when I was 9 years old Easter Sunday fell on my birthday March 26th I was blessed when it fell again on my 20th birthday but alas it will not fall again on the 26th March until 2062 by then I would be the grand old age of 93 who knows I might live to see it. I do however have the joy that Good Friday will fall on my birthday in 2027 and 2032
Joining the favorite feast of the year club here too! My wife and I have been following thus feast day even before St John Paul officially declared it. I may have shared this before but my wife won a big beautifully framed picture of the Divine Mercy. My wife had spent money on all sorts of prayer cards and rosaries at thus DM conference we went to. I was angry as we had no money and all she could think of is I want to share this with as many people as I can. So, with literary $1 last dollar she took chance on this huge DM image. It wa beautiful. My wife does not have head for numbers so when she took ticket and put in her pocket - she said she knew the number and it was the winning one. Of course I scoffed but the Lord had His plan! . She won despite several thousand people at this event. She wanted the image to be hung in our Church. The pastor rejected thus gift and do my wife said we would hang it in wall in our living room for safe keeping. It's been there for 20 years as she said - we have been holding it fir the parish. So Today, yes this very day, at 3 pm in thus Year of Mercy, this painting which we have lovingly kept safe goes to its home in our parish. We are a bit sad for we have come to love the gaze of Our Lord in our living room, but just think how many will now gaze into the eyes of mercy itself from now on in our little parish. God is good.
This is the image that will now be in our Church. It's a bit grainy but gives you an idea of its beauty View attachment 4699
The Chaplet was sung at the celebration I attended too. It was beautiful, the Church was packed with long lines for the three priests hearing Confession, and I noticed a lot of young people there. Sadly, the homily during Holy Mass was a real downer for me. We had a Sister of Charity talking about Mercy. She started off well, delivered the basic message and then droned on for ages. I switched off completely when she mentioned Cardinal Kasper. I love the Divine Mercy Feast Day and was really looking forward to it. Now, I'm not sure I derived the full benefit due to my own annoyance with this lady. Think I'll find a different church for next year's celebration. Does anyone know whether Divine Mercy Sunday including the Chaplet is celebrated by the FSSP?
Every day this year until the feast of Christ the King is a day to look forward to. Because if we can get to Holy Mass, receive Holy Communion and pass through the 'Holy Doors,' we can gain another Plenary Indulgence. It is a year of favour from the Lord. A year of indulgence on the spiritual side of our lives. What a favour. The promise of Divine Mercy is a clean slate. As good as the day we were baptised. What an indulgence of Grace. A Heavenly Feast of Mercy, and it lasts for a whole year. WOW Our souls should be fat and healthy by the end of this year.
Ah, a Big red flag!! No one but a priest or a deacon can give a homily according to Church teaching. This should be addressed with the priest who let this happen.
How St. John Paul II Saved St. Faustina’s Suppressed Divine Mercy Day by ChurchPOP Editor - Public Domain / ChurchPOP You probably already know about the devotion to Divine Mercy in the Catholic Church. Divine Mercy images can be seen in churches around the world, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is very popular, and Divine Mercy Sunday is an official feast day of the Church. The founder of the devotion, Faustina Kowalska, is even honored as a saint. But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the whole devotion was actually suppressed for many years and almost lost for good. It only came back due to prayer, perseverance, and the hand of Divine Providence. This is its amazing story. [See also: Jim Gaffigan, Harry Connick Jr. Feature in New Divine Mercy Documentary] [See also: Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren Prays Divine Mercy Chaplet, Watches EWTN] Promising Beginnings The devotion to Divine Mercy as we practice it today came from St. Faustina Kowalska, a polish nun who lived in the early 20th century. She claimed that she had regular visions of Jesus and saints, and that Jesus himself gave her the details of the devotion. She wrote descriptions of what she saw and heard in her diary, which are now published in a book called The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Warning her fellow nuns that a great war was coming and that they should pray for Poland, she died at the age of 33 on October 5th, 1938. A year later, Germany invaded Poland. Impressed by the accuracy of her prophecy, Archbishop Jałbrzykowski of Vilnius allowed for public use of the Divine Mercy devotion for the first time. The devotion quickly spread through Poland and was a source of strength and inspiration during the terrible years of the war. By 1941, it was already spreading around the world and, despite the war, had made it all the way to the United States. Polish priest Fr. Sopoćko was inspired to started a religious congregation (something like a religious order) related to the devotion. With the end of the war, the devotion spread even faster. By 1951, just 13 years after St. Faustina’s death, there were 150 religious centers in Poland dedicated to Divine Mercy. In 1955, a Polish bishop, with the approval of Pope Pius XII, started a religious congregation dedicated to spreading the devotion. Pope Pius XII blessed a Divine Mercy image in 1956 and allowed many bishops throughout the world to give their blessing to writings about the devotion. Vatican Radio even started promoting the devotion in its programming. Two Decades of Suppression But not everyone in the hierarchy approved of the devotion. Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, the head of the Holy Office (predecessor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith – the Vatican’s theological watchdog department), tried to persuade Pope Pius XII to sign a condemnation of St. Faustina’s works, but was rebuffed. When Pope John XXIII was elected Pope in 1958, Cardinal Ottaviani had another chance. The Cardinal included her works on a list of books to consider banning soon after the new pope was elected. On March 6th, 1959, the Holy Office finally issued a document that forbad the use of “images and writings that promote devotion to Divine Mercy in the forms proposed by Sister Faustina.” It seemed like St. Faustina’s devotion to Divine Mercy might be over with. A Second Look The Polish people were crushed – including many of the clergy. One such person was Karol Wojtyła. A “rising star” in the church’s hierarchy, he was influential in the drafting of several key documents of Vatican II and was appointed Archbishop of Kraków at the relatively young age of 43 in 1964. Within a year of having his new position, and with a approval from the Vatican, he started a fresh investigation into her works. He discovered that the previous condemnation of St. Faustina’s works had been mostly a result of those at the Vatican reading her works not in their original Polish but via faulty French and Italian translations. Then in April of 1978, after decades of work and prayer by the supporters of the Divine Mercy devotion, the Vatican reversed its previous ban on her works! Catholics around the world rejoiced! Just a few months later, the now-Cardinal Wojtyła, who had led the effort, was made Pope John Paul II. John Paul II personally beatified Faustina in 1993 and then canonized her in 2000. He also designated the first Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Faustina and her devotions were completely vindicated – and took the message of God’s infinite mercy to the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!
Actually, she was a Sister of Mercy. I won't be addressing it with anyone. It's a relatively new and quite poor parish with a temporary priest from Africa whose English is not the best. There's no point complaining. I was probably the only person in the Church who wasn't best pleased so I shall find somewhere else for next year's feast day. Maybe I'll visit Poland. I won't understand a word of the homily there but at least I can be confident that they won't be quoting a Cardinal known for making statements that appear to directly contradict the teaching of St. John Paul.
It is wonderful. Thank you for posting it. I have a question about something he said about detachment from all sin. I'm pretty sure that the priest in Confession told me that I need to be detached from all sin, even venial sin, to get the full benefit of the indulgence, yet Daniel said that it isn't a requirement. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding either the priest or Daniel. Can you clarify for me please?
We were so blessed to go to our Cathedral Basilica for Divine Mercy Sunday. Beautiful church, mass and choir! After mass was Adoration and then we sang the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 pm before the Blessed Sacrament. Then to top it off they have veneration of St. John Paul II and St. Faustina's relics! This is the first time we've attended. The weather was gorgeous here today. We were so blessed. I hope everyone had a blessed Divine Mercy Sunday! Praying for everyone here always! God Bless!
Wanted to share what a blessed week (8 days actually...) I wanted to thank all those on the forum who have prayed for me. First- I was brought into full communion with the Church on the Easter Vigil followed by Easter Sunday Mass. I was able to then do my first Friday as well as my first Saturday commitments this week, and yesterday afternoon after confession I went through one of the sets of Holy Doors in our Diocese. Today I went to our Divine Mercy Celebration and Mass. Rosary was said before Mass and the Divine Mercy Chaplet was sung, incredibly moving. Thank you again to all and especially Padraig for the forum. This forum has really helped me at the start of my journey. Even the " squabbling " helps me as it really makes me think and discern. God Bless all of you.
wow...we'll just call you devotion man from now on!! Your soul must be just glowing right now and you are on fire for the Lord Congrats on completing your rcia and are now officially in the fold. Can't wait for April 10th and the start of our consecration!
made it to 7:30am mass this morning despite the snow coming down that left us with a few inches. we had huge wind gusts something like 50 mph too. since I had to work all weekend confession will be tomorrow and I will have completed all the steps. Praise God!! From what I understand, detachment from sin is NOT required for the full indulgence. that is why it is so crazy generous. Do we have a great, big, generous God or what I hope I am understanding it right...someone correct me if I am wrong.
Thanks PS. When I first made the decision to join the Church about a year ago, I was immediately drawn to our Blessed Mother. This seemed to be a big hurdle for other Protestants I'd read about but to me it fell right in line with the Truth I was seeking. Researching Marian apparitions is what led me to MOG. I credit EWTN for my Divine Mercy devotion from watching the Chaplets in song. I've prayed the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet daily since last June. I even visited Stockbridge last fall and prayed in the Chapel there. Everything just fell in place this past week for me but I credit the Holy Spirit for it! Looking forward to April 10th as well!
It took two and half hours but seemed to fly past. I would love it though if they sang the Chpplet as they do on EWTN. So beautiful. I feel , as I do every year that I have been deep cleaned and shinning , a new start once again. Such great graces.
So true Miker my own introduction to the Divine Mercy was probably at the loss of someone else, A good few years ago I had never heard of the Divine Mercy, my car had broke down and I was in a scrap yard trying to find parts to fix my own car I was getting very frustrated as the scrap yard was huge and I couldn't find the parts I needed just when I was about to give up I spotted a car the same as my own ironically it was also the same colour when I climbed into the drivers seat the "Will You Help Me " hit me like a tonne of bricks someone had left their little prayer book in the scrapped car..of course I just had to take the book home with me.. View attachment 4707
