Divine Mercy Sunday

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday and also Low Sunday. Likewise, it is the Octave Day of Easter. Our Lord revealed special messages concerning His Divine and Endless Mercy to St. Faustina. He appeared to her between 1930 and 1938, and on Good Friday of 1937, He asked for a special a Novena to precede this Sunday. Today we especially thank God for the merciful institution of the Sacrament of Confession. The title of "Divine Mercy Sunday" began on May 23, 2000.

Our Lord said to St. Faustina:

"My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. 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 graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy" (699).

Today is the day to turn to God again and live again the joy of Easter - Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead! For information on this day including the Chaplet and the Image of Divine Mercy, see Faustina.org

Concerning the image at the top of this post, Our Lord told St. Faustina: "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." (48)

St. Faustina, ora pro nobis!

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Going on a Trip

Today I'm leaving for a two-day trip, so I won't be able to blog until Sunday after I get back from my meeting with the diocese. Please keep me in your prayers during this rather busy time.

Also, please remember to pray the Divine Mercy Novena for Saturday, the final day of the novena. Here's a link to that day's prayers since I won't be able to post them.

God Bless and peace be with you all!

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Prayer Request for Jane

I received this email:

I am asking prayers for my dear friend Jane. She just found out she has Acute Lukemia, and only has 3 to 5 months to live. At this time the family has not told her. Jane knows what she has is not curable,but does not know how short life will be. As I was talking to her today, she said she is not afraid to die, but she is not ready. Meaning may be there is something else she should do. I ask her, "If you were to die would you want to know, or to live life day by day?" Her answer was she wanted to live day to day and not know. She is a Catholic and says her Rosary everyday. So, please keep her and her family in your prayers.

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One Year with Benedict XVI

Last year on April 19, 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected as the Roman Pontiff.

I look back to April and May 2005 and remember a very calm yet tired-looking man as our Pope. The burden of responsibility must have been intense, but after that, Benedict XVI has truly blessed the Church.

Here is a brief list of some of his work this past year:

• August: World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany
• October: Synod on the Eucharist
• November 13: Beatifies Charles de Foucauld, Maria Pia Mastena, and Maria Crocifissa Curcio
• December: Open Beatification for 43
• January: Releases "Deus Caritas Est" (God is love)
• February: Elevates Cardinals
• March: Drops title of "Patriarch of the West"

This is an extremely shortened list of Pope Benedict XVI's great leadership. He has specifically asked us to pray for him this day, so I ask you to please say a prayer for his health and intentions.

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Prayers for Healing

Update: Thank you so much, everyone. She's already feeling better. Your prayers have worked!

Hello, everyone.

I would like to ask you all to please pray for my mother. She is beginning to get a sinus infection, and I'm sure we all know how horrible it is to go through those. Please pray to the Lord with me asking that He heal her quickly.

Mother Mary, pray for her! Amen.

Thank you!

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The Easter Octave

"Alleluia, alleluia. Christ our Pasch is sacrified" (Alleluia, 1962 Missal)

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Memorial of St. Apollonius the Apologetic

Thanks to John from the St. Blogs Parish Hall for reminding me that today the Church remembers my patron saint for 2006. As most of you know, I received this saint through the Saint for the Year drawing, where individuals have a name randomly picked from them out of a container of 1,500 names. I am unable to fulfill more requests now because the kind person doing the drawing of the names is not available, but I would gladly relay the name to her if you would like a saint. It may take a few weeks though. I apologize.

Anyway, today the Church remembers St. Apollonius the Apologetic. He lived in 185, and lived the faith until his death. He was a Roman Senator, who was charged as a servant by one of his slaves. Now, the law at that time dictated that any slave that brings a charge against his master must be executed, so the slave was immediately executed.

Sextus Tigidius Perennis demanded that Apollonius renounce the faith, but Apollonius refused. In one of early Christianity most eloquent and brillant defenses of the faith, Apollonius revealed himself as a true servant of God. Apollonius, however, was condemned and beheaded - faithfully serving God to the very end.

Because he was my patron saint, I knew that God had revealed him to me for a reason. I had never heard of him and made sure to research him. And, it's only April but when I look back on this year, I've really tried to become more eloquent at defending the Catholic faith like Apollonius. I've set up websites and talked with numerous people in person and online. While I doubt any of them rushed out to convert, I hope and pray I left a mark on them that God will use to bring them to the Church. I'm very thankful for having St. Apollonius as my patron.

St. Apollonius the Apologetic, pray for me!

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Contact Villanova University

I ask you to please contact Villanova's Board of Trustees and ask them to approve the Maternal Bond Memorial. An image of this memorial is to the left, and pro-lifers are hoping to have this memorial placed at Villanova University. The University initially appeared to approve, but they are worried it would offend non-Catholics so they postponed the decision.

First, this is a private Catholic University! This University should be supporting and working to uphold Catholic values. That is what is most important. As I posted on in the past, many "Catholic" universities are Catholic only in name (list). I hope Villanova doesn't become one of those. Wikipedia lists Villanova's landmarks and they include numerous Catholic ones. What's the difference if the landmark supports the unborn?

That is why I am asking you to email the Board of Trustees Chairperson, Villanova's President and President-elect. Please respectfully ask them to approve of the decision to install this memorial.

Board of Trustees Chair John G. Drosdick JGDrosdick@SunocoInc.com
President Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin edmund.dobbin@villanova.edu
Incoming President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, Peter.Donohue@villanova.edu

Source: Abortion Pundit

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Words of Inspiration: April 18, 2006

"I therefore exhort you again to be trustful. A soul who trust in her Lord and places all her hope in Him has nothing to fear. The enemy of our salvation is always around us to snatch from our hearts the anchor that is to lead us to salvation, by which I mean trust in God our Father. Let us keep a very firm hold on this anchor and not relinquish it for a single moment. Otherwise all would be lost" (Letters II p 410).

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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God or the Girl: 2nd Day

I was awaiting anxiously to watch this night's episode, and I think Mike made the right decision. After watching yesterday's episodes I knew he seemed to be called to the married life, and that is an important vocation too. I wish him the best, but I do hope and pray that he and others like him will serve the Lord as a deacon. Deacons of course can get married, so I think that would be excellent for him.

Second, I was so frustrated when Dan encountered the fundamentalist. Of course he said the classic examples of "If Mary was sinless why would she need a Savior as she said?" or "Isn't there only mediator between God and man."

And, I was practically jumping up and down: "But God saved many before her conception! She still needed a Savior" and "But, in Confession the mediator is Jesus not a man!"

This special A&E series has one made we want the priesthood more. The Church is perceived very badly by many people in our world, and too many people fall into the misinterpretations of other denominations. I've really tried to post this on my Apologetics Website, and this is one reason I am called to serve as a priest. I feel as if the Lord has asked me: "Will you give up everything you have and follow Me?" I answered, "Yes".

What tears me apart is seeing people leave the Church or not practice their faith. My vision is for us all to be under the Catholic Church with Christ as the head, but I know that this won't happen. But that doesn't mean we can't get as close to that as possible. This is the point of my blog and everything I do online - to honor Jesus Christ and bring others to Him.

And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house (Luke 10: 2 - 5)

Here I am, Lord. I come to do your will!

Thanks again for all of your prayers, and please keep them coming doing this special Octave for Easter.

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