Fall-Winter 2013-2014

MERCY’S GAZE 100 r EaDiNGs FrOM s CripTUrE aND ThE D IARY OF S T . F AUSTINA B Y V iNNY F LYNN , F Or EWOrD aND T hEME r EFLECTiONs BY D aViD C aME M ariaN p rEss , 170 p p ., $14.95, a VaiLaBLE N OV . 1 p rODUCT C ODE : B20 -GAZe I f you’d like to grow closer to Jesus and gain fresh insights into the Diary of St. Faustina , then you’ll want to use Mercy’s Gaze in daily prayer. It’s by popular Divine Mercy author and speaker Vinny Flynn. Vinny frames his 100 readings from Scripture and the Diary with a call for you to gaze upon and return the gaze of the Lord Jesus in the Divine Mercy image. The goal of such mutual gazing is your transformation into a living image of mercy. (A full color reproduction of the Divine Mercy image is included in the book for this purpose.) The thematic readings on mercy, which are ideal for daily prayer and reflection, build in impact to foster a personal encounter with the merciful Savior. Gaze upon Jesus, turn to the reading for the day, and ponder the meaning of His mercy in the passages. As you finish the readings on each theme, record your own reflections on the pages provided. But how can Mercy’s Gaze give you new insights into the Diary ? Perhaps David Came, executive editor of Marian Press, puts it best in the Foreword: [T]his book breaks new ground in making the case that the Diary of St. Faustina as private revelation stacks up well against the yardstick of the inspired Word of God in Sacred Scripture. Guided by his deep knowledge of Divine Mercy, Vinny Flynn has painstakingly mined parallel passages from Scripture and the Diary that develop key mercy themes, as well as themes common to the Christian life. The result is … confirmation of the Diary’s consistency and harmony with Scripture. Set alongside Scripture, St. Faustina’s revelations come alive as a striking Gospel of Mercy intended for our time. So I highly recommend Mercy’s Gaze . Here’s an opportunity to see in a new light not only the Diary but, most importantly, the face of Jesus Himself. FRANCIS: POP E OF A NEW WORLD B Y a NDrEa T OrNi ELLi i GNaTiUs p rEss , 20 0 pp ., $16.96 p rODUCT C ODE : B 20-fPnW A ndrea Tornielli, who is a Vatican correspondent for the Italian news- paper La Stampa , has written a masterful biography of Pope Francis. Tornielli describes well how the Holy Father’s disarming simplicity, humility, and warm style have won over many hearts — encouraging alienated Catholics, other Christians, and skeptics to give the Church a second look. What’s most inspiring of all, though, in this biography is how Tornielli points to mercy as the central message of Francis’s papacy, based on his first weeks as Pope. The Vatican correspondent cites the new Pope’s words on mercy in his first Sunday homily on March 17: “And Jesus has this message for us: mercy. I think — and I say it with humility — that this is the Lord’s most powerful message: mercy.” Tornielli then describes the homily as the Pope’s “first great encyclical.” Further, after observing that Francis also dedicated his Angelus message for that Sunday to mercy, Tornielli writes, “And immediately it becam e obvious t ha t the message of me rcy would be central in his pontificate.” Click for Pope Francis’ s homily a nd Angelus message. Yet there’s more. Tornielli points out how “mercy” was emphasized by key Cardinals before Francis’s election. It came in remarks made by then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires to the Cardinals in their pre-conclave meetings and by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals, in his homily right before the conclave. Tornielli sums up: “Both in the speech of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires … and in Sodano’s homily, the key word is in fact ‘mercy.’” Read this fascinating biography, and thank the Lord for Pope Francis! Click for Cardinal Sodano’s homily . Online at www.shopmercy.org/b20 or call 1-800-462-7426. 6 M arian H elper • F all /W inter 2013 • www.marian.org ▲ ▲ Back to index