Digital Marian Helper Winter_2019

Sharon and Vinnie Ciccone Frankfort, New York Sharon: We’ve always been accustomed to seeing a crucifix, the Suffering Jesus, the Sorrowful Jesus, the Passion. That’s our faith. And I don’t want to diminish it. But then there’s this image of Jesus [the Divine Mercy], and it’s just a different perspective. “Jesus, I trust in You.” Trust in Jesus is something so hard to do because life is not always easy. We try to fix our own problems. Nowadays, you really need to trust. During the [extraordinary Jubilee] Year of Mercy, I was so on fire for Divine Mercy that I told [my pastor], “We’ve got to do something! We’ve got to make this an event!” So, I formed my own “Year of Mercy” committee. We had Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, come to give a talk. We planned a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. We got to walk through the Holy Doors. It was a beautiful day. Little by little, my committee taught everyone in the parish how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I receive “Divine Mercy Daily” [via email from the Marian Fathers]. I choose whichever one passage from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska d uring the week strikes me and have it put in my parish bulletin every Sunday. I just think that some people aren’t the best Catholics because they don’t know about God’s mercy. If they only knew about Divine Mercy and accepted it. They don’t understand the graces they can receive. 6 M arian H elper • W inter 2019-20 • marian . org F aces of M ercy Gabriel Zowam Elugu, Nigeria I first read abou t Divine Mercy many years ago in the Marians’ booklet [ The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion ], which continues to be my guide. I can’t remember the number of copies I have given out over the years. I always have at least one copy with me. I think everybody, especially Divine Mercy devotees, should make that booklet a constant companion. Divine Mercy has taught me a new way of trusting God. I wish more people would know about trusting God and, as the Marians’ book puts it, allowing God to be God in our lives, instead of trying to [do it all] ourselves. I hardly miss going to church every day for the 3 o’clock prayer. I believe that, whenever my situ- ation can allow it, the best place to be at 3 p.m. is before the Blessed Sacrament, saying the 3 o’clock prayer. Though I personally became aware of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy y ears ago, my confidence in it has multiplied from the numerous times I’ve used it to pray myself out of situations!