. 1 • National Shrine of The Divine Mercy Dear Pilgrims, We welcome you to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. Please join us for any upcoming events at the Shrine along with doing a personal pilgrimage during this year. Feel free to visit our Gift Shop and stroll our beautiful grounds during your visit here. May God bless you. Livestream from the National Shrine Daily Devotions Daily Mass 9:00am Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:00pm Rosary for Life 5:00pm Find us on: Divine Mercy (Official) Divine Mercy Videos posted on our Website daily: ShrineOfDivineMercy.org Monday- Saturday 9:00am and 2:00pm Sunday 9:00am, 10:30am & 2:00pm Dec 4- Second Sunday of Advent A Ministry of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary National Shrine of The Divine Mercy PO Box 951 2 Prospect Hill Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 (GPS: 11 Pine Street, Stockbridge, MA) Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC: Rector Fr. Robert Vennetti, MIC: Vice Rector Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC: Vice Rector Shrine Reception: 413-298-3931 Bus Pilgrimages: 413-298-1119 Gift Shop: 888-484-1112 National Shrine: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org Divine Mercy: www.thedivinemercy.org Marians: www.marian.org Please check our website for the most up-to-date information on our Monday-Friday Mass and Devotions schedule. Sincerely in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC Shrine Rector Please note: 2pmMass on Saturday does NOT fulfill Sunday obligation Confessions Available Monday thru Friday 1:00pm - 2:00pm Saturdays and Sundays 1:00pm – 2:00pm 3:30pm – 4:15pm Daily Public Mass Schedule
[A man has particular word or phrase hits you. That may be the Lord trying to speak to you. . In order to better prepare our hearts and live this Advent well, we should turn to the Blessed VirginMary and ask her to intercede for us and accompany us on our Advent journey. Our Lady was there for the first Advent, of course, and then for the intermediate Advent of the conversion, salvation, and sanctification of her spiritual children. Finally, she will be there for the final Advent of the Second Coming. Pope St. John Paul II said, “In this journey of expectation and hope that is Advent, the Ecclesial Community is identified more closely than ever with the Most Holy Virgin. May it be she, the Virgin of expectation, who helps us to open our hearts to theOnewho, by His coming among us, brings the priceless gift of peace to all humanity.” We need to adopt Our Lady’s practice of pondering the things of God in our heart. During Advent, try to set aside some time each day to read a few verses from the Bible, especially from the Gospels. Saint Jerome said that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. One of the ways the Lord speaks to us is through Holy Scripture. Choose a Scripture verse that has a special meaning for you, and meditate on the words until a The Holy Season of Advent has begun! Excerpt from Living Advent well by Fr. Angelo Casimiro, MIC: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/living-advent-well By Fr. Angelo Casimiro, MIC heart. If you have a hardened heart, then you cannot love other people. And if you cannot love other people, how can you love God? One final suggestion: if you aren’t already going to daily Mass, try to go one other time during the week in addition to Sunday Mass. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith, since we truly receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. The same Jesus who humbled Himself by coming to us as a little baby on Christmas Day continues to humble Himself by coming to us during Mass in the bread and wine that is changed into His Body and Blood. Following the example of the Blessed Mother, let us keep our hearts and minds recollected this Advent season. Let us wait with an expectant kind of longing, knowing thatJesus will soon come into our hearts, as we once again wait in darkness for the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the World Another way of living Advent well is by going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The best Christmas gift you can ever give yourself is to go to Confession, especially if you haven’t gone for a while. I like to describe Confession like this: If we take the time every day to bathe and clean our bodies, then it’s just as important that we also take the time to go to Confession and clean our souls. When you confess your sins and the priest gives you absolution, you’re starting anew. Not only are you forgiven your sins, but God also gives you the grace to help you resist temptations and not sin again. Remember that God’s mercy is bigger than any sin you can ever commit. Another way to prepare for Advent is to have a forgiving heart. The Lord forgives our sins in Confession; shouldn’t we forgive others, as well? It goes against our fallen human nature to forgive someone who has hurt us, and so that is when we need supernatural help. Life is too short to carry around grudges. Unforgiveness hardens your
Lenten Regulations 028 D Year of The Eucharist In a recent study, it was found that only 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus. We’re in crisis mode. They’re missing not just the reality of Jesus in their lives, but something transformative, powerful, and beautiful. This Year of the Eucharist is an opportunity for revival. Bishop William Byrne Bishop of The Diocese of Springfield, MA For more information about Events please visit: https://www.yearoftheeucharist.net/
12 5 Diary 471, 472, 1020, 278 From the Diary of Saint Faustina Advent is approaching. I want to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord Jesus by silence and recollection of spirit, uniting myself with the Most Holy Mother and faithfully imitating Her virtue of silence, by which She found pleasure in the eyes of God Himself. I trust that, by Her side, I will persevere in this resolution. + Today, I Prepare for the Coming of the King. What am I, and who are You, O Lord, King of eternal glory? O my heart, are you aware of who is coming to you today? Yes, I know, but — strangely — I am not able to grasp it. Oh, if He were just a king, but He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Before Him, all power and dominion tremble. He is coming to my heart today. But I hear Him approaching. I go out to meet Him and invite Him. When He entered the dwelling of my heart, it was filled with such reverence that it fainted with fear, falling at His feet. Jesus gives her His hand and graciously permits her to take her place beside Him. He reassures her, saying, See, I have left My heavenly throne to become united with you. What you see is just a tiny part and already your soul swoons with love. How amazed will your heart be when you see Me in all My glory. But I want to tell you that eternal life must begin already here on earth through Holy Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with God throughout eternity. And so, my King, I do not ask You for anything, although I know that You can give me everything. I ask You for one thing only: remain forever the King of my heart; that is enough for me. I am reliving these moments with Our Lady. With great longing, I am waiting for the Lord’s coming. Great are my desires. I desire that all humankind come to know the Lord. I would like to prepare all nations for the coming of the Word Incarnate. O Jesus, make the fount of Your mercy gush forth more abundantly, for humankind is seriously ill and thus has more need than ever of Your compassion. You are a bottomless sea of mercy for us sinners; and the greater the misery, the more right we have to Your mercy. You are a fount which makes all creatures happy by Your infinite mercy. I often attend upon the dying and through entreaties obtain for them trust in God’s mercy, and I implore God for an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. God’s mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The soul, illumined by a ray of God’s powerful final grace, turns to God in the last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of His Merciful Heart
3 3 72 repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God’s mercy! But — horror! — there are also souls who voluntarily and consciously reject and scorn this grace! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the obduracy in souls is so great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus] make useless all the prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even the efforts of God Himself... Today I heard a voice in my soul: Oh, if sinners knew My mercy, they would not perish in such great numbers. Tell sinful souls not to be afraid to approach Me; speak to them of My great mercy. The Lord said to me, The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered. Write: I am Thrice Holy, and I detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which is stained with sin; but when it repents, there is no limit to My generosity toward it. My mercy embraces and justifies it. With My mercy, I pursue sinners along all their paths, and My Heart rejoices when they return to Me. I forget the bitterness with which they fed My Heart and rejoice at their return. Tell sinners that no one shall escape My Hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart... when will i t beat for Me? Write, that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voice of the Church. And if they bring all My graces to naught, I begin to be angry with them, leaving them alone and giving them what they want. See what grace and reflection made out of the greatest criminal. He who is dying has much love: “Remember me when You are in paradise.” Heartfelt repentance immediately transforms the soul. The spiritual life is to be lived earnestly and sincerely. During the last days of the carnival, when I was making a Holy Hour, I saw how the Lord Jesus suffered as He was being scourged. Oh, such an inconceivable agony! How terribly Jesus suffered during the scourging! O poor sinners, on the day of judgment how will you face the Jesus whom you are now torturing so cruelly: His blood flowed to the ground, and in some places His flesh started to fall off. I saw a few bare bones on His back. The meek Jesus moaned softly and sighed. Diary 1398, 1810-1811, 793, 1698, 1396-1397, 1728, 388, 188 To get your copy of the Diary of St. Faustina please go to: www.divinemercygiftshop.org or call 888-484-1112
Shrine Bulletin Board Saturday Morning Talks Explaining the Faith Saturday, Nov 26th at 11:00am To watch via Livestream please go to: www.thedivinemercy.org M The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is hiring for the following: Part-time Weekend Receptionist If you are interested, please call Human Resources at 413-298-3931 x140 Or send your resume to: [email protected] National Shrine of The Divine Mercy Human Resource Director PO Box 951 Stockbridge, MA 01262 We are hiring! Are you a Musician? The Mother of Divine Mercy Charismatic Prayer Group is looking for your help! We meet each Thursday of the month If interested please contact Paul Nnodim 617-784-0957 [email protected] Things to Note: Oil blessed in honor of St. Faustina is available at the Shrine Reception desk. A suggested donation of $5.00 which would go to help support Shrine Ministries. Copies of the Diary are sold in our Gift Shop located next to the main parking lot, or online: The Gift Shop is open daily 10:00am – 4:00pm https://divinemercygift shop.org/ Blessed Oil of St. Faustina The Diary of St. Faustina
Advent Giving Tree 2022 We have a special tradition at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy of helping local families in need through our Advent Giving Tree that is placed on our altar during the Advent Season. If you are planning a visit here, please consider taking an ornament with a child’s name and buying a gift card or cards that will be given to them in time for Christmas. If you are unable to visit, and would still like to help, please send a gift card (s) to: “Yes, my daughter, but whatever you do for your neighbor, you do for Me.” Jesus to St. Faustina Diary of St Faustina, 1029 Please call 413-298-1106 with any questions. Thank you for your generosity in helping our brothers and sisters in need this Christmas Season! National Shrine of The Divine Mercy PO Box 951 Attn: Advent Giving Tree Stockbridge, MA 01262
Donations for Ukraine: www.marian.org/ukraine/ or call 800-462-7426 We continue to need your prayers and support to help our Marians in Ukraine as they struggle to survive and rebuild, and to support the many refugees they assist with humanitarian and medical aid, both in Ukraine and in Poland. 100 percent of your donation goes directly to those in need through our Marian priests in Ukraine and Poland. The Marian Fathers invite you to unite in prayer and continue to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet for peace and end to war in Ukraine. Yes, I want To Help!
O . ©2021 by United State Conference of Catholic Bishops T To honor Our Lady and prepare to receive the graces available on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Marians at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy are offering this Novena. The Immaculate Conception was a frequent topic in the homilies and writings of Saint Stanislaus Papczynski, the Founder of the Marians — and this was some two centuries before the dogma would be proclaimed by the Church. He wrote: "I believe everything that the holy Roman Church believes … but first of all I profess that the Most Holy Mother of God, Mary, was spotless from origina Immaculate Conception Novena www.shrineofdivinemercy. org/novenas/immaculateconception-novena original sin, from the moment of her conception." Saint Stanislaus recognized that Mary's redemption was the very masterpiece of God's merciful plan for the world. Among all human beings, she alone received the benefits of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception — a unique privilege derived from God having chosen her as Mother of the Savior. To ENROLL a loved one, please follow the link: shrineofdivinemercy.org
Special Prayers for Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary First Friday and First Saturday Devotions Go to the Calendar on our home page: https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/ for more information and schedules of events
In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy. Jesus said to her: Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. 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, 47, 48). I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (47). At the request of her spiritual director, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard these words in reply: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299). By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (742). These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist. Many different versions of this image have been painted, but our Lord made it clear that the painting itself is not what is important. When St. Faustina first saw the original image that was being painted under her direction, she wept in disappointment and complained to Jesus: "Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?" (313). In answer, she heard these words: "Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace" (313). From The Image of The Divine Mercy www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/image 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)
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