. 1 • Monday- Saturday 9:00am and 2:00pm Sunday 9:00am, 10:30am & 2:00pm Please check our website for the most up-to-date information on our Monday-Friday Mass and Devotions schedule. 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 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 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. Daily Public Mass Schedule Sincerely in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC Shrine Rector 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 February 12th -Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time National Shrine of The Divine Mercy
Image Pope John Paul II: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/october-22-memorial-st-john-paul-ii Jubilee Pilgrimage to The Holy Land Homily March 24, 2000 Excerpt from Homily given during pilgrimage to the Holy Land by Pope John Paul II, March 24, 2000. To read in full: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paulii/en/travels/2000/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20000324_korazim-israel.html www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2023/documents/20230129-angelus.html Pope John Paul II The first to hear the Beatitudes of Jesus bore in their hearts the memory of another mountain – Mount Sinai. Just a month ago, I had the grace of going there, where God spoke to Moses and gave the Law, “written with the finger of God” (Ex 31:18) on the tablets of stone. These two mountains – Sinai and the Mount of the Beatitudes – offer us the roadmap of our Christian life and a summary of our responsibilities to God and neighbour. The Law and the Beatitudes together mark the path of the following of Christ and the royal road to spiritual maturity and freedom. The Ten Commandments of Sinai may seem negative: “You will have no false gods before me; . . . do not kill; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness...” (Ex 20:3, 13-16). But in fact they are supremely positive. Moving beyond the evil they name, they point the way to the law of love which is the first and greatest of the commandments: “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. . . You will love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22:37, 39). Jesus himself says that he came not to abolish but to fulfil the Law (cf. Mt 5:17). His message is new but it does not destroy what went before; it leads what went before to its fullest potential. Jesus teaches that the way of love brings the Law to fulfilment (cf. Gal 5:14). And he taught this enormously important truth on this hill here in Galilee. Jesus offers a very different message. Not far from this very place Jesus called his first disciples, as he calls you now. His call has always demanded a choice between the two voices competing for your hearts even now on this hill, the choice between good and evil, between life and death. Which voice will the young people of the twenty-first century choose to follow? To put your faith in Jesus means choosing to believe what he says, no matter how strange it may seem, and choosing to reject the claims of evil, no matter how sensible or attractive they may seem. You hear his voice on this hill, and you believe what he says. But like the first disciples at the Sea of Galilee, you must leave your boats and nets behind, and that is never easy – especially when you face an uncertain future and are tempted to lose faith in your Christian heritage. To be good Christians may seem beyond your strength in today’s world. But Jesus does not stand by and leave you alone to face the challenge. He is always with you to transform your weakness into strength. Trust him when he says: “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9)! The disciples spent time with the Lord. They came to know and love him deeply. They discovered the meaning of what the Apostle Peter once said to Jesus: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). They discovered that the words of eternal life are the words of Sinai and the words of the Beatitudes. And this is the message which they spread everywhere. Young people of the Holy Land, Young people of the world: answer the Lord with a heart that is willing and open! Willing and open, like the heart of the greatest daughter of Galilee, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. How did she respond? She said: “I am the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). “Consider your calling, brothers and sisters” (1 Cor 1:26)
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: www.yearoftheeucharist.net November 21, 2021 to June 11, 2023
12 The Eucharistic Conference, March 4, 2023, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Register by Feb 1, 2023, to have lunch included in your registration. This day is for you! Young or old, single or with the whole family, involved in your parish or on the edges, you are invited to come learn more about the Eucharist and deepen your love for the gift of Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Reawaken your heart to what is essentially beautiful, good, and true about our faith, and center your life around Christ in the Eucharist. Come experience amazing speakers, a display of Eucharistic miracles, fellow Catholics from around the diocese, a full convention center of all things Catholic with Catholic ministries and materials, as well as Eucharistic Adoration and Mass with Bishop Byrne. catholiclifeconference.org To learn more and/or to register, go to:
“I have founded My whole law on love…” From the Diary of Saint Faustina June 23, [1937]. As I was praying before the Most Blessed Sacrament, my physical sufferings ceased suddenly, and I heard this voice in my soul: You see, I can give you everything in one moment. I am not constrained by any law. + Why are You sad today, Jesus? Tell me, who is the cause of Your sadness? And Jesus answered me, Chosen souls who do not have My spirit, who live according to the letter [cf. 2 Cor. 3:6] and have placed the letter above My spirit, above the spirit of love. I have founded My whole law on love, and yet I do not see love, even in religious orders. This is why sadness falls My Heart. Pure love is capable of great deeds, and it is not broken by difficulty or adversity. As it remains strong in the midst of great difficulties, so too it perseveres in the toilsome and drab life of each day. It knows that only one thing is needed to please God: to do even the smallest things out of great love — love, and always love. Pure love never errs. Its light is strangely plentiful. It will not do anything that might displease God. It is ingenious at doing what is more pleasing to God, and no one will equal it. It is happy when it can empty itself and burn like a pure offering. The more it gives of itself, the happier it is. But also, no one can sense dangers from afar as can love; it knows how to unmask and also knows with whom it has to deal. Only love has meaning; it raises up our smallest actions into infinity. The Great Lent 08 When I become immersed in the Lord’s Passion, I often see the Lord Jesus, during adoration, in this manner: after the scourging, the torturers took the Lord and stripped Him of His own garment, which had already adhered to the wounds; as they took it off, His wounds reopened; then they threw a dirty and tattered scarlet cloak over the fresh wounds of the Lord. The cloak, in some places, barely reached His knees. They made Him sit on a piece of beam. And then they wove a crown of thorns, which they put on His sacred head. They put a reed in His hand and made fun of Him, bowing to Him as to a king. Some spat in His face, while others took the reed and struck Him on the head with it. Others caused him pain by slapping Him; still others covered His face and struck Him with their fists. Jesus bore all this with meekness. Who can comprehend Him — comprehend His suffering? Jesus’ eyes were downcast. I sensed what was happening in the most sweet Heart of Jesus at that time. Let every soul reflect on what Jesus was suffering at that moment. They tried to outdo each other in insulting the Lord. I reflected: Where does such malice in man come from? It is caused by sin. Love and sin have met. + It is when I meet with hypocrisy that I suffer most. Now I understand You, my Savior, for rebuking the pharisees so severely for their hypocrisy. You associated more graciously with hardened sinners when they approached You contritely.
O terrible hour at which one is obliged to see all one’s deeds in their nakedness and misery; not one of them is lost, they will all accompany us to God’s judgment. I can find no words or comparisons to express such terrible things. And although it seems to me that this soul is not damned, nevertheless its torments are in no way different from the torments of hell; there is only this difference: that they will someday come to an end. When, on one occasion, my confessor told me to ask the Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image,77 I answered, “Very well, I will ask the Lord.” During prayer I heard these words within me: 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 very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy. Monthly one-day retreat. t In the course of this retreat, the Lord has given me the light to know His will more profoundly and to abandon myself completely to the holy will of God. This light has confirmed me in profound peace, making me understand that I should fear nothing except sin. Whatever God sends me, I accept with complete submission to His holy will. Wherever He puts me, I will try faithfully to do His holy will, as well as His wishes, to the extent of my power to do so, even if the will of God were to be as hard and difficult for me as was the will of the Heavenly Father for His Son, as He prayed in the Garden of Olives. I have come to see that if the will of the Heavenly Father was fulfilled in this way in His well-beloved Son, it will be fulfilled in us in exactly the same way: by suffering, persecution, abuse, disgrace. It is through all this that my soul becomes like unto Jesus. And the greater the sufferings, the more I see that I am becoming like Jesus. This is the surest way. If some other way were better, Jesus would have shown it to me. Sufferings in no way take away my peace. On the other hand, although I enjoy profound peace, that peace does not lessen my experience of suffering. Although my face is often bowed to the ground, and my tears flow profusely, at the same time my soul is filled with profound peace and happiness Where there is genuine virtue, there must be sacrifice as well; one’s whole life must be a sacrifice. It is only by means of sacrifice that souls can become useful. It is my self-sacrifice which, in my relationship with my neighbor, can give glory to God, but God’s love must flow through this sacrifice, because everything is concentrated in this love and takes its value from it. I understood that all striving for perfection and all sanctity consist in doing God’s will. Perfect fulfillment of God’s will is maturity in sanctity; there is no room for doubt here. To receive God’s light and recognize what God wants of us and yet not do it is a great offense against the majesty of God. Such a soul deserves to be completely forsaken by God. It resembles Lucifer, who had great light, but did not do God’s will. An extraordinary peace entered my soul when I reflected on the fact that, despite great difficulties, I had always faithfully followed God’s will as I knew it. O Jesus, grant me the grace to put Your will into practice as I have come to know it, O God. + Today, the Majesty of God is surrounding me. There is no way that I can help myself to prepare better. I am thoroughly enwrapped in God. My soul is being inflamed by His love. I only know that I love and am loved. That is enough for me. I am trying my best to be faithful throughout the day to the Holy Spirit and to fulfill His demands. I am trying my best for interior silence in order to be able to hear His voice... During Holy Mass I prayed fervently that Jesus might become King of all hearts and that divine grace might shine in every soul. Then I saw Jesus as He is depicted in the image, and He said to me, My daughter, you give Me the greatest glory by faithfully fulfilling My desires. + O my Lord, thank You for conforming me to Yourself through immolation. I see that this earthly vessel is beginning to crumble. I rejoice in this, because soon I will be in my Father’s house [cf. Jn. 14:2]. Diary 1153, 1478, 140, 502. 408, 1579, 426, 299, 1394, 1358, 666, 1828, 500, 1616
Shrine Bulletin Board Saturday Morning Talks Explaining the Faith Saturdays 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 of St. Faustina 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 divinemercygiftshop.org / Blessed Oil of St. Faustina Gift Shop
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! TheMarian Fathers assigned toHoly Family Parish in Kharkiv, one of the hardest-hit cities inUkraine, have sent a message to all you generous Marian Helpers whose prayers and support have been so indispensable since the war began. They write: At Holy Family Parish in Kharkiv, run by the Congregation of Marian Fathers, we have good facilities where we and volunteers can sort and donate needed items to people who have suffered as a result of Russian aggression. We want to thank our benefactors from different parts of theworld, especially our benefactors from the U.S.A. for their generosity and constant prayers. Your support, both material and spiritual, We continue to abide, minister to those in need, and we send greetings. We still need help! May God bless and protect you all! The Marian Fathers from Kharkiv 100percent of your donation goes directly to those in need through our Marian priests in Ukraine and Poland. Donations for Ukraine: www.marian.org/ukraine/ or call 800-462-7426 MARIANS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is extremely important to us and the war-stricken people of Ukraine. Our sincere thanks to Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, director of the Marian Helpers Center in the U.S.A., and all members of the Association of Marian Helpers in the U.S.A. for their tireless financial assistance and shipping of essential medical supplies. Thanks to the director of the Marian Helpers Association in Poland and all donors from Poland for organizing the purchase of food, medical supplies, toiletries, and warm clothing, and delivering this aid to Kharkiv. We continue to abide, minister to those in need, and we send greetings. We still need help! May God bless and protect you all! The Marian Fathers from Kharkiv
O . ©2021 by United State Conference of Catholic Bishops T ht
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Lent St. Faustina’s Way of The Cross Meditations and Prayers Based on Holy Scripture and Saint Faustina’s Diary Jesus to St. Faustina; Excerpts Diary 1663, 737, 1657, 369 Look into My Heart and see there the love and mercy which I have for humankind, and especially for sinners. Look, and enter into My Passion. There are few souls who contemplate My Passion with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on My Passion. My daughter, your compassion for Me refreshes Me. By meditating on My Passion, your soul acquires a distinct beauty. There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy. I am surprised that you still have not completely renounced your self_will, but I rejoice exceedingly that this change will be accomplished during the retreat.
WHAT Powerful leaders in Congress are trying to force Americans to pay for abortion. HOW The Hyde Amendment and similar laws have protected taxpayers from funding elective abortion for over 45 years. Now, powerful members of Congress want to take away these laws that both Democrats and Republicans had supported for nearly half a century. WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT THESE PROTECTIONS? Billions of taxpayer dollars could be used to pay for abortion. TAKE ACTION Sign the petition to Congress at NoTaxpayerAbortion.com!
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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