March 30, 2025 Fourth Sunday of Lent National Shrine of The Divine Mercy 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 Livestream from the National Shrine Daily Devotions Daily Mass 9:00am Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:00pm Rosary for Life 5:00pm 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. Sincerely in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC Shrine Rector Monday- Saturday 8:00am, 9:00am & 2:00pm Sunday 9:00am, 10:30am & 2:00pm Please note: 2pm Mass 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 Schedule
Upcoming Events For more information please visit the Shrine Calendar April 4/4 First Friday Devotions at 8pm • see flyer on page 10 for more information 4/5 First Saturday Talk and Devotion at 11am • see flyer on page 10 for more information 4/13 Palm Sunday of the Passion of The Lord • see flyer on page 11 for more information 4/17 Holy Thursday of The Lord’s Supper • see flyer on page 12 for more information 4/18 Friday of the Passion of The Lord • see flyer on page 12 for more information 4/19 Holy Saturday The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night • see flyer on page 12 for more information 4/20 Solemnity of Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of The Lord • see flyer on page 12 for more information 4/26 Mercy Weekend Conference- Living as Pilgrims of Hope • see flyer on page 13 for more information Solemnity of the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday • see flyer on page 14 for more information
Angelus Address March 27, 2022 Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday, buongiorno! The Gospel for this Sunday’s Liturgy recounts the so-called Parable of the Prodigal Son (cf. Lk 15:11-32). It leads us to the heart of God, who always forgives compassionately and tenderly. Always, God always forgives. We are the ones who tire of asking for forgiveness, but he always forgives. It [the parable] tells us that God is a Father who not only welcomes us back, but rejoices and throws a feast for his son who has returned home after squandering all his possessions. We are that son, and it is moving to think about how much the Father always loves us and waits for us. But there is also the elder son in the same parable who manifested his resentment in front of this Father. It can put us into crisis as well. In fact, this elder son is also within us and we are tempted to take his side, at least in part: he had always done his duty, he had not left home, and so he becomes indignant on seeing the Father embracing his [other] son again after having behaved so badly. He protests and says: “I have served you for so many years and never disobeyed your command”. Instead, for “this son of yours”, you go so far as to celebrate! (cf. vv. 29-30) “I don’t understand you!” This is the indignation of the elder son. These words illustrate the elder son’s problem. He bases his relationship with his Father solely on pure observance of commands, on a sense of duty. This could also be our problem, the problem among ourselves and with God: losing sight that he is a Father, and living a distant religion, made of prohibitions and duties. And the consequence of this distance is rigidity towards our neighbour whom we no longer see as a brother or sister. In fact, in the parable, the elder son does not say my brother to the Father. No, he says that son of yours, as if to say: he is not my bother. In the end, he risks remaining outside of the hosue. In fact, the text says:: “he refused to go in” (v.28), because the other one was there. Pope Francis
Seeing this, the Father goes out to plead with him: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (v. 31). He tries to make him understand that for him, every child is all of his life. Parents know this well and are very close to feeling like God does. Something a father says in a novel is very beautiful: “When I became a father, I understood God” (H. de Balzac, Le Père Goriot). At this point in the parable, the Father opens his heart to his elder son and expresses two needs, which are not commands, but essentials for his heart: “It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive” (v. 32). Let us see if we too have in our hearts these two things the Father needs: to make merry and rejoice. First of all, to make merry, that is, to demonstrate our closeness to those who repent or who are on the way, to those who are in crisis or who are far away. Why should we do this? Because this helps to overcome the fear and discouragement that can come from remembering one’s sins. Those who have made mistakes often feel reproached in their own hearts. Distance, indifference and harsh words do not help. Therefore, according to the Father, we have to offer them a warm welcome that encourages them to go ahead. “But father, he did so many things”: a warm welcome. And we, do we do this? Do we look for those who are far away? Do we want to celebrate with them? How much good an open heart, true listening and a transparent smile can do; to celebrate, not to make them feel uncomfortable! The Father could have said: “Okay, son, come back home, come back to work, go to your room, establish yourself and your work! And this would have been a good way to forgive. But no! God does not know how to forgive without celebrating! And the Father celebrates because of the joy he has because his son has returned. And then, like the Father, we have to rejoice. When someone whose heart is synchronized with God’s sees the repentance of a person, they rejoice, no matter how serious their mistakes may have been. They do not stay focused on errors, they do not point fingers at what they have done wrong, but rejoice over the good because another person’s good is mine as well! And we, do we know how to look at others like this? I would like to recount a fictional story, but one that helps illustrate the heart of the father. There was a pop theatre production, three or four years ago, about the prodigal son, with the entire story. And at the end, when that son decides to return to his father, he talks about it with a friend and says: “I’m afraid my father will reject me, that he won’t forgive me”. And the friend advises him: “Send a letter to your father and tell him, ‘Father, I have repented, I want to come back home, but I’m not sure that you will be happy. If you want to welcome me, please put a white handkerchief in the window’”. And then he began his journey. And when he was near home, at the last bend in the road, he had the house in view. And what did he see? Not one handkerchief: it was full of white handkerchiefs, the windows, everywhere! The Father welcomes us like this, completely, joyfully. This is our Father! Do we know how to rejoice for others? May the Virgin Mary teach us how to receive God’s mercy so that it might become the light by which we see our neighbours. Excerpt from the Angelus Address given by His Holiness Pope Francis on March 27, 2022 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2022/documents/20220327-angelus.html Picture: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/pope-francis-unique Coat of Arms: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en.html
We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope. This will indeed be the case if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity. Here I think in particular of the many refugees forced to abandon their native lands. May the voices of the poor be heard throughout this time of preparation for the Jubilee, which is meant to restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone. As the Bible teaches, “The sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who lives with you; for your cattle also, and for the beasts that are in your land, all its yield shall be for food” (Lev 25:6-7). The spiritual dimension of the Jubilee, which calls for conversion, should also embrace these fundamental aspects of our life in society as part of a coherent whole. In the realization that all of us are pilgrims on this earth, which the Lord has charged us to till and keep (cf. Gen 2:15), may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home. It is my hope that the coming Jubilee Year will be celebrated and experienced with this intention too. Growing numbers of men and women, including many young people and children, have come to realize that care for creation is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will. From the Letter of THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS TO MSGR. RINO FISICHELLA, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION, FOR THE JUBILEE 2025 To learn more about the Jubilee Year of Hope, Please visit: WWW.IUBILAEUM2025.VA/EN.HTML Excerpt from His Holiness, Pope Francis Letter to the President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, for the Jubilee 2025. To read in full please visit link below
Proper Attire Inside the Church “Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much. Woe to women lacking in modesty.” Our Lady of Fatima to Sr. Lucia Out of respect for Our Lord and to preserve others from any near occasions of sin, we ask that you dress in a spirit of modesty when entering the Church. Dress Code Guideline: For Women: No shorts, spandex, or skirts above the knees. No leggings or athletic wear. No low cut, backless or spaghetti strap dresses. All dresses should fall to knee length or below. No tank tops, bared midriffs or halter tops; no tight fitting, low cut or backless tops. For Men: No shorts No tank tops No baseball caps No flip flops If you should choose to wear a shoulder baring dress or top, please bring a covering for when you enter the Church. "Christian girls, think also of this: the more elegant you will be, and the more pleasing, if you dress with simplicity and discreet modesty." – The Forgotten Virtue: Modesty in Dress A good resource to learn more: The Forgotten Virtue: Modesty in Dress by Mgsr. Charles M. Mangan at https://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=647
Get to know the Diary of… The mercy of God, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, the voice of the Lord who speaks to us from the throne of mercy: Come to Me, all of you. Jesus: Be not afraid of your Savior, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me. Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart. Soul: Lord, I doubt that You will pardon my numerous sins; my misery fills me with fright. Jesus: My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace Soul: You have conquered, O Lord, my stony heart with Your goodness. In trust and humility I approach the tribunal of Your mercy, where You yourself absolve me by the hand of your representative. O Lord, I feel Your grace and Your peace filling my poor soul. I feel overwhelmed by Your mercy, O Lord. You forgive me, which is more than I dared to hope for or could imagine. Your goodness surpasses all my desires. And now, filled with gratitude for so many graces, I invite You to my heart. I wandered, like a prodigal child gone astray; but you did not cease to be my Father. Increase Your mercy toward me, for You see how weak I am. Jesus: Child, speak no more of your misery; it is already forgotten. Listen, My child, to what I desire to tell you. Come close to My wounds and draw from the Fountain of Life whatever your heart desires. Drink copiously from the Fountain of Life and you will not weary on your journey. Look at the splendors of My mercy and do not fear the enemies of your salvation. Glorify My mercy. January 27, 1938. During Holy Hour today, Jesus complained to me about the ingratitude of souls: Saint Faustina It was a great joy for me to see others returning to the source of happiness, the bosom of The Divine Mercy.
In return for My blessings, I get ingratitude. In return for My love, I get forgetfulness and indifference. My Heart cannot bear this. 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 it 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. Today, I was talking with the Lord, and He said to me, There are souls with whom I can do nothing. They are souls that are continuously observing others, but know nothing of what is going on within their own selves. They talk about others continually, even during times of grand silence, which is reserved for speaking only with Me. Poor souls, they do not hear My words; their interior remains empty. They do not look for Me within their own hearts, but in idle talk, where I am never to be found. They sense their emptiness, but they do not recognize their own guilt, while souls in whom I reign completely are a constant source of remorse to them. Instead of correcting themselves, their hearts swell with envy, and if they do not come to their senses, they plunge in even deeper. A heart, which thus far is envious, now begins to be filled with hate. And they are already at the edge of the precipice. They are jealous of my gifts in other souls, but they themselves are unable and unwilling to accept them. 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. On the eve of the exposition of the image, I went with our Mother Superior to visit our confessor [Father Sopocko]. When the conversation touched upon the image, the confessor asked for one of the sisters to help make some wreaths. Mother Superior replied, “Sister Faustina will help.” I was delighted at this, and when we returned home, I immediately set about preparing some greens, and with the help of one of our wards brought them over. Another person, who works at the church, also helped. Everything was ready by seven o’clock that evening, and the image was already hanging in its place. However, some ladies saw me standing around there, for I was more a bother than a help, and on the next day they asked the sisters what this beautiful image was and what was its significance. Surely these sisters would know, [they thought] as one of them had helped adorn it the day before. The sisters were very surprised as they knew nothing about it; they all wanted to see it and immediately they began to suspect me. They said, “Sister Faustina must certainly know all about it.” When they began asking me, I was silent, since I could not tell the truth. My silence increased their curiosity, and I was even more on my guard not to tell a lie and not to tell the truth, since I had no permission [to do so]. Then they started to show their displeasure and reproached me openly saying, “How is it that outsiders know about this and we, nothing?” Various judgments were being made about me. I suffered much for three days, but a special power took over in my soul. I was happy to suffer for God and for the souls that have been granted His mercy during these days. Seeing that so many souls have been granted divine mercy these days, I regard as nothing even the greatest suffering and toil, even if they were to continue till the end of the world; for they will come to an end, while these souls have been saved from torments that are without end. It was a great joy for me to see others returning to the source of happiness, the bosom of The Divine Mercy. Diary excerpt 1485; 1537, 1728, 1717, 388, 421
Saint Faustina’s Way of The Cross March 5 - April 13 Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays after the Chaplet during Lent 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. Jesus to Saint Faustina, Diary excerpt 369
Thanks to the generosity of many Marian Helpers, the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy has a new altar rail. Carved in Italy of white Carrara marble and brown Onice Ambra marble, and installed by King Richard’s Liturgical Design & Contracting, the new altar rail matches the altars and remnants of the previous altar rail in the Shrine. By popular demand During the current National Eucharistic Revival (which began in 2022), a growing number of Marians, Marian Helpers, and pilgrims requested the restoration of the altar rail in the Shrine. The previous rector, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC, had put a two-person kneeler in 2020 in front of the center aisle to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims wishing to kneel while receiving Holy Communion. Based on how well that was received, he told me when I became rector in October 2022 that he hoped the next rector would help facilitate the building of an altar rail. In September 2023, our Marian Provincial Council unanimously approved moving forward with such a project. Along with other necessary improvements and repairs, including the renovation of the Pilgrim Information Center and Memorial Hall, the altar rail arrives in time to honor 65th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Shrine, which occurred on May 30, 1960. While the old altar rail was on the edge of the original sanctuary step, it was decided to design the new altar rail partly on the lower step, not only to extend the sanctuary (accommodating more space for the new wood altar which was not in the original plans for the Shrine during its building in the 1950’s), but also to make it easier for people to kneel without having to climb any steps. While partly on the edge of the lowest step, the rail still allows pilgrims to access the side chapels of the Shrine and venerate the images and relics there. Altar rail history Why was the old altar rail removed in the first place? In the 1980s the Marians needed to make more room in the sanctuary for the new altar used for Mass facing the RESTORATION OF THE ALTAR RAIL At the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy
people and a more substantial wooden ambo. Many other churches removed their altar rails at that time because bishops and pastors during the 1970’s and 80’s argued that altar rails should be removed based on their interpretation of the liturgical reforms of Vatican II to mean “active participation” (actuosa participatio) of the laity would be better facilitated without a perceived separation of the clergy and the laity. Subsequently, sanctuaries were redesigned to feel more open and communal rather than hierarchical. Moreover, the indult (special permission) which allowed bishops to request the reception of Holy Communion standing led to standing becoming the norm in the United States by the late 1970’s, thereby making altar rails obsolete. However, no Church document ever called for the removal of the altar rail! Altar rails have a longstanding history of use in the Church, even before being used for the distribution of Holy Communion. Once churches began to be built in early Christian history, much thought was put into the symbolism of its architectural elements to express and encapsulate Catholic theology. The sanctuary, where the priest and assistant clergy offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, was distinguished from the nave, where the laity gathered to assist, with a barrier. The word “Sanctuary” derives from the Latin “Sanctus” which means “Holy,” which the Israelites of the Old Testament believed meant “set apart for God.” Regardless of the cultural style, certain architectural elements developed to express particular Christian teachings. The sanctuary, like the Holy of Holies of Temple of the Old Testament, symbolized Heaven, where God dwells, and the nave symbolized earth, the domain of humans. The sanctuary barrier, which eventually developed into the altar rail in the Western tradition and the iconostasis in the Eastern tradition, is not merely a barrier but actually a veillike connection between them. It marks the threshold where the heavenly and earthly realms meet in worship. Eastern tradition As a seminarian, I remember asking Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, who was bi-ritual in Byzantine rite, why the Byzantine Rite had an iconostasis which it blocked the view of the Divine Liturgy for the laity. “It’s the union of heaven and earth!” he exclaimed. The iconostasis reveals the mystery of heavenly worship and is a sacred threshold inviting the laity to encounter God, with the Communion of Saints through its icons and Royal Doors by which the Word of God (Gospel) and the Word Made Flesh (Bread from Heaven) are brought. Similarly, the altar rail in the Roman Rite reveals for the laity journeying on earth (nave) the worship of God who dwells among us in the sanctuary (Heaven). It is the sacred threshold where the laity are invited to encounter God with the Communion of Saints at the distribution of Holy Communion, kneeling in humble adoration to receive the true Bread of Heaven, just as the saints and angels worship the Lamb of God (Rev 4:10) at the marriage banquet of Heaven. At this meeting point of Heaven (sanctuary) and earth (nave), the priest, acting in persona Christi with his consecrated hand, reaches from Heaven to earth to give the Eucharist as a gift of divine life. Thus, the altar rail is not a separation but a connection, a sacred threshold where Heaven and earth meet in the Eucharist. Extension of the Altar The altar rail evolved in the Roman Rite to be low enough for the faithful to line up and
receive Holy Communion, and became known as the communion rail. When the faithful gather at the communion rail, they symbolically gather at the altar. Scripture scholar Dr. John Bergsma, one of my professors at Franciscan University of Steubenville, put it in class once like this: The disciples of Christ recline at the communion rail like the Apostles who reclined at the sacrificial meal of the Last Supper. The altar rail is an extension of the altar and sometimes called “The People’s Altar.” This is why some altar rails are made of the same material and design as the altar. This connection is also seen with the linen communion cloth on top of the altar rail which was required to be used until 1962. The linen communion cloth is still used in some churches today to emphasize partaking at the Sacred Banquet of Heaven, including the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament founded by Mother Angelica, the founder of EWTN. The communion rail facilitates not only a more reverent distribution of Holy Communion, but also a more efficient way. Whether the communicant is standing or kneeling, it is quicker for the priest to keep moving to distribute to the next person who is prayerfully waiting to receive their heavenly food from their spiritual father, representing Christ. While the local norm now in the United State is to receive standing, kneeling is still officially the universal norm for the Roman Rite and cannot be denied to those who continue to wish do so. The communion rail makes it easier for those who desire to kneel in adoration without being rushed while still respecting the desire of those who wish to stand or cannot kneel. Reverence Outside of Mass, the altar rail serves other practical purposes. It encourages reverence of the altar and the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the sanctuary. This is especially pertinent to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy where pilgrims and visitors are invited to come up some steps to venerate saints in their images and relics in the side chapels but do not always realize they should not step up further into the sanctuary. This issue can be seen in other highly-visited churches without altar rails where many visitors are unfamiliar with the sanctity of the sanctuary. Where an altar rail is missing, red velvet ropes are often used around the sanctuary. Furthermore, the altar rail invites people to come closer to our sanctuary and kneel and pray before the Blessed Sacrament, the Image of the Divine Mercy, the statue of the Immaculate Conception, the image of the Trinity, and the statues of the 12 Apostles. While the images in the side chapels each have a kneeler, the two most important images in our Shrine, the Divine Mercy and the Immaculate Conception, can now more comfortably accommodate those wishing to venerate them up close. On behalf of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in the USA, thank you very much to all the benefactors who made this beautiful altar rail possible. May the Lord bless this altar rail to help foster a greater sense of the sacred and deeper appreciation of the Eucharist to all those who come here to receive His Divine Mercy, Who is so good to us, that He continues to pour out on us and the whole world His Blood and Water almost 2,000 years later through the Eucharist. By Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC Rector of The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy
The Gift Shop is open daily 9:30am – 4:30pm Find us at: divinemercy giftshop.org Shrine Bulletin Board 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.
Embrace Life! Be A Hospice Volunteer. Do you have a talent to share? A contagious passion for just about anything? Would you like a appreciative audience? Want an easy way to make a big impact in someone’s life? Do you want to spend your precious free time making a difference in someone’s life? This is an opportunity for you. We are currently looking for HOPSICE VOLUNTEERS on a regular, periodic or as needed basis. You can play cards, read papers, or have a nice conversation with patients. We provide training. You must be at least 18 years old to apply. Please contact Lori Johnson, Volunteer Coordinator, at 413-443-2994 Or email: [email protected] Visit their website for more information: https://hcib.org/ Jesus said to St. Faustina: "... I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it" Diary of St. Faustina, 742 Excerpt from Comfort the Sick-Park of a Series on Corporal Deeds of Mercy. To read in full go to: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/comfort-sick
Faces of Hope MARIANS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Yes,I want to Help! How to help Please visit www.marian.org/ukraine/ to make a donation for Ukraine relief. One-hundred percent of funds received are sent directly to Ukraine and used to purchase humanitarian aid and medical supplies. Please do not mail medical supplies to Ukraine! Instead, please contact the Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy: 1-877-380-0727 or e-mail [email protected] to answer any of your questions. Because shipping via container is more cost effective, we prefer whatever monetary donations you can give rather than you sending medical supplies. Please know that boxes previously sent to the Marians or the EADM office were sent to Project C.U.R.E. and will be on future containers. https://marian.org/articles/shining-merciful-light-ukraine
The Image of Divine Mercy 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) 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). From The Image of The Divine Mercy www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/image
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