. 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 Saturday 2:00pm* Sunday 10:30am & 2:00pm *2pm Mass 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 Oct2-Twenty-Seventh SundayofOrdinaryTime 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: 2 Prospect Hill Rd, Stockbridge, MA) Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC: Rector Fr. Robert Vennetti, 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. Anthony Gramlich, MIC Shrine Rector
June 20, [1937]. We resemble God most when we forgive our neighbors. God is Love, Goodness, and Mercy... Every soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect My mercy. My Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My beloved must resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy for souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine. Excerpt from: www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251046/pope-francis-god-is-weeping-for-the-victims-of-the-ukraine-war state is a blow that strikes him "viscerally," touching his soul. "He had compassion" - that is how we translate the text today, diminishing its original vitality. Struck in his soul by the lightning flash of mercy, he himself now becomes a neighbor, heedless of any question or danger. The burden of the question thus shifts here. The issue is no longer which other person is a neighbor to me or not. The question is about me. I have to become the neighbor, and when I do, the other person counts for me "as myself." General Audience on May 31, 2006 following his pilgrimage to Poland where he visited the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki. www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/pope-benedict-xvis-top-10-mercy-quotes Image from https://www.marian.org/mary/popes/benedictXVI.php Wisdom of Pope (Emeritus)Benedict XVI “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” John 13:34 Diary of St. Faustina; 1148 Image from: www.marian.org/divinemercy/story.php?NID=8378 [A man has just been robbed and beaten, and he is lying by the side of the road. A priest and a Levite pass by on the other side of the road. Will anyone stop to help? Pope Benedict picks up the narrative here.] “And now the Samaritan enters the stage. What will he do? [Unlike the expert in the Law who had just been questioning Jesus] he does not ask how far his obligations of solidarity extend. Nor does he ask about the merits required for eternal life. Something else happens: His heart is wrenched open. The Gospel uses the word that in Hebrew had referred to the mother's womb and maternal care. Seeing this man in such a
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 1 Living Faith 28 When I steeped myself in prayer, I was transported in spirit to the chapel, where I saw the Lord Jesus, exposed in the monstrance. In place of the monstrance, I saw the glorious face of the Lord, and He said to me, What you see in reality, these souls see through faith. Oh, how pleasing to Me is their great faith! You see, although there appears to be no trace of life in Me, in reality it is present in its fullness in each and every Host. But for Me to be able to act upon a soul, the soul must have faith. O how pleasing to Me is living faith! O life so dull and monotonous, how many treasures you contain! When I look at everything with the eyes of faith, no two hours are alike, and the dullness and monotony disappear. The grace which is given me in this hour will not be repeated in the next. It may be given me again, but it will not be the same grace. Time goes on, never to return again. Whatever is enclosed in it will never change; it seals with a seal for eternity. I want to live in the spirit of faith. I accept everything that comes my way as given me by the loving will of God, who sincerely desires my happiness. And so I will accept with submission and gratitude everything that God sends me. I will pay no attention to the voice of nature and to the promptings of self-love. Before each important action, I will stop to consider for a moment what relationship it has to eternal life and what may be the main reason for my undertaking it: is it for the glory of God, or for the good of my own soul, or for the good of the souls of others? If my heart says yes, then I will not swerve from carrying out the given action, unmindful of either obstacles or sacrifices. I will not be frightened into abandoning my intention. It is enough for me to know that it is pleasing to God. On the other hand, if I learn that the action has nothing in common with what I have just mentioned, I will try to elevate it to a loftier sphere by means of a good intention. And if I learn that something flows from my self-love, I will cancel it out right from the start. August 15, 1937. During meditation, God’s presence pervaded me keenly, and I was aware of the Virgin Mary’s joy at the moment of Her Assumption. Towards the end of the ceremony carried out in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand She did so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory, and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy. After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of God and how to apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy will. My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God’s wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God’s will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the heavenly Mother was talking to me, a deep understanding of this will of God was entering my soul. 0 I want to write down a dream that I had about Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. I was still a novice at the From the Diary of St. Faustina
3 3 72 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. time and was going through some difficulties which I did not know how to overcome. They were interior difficulties connected with exterior ones. I made novenas to various saints, but the situation grew more and more difficult. The sufferings it caused me were so great that I did not know how to go on living, but suddenly the thought occurred to me that I should pray to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. I started a novena to this Saint, because before entering the convent I had had a great devotion to her. Lately I had somewhat neglected this devotion, but in my need I began again to pray with great fervor. On the fifth day of the novena, I dreamed of Saint Therese, but it was as if she were still living on earth. She hid fromme the fact that she was a saint and began to comfort me, saying that I should not be worried about this matter, but should trust more in God. She said, “I suffered greatly, too,” but I did not quite believe her and said, “It seems to me that you have not suffered at all.” But Saint Therese answered me in a convincing manner that she had suffered very much indeed and said to me, “Sister, know that in three days the difficulty will come to a happy conclusion.” When I was not very willing to believe her, she revealed to me that she was a saint. At that moment, a great joy filled my soul, and I said to her, “You are a saint?” “Yes,” she answered, “I am a saint. Trust that this matter will be resolved in three days.” And I said, “Dear sweet Therese, tell me, shall I go to heaven?” And she answered, “Yes, you will go to heaven, Sister.” “And will I be a saint?” To which she replied, “Yes, you will be a saint.” “But, little Therese, shall I be a saint as you are, raised to the altar?” And she answered, “Yes, you will be a saint just as I am, but you must trust in the Lord Jesus.” I then asked her if my mother and father would go to heaven, will [unfinished sentence] And she replied that they would. I further asked, “And will my brothers and sisters go to heaven?” She told me to pray hard for them, but gave me no definite answer. I understood that they were in need of much prayer. This was a dream. And as the proverb goes, dreams are phantoms; God is faith. Nevertheless, three days later the difficulty was solved very easily, just as she had said. And everything in this affair turned out exactly as she said it would. It was a dream, but it had its significance. I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human dispositions, but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in the higher regions and assigns self-love its proper place; that is to say, the lowest one. Yes, I want ToHelp! Donations for Ukraine: www.marian.org/ukraine/ or call 800-462-7426 Diary 1420, 62, 1549, 1244, 150, 210
Shrine Bulletin Board Livestream Series Saturdays at 11:00am with Fr. Chris Alar, MIC To watch please go to: www.thedivinemercy.org We are hiring! 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 Be a part of theMarian Family! Receive graces from doing deeds of Mercy. Please volunteer if you are able. See our website to sign up, or contact our Volunteer Office at 413-298-1114 Things to Note: Blessed Oil of St. Faustina 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. The Diary of St. Faustina 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
new superior general. They elected 52-year-old Father Vincent Sękowski, who was known in the community for being well-educated. Father Sękowski was born on Sept. 6, 1840, in the village of Asmonai (in the parish of Szumsk) in Lithuania, to the family of farmers Matthew and Anna (née Bródzówna) Senkus. He took the name “Sękowski” in his youth. From 1855 to 1858, he attended a four-year district school in Marijampole. In 1858, at age 18, he entered the Marian Fathers. Upon completing his novitiate at the Marian monastery in Marijampole in 1860, he professed solemn religious vows. Following his profession of solemn vows, from 1858 to 1862, he studied theology in Marijampole. In 1862 in Wornie, Lithuania, having passed his final examinations, he was ordained a sub-deacon by Bishop Maciej K. Wołonczewski of the Diocese of Samogitia in Lithuania. Father Sękowski participated in Polish patriotic demonstrations, which took place in 1861 and 1862. Shortly afterwards, from 1862 to 1864, his superiors sent him to continue his studies in theology at the Warsaw Spiritual Academy in Poland. In 1863, while he was still a student, the Metropolitan of Warsaw, Archbishop St. Zygmunt Szczesny-Feliński, ordained him a deacon, and in 1864, Henryk L. Plater, the Auxiliary Bishop of Warsaw, ordained him to the priesthood. Father Sękowski had completed his education, earning the degree in Holy Theology (with the commendation of “excellence with special merit”). From 1871 to 1874, he held the procurator’s office at the Marijampole monastery. Serving as pastor of the MARIANS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION In November 1892, the Superior General of the Marians, Father George Czesnas died at the Marian monastery in Marijampole, Lithuania, the only remaining Marian monastery in existence after all the others had been closed down by the tsarist government in 1864. On Nov. 24, the five remaining Marians (known as “white Marians” due to color of their cassocks worn at the time) held an election for a Fr. Vincent Sekowski (1840-1911) Marijampole parish, he extended the church building by constructing two tall towers and two side chapels, among other renovations. As the Marians were electing Fr. Sękowski their superior general, they hoped that they would not lose their only standing monastery. The newly elected superior general, who also served as pastor of the Marijampole parish, did his best to warrant this hope. The merciful Lord heard Father Vincent’s fervent prayers, and — perhaps as a reward for his great trust — allowed him to live to see the joyful moment of the renewal of the Marian Fathers. On Aug. 29, 1909, a professor at the St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy in Russia, Blessed George Matulaitis-Matulewicz, who had been brought up in the Marijampole parish, professed his religious vows for the Marians in Bishop Kazimierz Ruszkiewicz’s private chapel at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw. This event became the beginning of the renewal and reform of the Marian Fathers. Blessed George would later go on to become Bishop of Vilnius.
Excerpt from: https://padrimariani.org/en/fr-vincent-sekowski/# We encourage you to pray for graces through the intercession of Fr. Vincent Sekowski. Please send information about healings or other graces received from God through the intercession Fr. Vincent to: Postulatore Generale dei Chierici Mariani Casa Generalizia Via Corsica, 1 00198 Roma, Italia Tel.: 011-39-06-853-703-1 ather Vincent Sękowski passed away on April 10, 1911, in Marijampole; he was 70 years old. He guided the renewed Marian Fathers as general superior for 19 months and 12 days. At his funeral in Marijampole, which took place on Holy Wednesday, Father Sękowski was remembered as a zealous priest, an excellent preacher, and a holy religious. Father Vincent was buried near his parish church in Marijampole. Fr. Vincent Sekowski, pray for us! Students of the Warsaw Spiritual Academy. Among them the Marian clerics: Vincent Sękowski (second from right in the 3rd row) and Simon Szałaszewicz (third from left in the 2nd row). Picture was taken between 1862 and 1864.
O Christ, if my soul had known, all at once, what it was going to have to suffer during its lifetime, it would have died of terror at the very sight; it would not have touched its lips to the cup of bitterness. But as it has been given to drink a drop at a time, it has emptied the cup to the very bottom. O Christ, if You Yourself did not support the soul, how much could it do of itself? We are strong, but with Your strength; we are holy, but with Your holiness. And of ourselves, what are we? - less than nothing ... My Jesus, You suffice me for everything else in the world. Although the sufferings are severe, You sustain me. Although the times of loneliness are terrible, You make them sweet for me. Although the weakness is great, You change it into power for me. (Diary, 1655) Now I can be wholly useful to the Church by my personal sanctity, which throbs with life in the whole Church, for we all make up one organism in Jesus. That is why I endeavor to make the soil of my heart bear good fruit. Although the human eye may perhaps never see it, there will nevertheless come a day when it will become apparent that many souls have been fed and will continue to be fed with this fruit. (Diary, 1364) I strive for the greatest perfection possible in order to be useful to the Church. Greater by far is my bond to the Church. The sanctity or the fall of each individual soul has an effect upon the whole Church. Observing myself and those who are close to me, I have come to understand how great an influence I have on other souls, not by any heroic deeds, as these are striking in themselves, but by small actions like a movement of the hand, a look, and many other things too numerous to mention, which have an effect on and reflect in the souls of others, as I myself have noticed. (Diary, 1475) "It's only to save souls that I want to suffer." On the day of her death, she exclaimed: "Never would I have believed it was possible to suffer so much! Never, never! I can only explain it by the ardent desires I have had to save souls (see Bp. Guy Gaucher, The Passion of Thérèse Lisieux, p. 183-185) St. Faustina image: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/power-prayer-0 St. Therese and St. Faustina: Words of Love from True Sisters in Christ St. Therese of Lisieux Therese is the saint of Merciful Love. Faustina is the saint of Divine Mercy. But “Merciful Love” and “Divine Mercy" are really the same thing. So the two saints are closely related. More specifically, Therese pioneered the modern movement that is bringing Catholic spirituality back to a focus on God's mercy, and she passed the baton of that effort to Faustina. In fact, Therese once appeared to her Polish friend in a dream and encouraged her to trust in Jesus (see Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 150). During that same dream, Faustina asked her, "shall I be a saint as you are ...?" Therese responded, "Yes." Therese and Faustina are more "like" each other than most people realize. They're both totally dedicated to God's great mercy. : Excerpts from Why St. Therese:www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/why-st-therese Similarities in the Lives of St. Therese and St. Faustina: www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/similarities-lives-stth%C3%A9r%C3%A8se-and-st-faustina St. Therese image: www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/life-little-flower St. Faustina Kowalska -Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC
In the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis calls the Church to a new chapter of evangelization and invites every Christian to a life of missionary discipleship. Evangelii gaudium reflects on the example of Christ who himself knelt to wash the disciples’ feet. Like Jesus, an evangelizing community becomes involved in the lives of its people; “it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others.”3 The foundation of all our missionary efforts is the truth “that every person is worthy of our giving… because they are God’s handiwork, his creation.”5 God created human beings in his image and likeness, and every person reflects God’s glory: “Every human being is the object of God’s infinite tenderness, and he himself is present in their lives.”6 …the Holy Father proposes a culture of encounter and accompaniment, “standing by people at every step of the way, no matter how difficult or lengthy this may prove to be.”9 With “patient expectation and apostolic endurance”10 the art of accompaniment “teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5)”11 and to show special preference for the poor, despised, and overlooked Pope Francis reminds us that “among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us. The defense of unborn life upholds “the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development.”13 As members of the Church that “goes forth,” we are called to take the first step toward those in need—sharing in their lives, listening to their concerns, offering them both material and spiritual support. Our mission as disciples of Christ Jesus “is at once a passion for Jesus and a passion for his people.”17 For having received the love of Christ, how can we but share that love with others? “The joy of the Gospel is such that it cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything (cf. Jn 16:22).”18 The evils of our world and challenges within the Church cannot diminish our commitment to missionary discipleship: “With the eyes of faith, we can see the light which the Holy Spirit always radiates in the midst of darkness.”19 Excerpt taken from: www.usccb.org/resources/wwmin-21-evangeli-guadium.pdf For more information go to:
O . Learn more and find resources specifically for celebrating Respect Life Month! respectlife.org
Day, through the octave, and in their daily prayers and Holy Masses throughout the month. Assisting the Holy Souls is one of the founding charisms of the Marians. Send the names of those you would like to have remembered, and we will place your intentions near the altar at the National Shrine throughout November. To Enroll your loved one to: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/novenas/prayers-poor-souls November is the traditional month of intercession for the souls of the faithful departed. The Marians will be praying for the Holy Souls in solemn Evening Prayer for the Deceased on All Souls’ November is the traditional month of intercession for the souls of the faithful departed. The Marians will be praying for the Holy Souls in solemn Evening Prayer for the Deceased on All Souls' Day, through Prayers for Poor Souls
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