September 13, 2026 Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 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. David Gunter, 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 9:00 am Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:00 pm Rosary for Life 5:00 pm 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. David Gunter, 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 found on our website: https: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org September 9/18 Outdoor Stations of The Cross at 11am • See flyer on page 8 for more information 9/23 Memorial of St. Padre Pio 9/24 Healing Mass at 7pm • See flyer on page 9 for more information 9/25 Outdoor Stations of The Cross at 11am • See flyer on page 8 for more information 9/26 Marian Teaching at 11am • Topic and Speaker TBD October 10/2 First Friday Devotions at 8pm • See flyer on page 10 for more information Outdoor Stations of The Cross at 11am • See flyer on page 8 for more information 10/3 First Saturday Devotions at 11am • See flyer on page 10 for more information 10/4 Blessing of the Animals • See flyer on page 11 for more information
GENERAL AUDIENCE Pope Leo XIV SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 PAPAL CORNER ● WISDOM OF POPE LEO XIV Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. IV. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes (GS 12-22). 2. Human dignity: gift and responsibility Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome! The Conciliar Constitution Gaudium et Spes (GS), by dedicating the first chapter to the dignity of the human person, emphasizes that it is the foundation and condition for “those values which are most highly prized today”, but these must not lose sight of their “divine source”, in order to avoid possible distortions arising from the “taint in man’s human heart” (GS, 11). The journey that made it possible to highlight the fundamental characteristics and rights of human dignity certainly represents one of the most significant chapters in human history. However, the path ahead is not yet complete and must address the contradictions, both old and new, which prevent its full realization. The Church clearly offers her contribution, reminding us that human dignity arises from the very being of the person. I had the opportunity to reiterate this also in my recent Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas: “Every human person is planned and willed by God to enter into communion with Him, with others and with creation. Human dignity does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of His unfailing love” (no. 50). The infinite dignity of the human being, then, is rooted in his identity as a creature made “‘to God’s image’ … capable of knowing and loving his Creator”, a plan and gift of love that transcends other created realities, which are entrusted to his care to “subdue them and use them to God’s glory” (GS, 12). In faith we can understand the ultimate foundation for the dignity of the person, inasmuch as the Son, “by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear” (no. 22). The person always implies relationship, communion and participation in relation to God and to others; hence, a filial relationship with God the Father and a fraternal relationship with Christ and with all humankind. It excludes self-centred isolation. To be a person means to perceive oneself as a gift to be shared, growing and maturing through acceptance, reciprocity and service.
This dignity is entrusted to the responsibility of each person: at the same time, it also demands solidarity and mutual care, overcoming the many falsifications and manipulations that still disfigure our perception of it and hinder its realization. Indeed, as a result of the choices made throughout history that have run counter to this dignity, even today “man is split within himself”, and “all of human life, whether individual or collective, shows itself to be a dramatic struggle between good and evil between light and darkness”. This fragile and limited condition, however, can be regarded with hope, because “the Lord Himself came to free and strengthen man, renewing him inwardly and casting out that ‘prince of this world’ (John 12:31) who held him in the bondage of sin” (GS, 13). Furthermore, the Constitution Gaudium et Spes affirms that human dignity concerns the whole person and, therefore, dualistic views must be overcome: the human being “though made of body and soul, is one”. Reducing the body to an “object” to be disposed of arbitrarily is always a denial of the dignity of the person: “man is not allowed to despise his bodily life” and “is obliged to regard his body as good and honourable since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day”, while ensuring that it does not become enslaved by “the evil inclinations of his heart” (GS, 14), since we are all wounded by sin. Finally, there Gaudium et Spes recalls the three most significant expressions of the dignity of the person: intelligence, which makes the human being an insatiable seeker of the truth (no. 15); conscience, through which he gives unity and meaning to his life (no. 16), and freedom, which makes him the responsible agent of his own decisions (no. 17). These dimensions are closely connected to one another: it is in conscience that truth is recognized as such, and freedom can experience it as its foundation and possibility. The Holy Spirit, who gives life in Christ, makes us free and constantly assures us of our dignity as children of God, delivering us from fear and guiding us towards the ultimate goal, that life in its fullness beyond death which Christ has promised us. It is only in Him that the mystery of the human person finds true light; from Him we receive light on the enigma of suffering and death; and with Him we journey towards the Resurrection. Dear brothers and sisters, created in God’s image, through Christ and for His sake, we have received a unique and indelible dignity. Let us commit ourselves to promoting and defending it always, with the light and strength of the Gospel. Summary of Catechesis: Dear brothers and sisters, in our series of catecheses on the Second Vatican Council, we continue our reflection on Gaudium et Spes, focusing on the dignity of the human person. Human dignity flows from our identity as children made in the image and likeness of God. We are endowed with the gifts of intelligence, for seeking truth; conscience, for recognizing our ultimate calling; and freedom, for choosing the good. Only through Christ do we understand that our personhood implies relationship and the call to give ourselves as a gift to God and others. May we therefore help each other to guard and defend our God-given dignity and journey together toward our heavenly homeland. Picture of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV from Welcome, Pope Leo XIV: https://marian.org/articles/welcome-pope-leo-xiv General Audience of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on September 9, 2026: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/audiences/2026/documents/20260909-udienza-generale.html
Get to know the Diary of… Saint Faustina Kowalska “My Love and Mercy knows no bounds.” 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. Write, My daughter, that I am mercy itself for the contrite soul. A soul’s greatest wretchedness does not enkindle Me with wrath; but rather, My Heart is moved towards it with great mercy. The Lord said to me, It should be of no concern to you how anyone else acts; you are to be My living reflection, through love and mercy. I answered, “Lord, but they often take advantage of my goodness.” That makes no difference, My daughter. That is no concern of yours. As for you, be always merciful toward other people, and especially toward sinners. I am greatly surprised at how one can be so jealous. When I see someone else’s good, I rejoice at it as if it were mine. The joy of others is my joy, and the suffering of others is my suffering, for otherwise I would not dare to commune with the Lord Jesus. The spirit of Jesus is always simple, meek, sincere; all malice, envy, and unkindness disguised under a smile of good will are clever little devils. A severe word flowing from sincere love does not wound the heart. I have experienced how much envy there is, even in religious life. I see that there are few truly great souls, ready to trample on everything that is not God. O soul, you will find no beauty outside of God. Oh, how fragile is the foundation of those who elevate themselves at the expense of others! What a loss! 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. Then I saw a soul which was being separated from its body amid great torment. O Jesus, as I am about to write this, I tremble at the sight of the horrible things that bear witness against him.... I saw the souls of little children and those of older ones, about nine years of age, emerging from some kind of a muddy abyss. The souls were foul and disgusting, resembling the most terrible monsters and decaying corpses. But the corpses were living and gave loud testimony against the dying soul. And the soul I saw dying was a soul full of the world’s applause and honors, the end of which are emptiness and sin. Finally a woman came out who was holding something like tears in her apron, and she witnessed very strongly against him. 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. The Lord said to me, Enter into purgatory often, because they need you there. + O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask You to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in purgatory, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God’s mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us as we act toward our neighbor. My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone. Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in us, that we may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company [of chosen ones] in Your vineyard — upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen. March 25. In the morning, during meditation, God’s presence enveloped me in a special way, as I saw the immeasurable greatness of God and, at the same time, His condescension to His creatures. Then I saw the Mother of God, who said to me, Oh, how pleasing to God is the soul that follows faithfully the inspirations of His grace! I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you. In the evening, the Lord said to me, My child, rest on My Heart; I see that you have worked hard in My vineyard. And my soul was flooded with divine joy. Diary excerpts 18; 1148, 1739, 1446, 633, 833, 1717, 425-426, excerpt 1738; 692, excerpt 1213; 635, 945
The Gift Shop is open daily 9:30am – 4:30pm Find us at: www.divinemercy 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 support Shrine Ministries. www.shrineofdivinemercy. org/get-involved/ Volunteering is a wonderful way to share your gifts and God’s Mercy with our pilgrims. Please follow the link below to learn more about volunteering at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.
Do you feel called to a religious vocation? VOCATION DIRECTOR ‘”I’m so glad you’re here.” Father Donald Calloway, MIC, welcomes you to the Marian Vocation Office in the Marian House of Studies, Steubenville, Ohio. Just by coming to this page, you’ve shown that you are open to wherever our Lord is calling you. Whether or not your vocation is as a religious—and whether or not you’re called to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception—I’m here to help you. Please look through the information we have prepared for you in the Vocation section. If you would like to glad to send you printed information on the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. From my own experience, I can tell you that my Congregation is totally consecrated to Mary Immaculate, faithful to authentic Church teaching, obedient to the Pope and Magisterium, and intensely Eucharistic. Please feel free to call or email me. You also might want to come to a Vocation Retreat. You may ask or tell me anything in confidence. You will not receive any phone calls or materials without your request. Discerning a vocation takes prayer, time, and guidance. Please use this prayer to help you consider where God is calling you. Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC Vocation Director Write :Vocation Director ● Marians of the Immaculate Conception ● 350 Belleview Blvd. ● Steubenville, OH 43952 Email: [email protected] May our Merciful Savior bless you and guide you. In the love of Mary Immaculate. Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC Vocation Director https://marian.org/vocations VOCATION PRAYER Hail Mary, full of grace; all generations call you blessed. Hail Mother of God, when asked by the angel to bear the Son of the Most High, filled with faith, you responded: “Let it be done unto me.” Holy Mother of Jesus, at the wedding feast at Cana, you prompted your Son to perform His first sign. Be with us as we discern our life’s work and guide us in the way we are called to follow in the footsteps of your Son. Holy Mother of the Savior, at the foot of the Cross you mourned the death of your only Son. Bless and embrace the loving parents of all priests, deacons, brothers and sisters. Holy Mother of the Good Shepherd, turn your motherly care to this nation. Interceded for us to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers to the harvest in this land dedicated to your honor. Queen of Peace, Mirror of Justice, Health of the Sick inspire vocations in our time. Let the word of your Son be made flesh anew in the lives of persons anxious to proclaim the good news of everlasting life. Amen. Prayer from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
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.
IT’S TIME TO SPEAK OUT AGAIN IN OPPOSITION TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE The Massachusetts Catholic Conference has been following two bills that would legalize Physician Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts. House Bill 2505 and Senate Bill 1486, “An Act relative to End-of-Life Options.” At present HB 2505 is in the Joint Committee on Healthcare Finance and SB 1486 is in Senate Ways and Means. However, the bills may come to the floor for a vote at any time. Working together, we can join health care professionals, disability groups, senior citizens, the infirmed and countless individuals in saying NO to assisted suicide and to stop the legislation from moving forward this session. Here are some troubling facts to consider before you contact your elected officials: 1.) A DEADLY PRESCRIPTION - The bill would allow a physician to provide a lethal drug mixture to an individual diagnosed with less than 6 months to live that, when consumed, would cause death. NOTE - The diagnosis could be wrong. Countless individuals have outlived that 6-month diagnosis and enjoyed many more precious months and years with family and friends. 2.) NO REAL SAFEGUARDS - A vulnerable individual who is physically disabled, depressed, or fears being a “burden” may be subject to undue influence by others to make the choice of PAS. 3.) MISPLACED PRIORITIES -The primary focus of elected officials should be dedicated to legislation providing quality health care, mental health care and palliative care to the sick and dying – particularly in the underserved, poor and minority communities that suffer the most at the time of need. Your Voice Matters – Please call today! Please call or email your elected State Senator and State Representative to voice your opposition. They represent you and should know your views on this topic. You can do this by logging onto HTTPS://MACATHOLIC.ORG or scan QR code below. Follow the links to find contact information for your individual State Senator and State Representative via address and zip code link. Stay informed by signing up to receive alerts. For individuals without internet access, plea e call the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617746-5630. We will provide you the legislative contact information.
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). 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
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