An intimate relationship with the Divine Mercy
God's message given through St. Faustina to the world to turn to His mercy is reminder to trust the Divine Mercy in Jesus and seek His forgiveness. And as Christ is merciful, so, too, are we instructed to be merciful to others. The message of Divine Mercy has become an integral part of Catholic faith, including the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter.
The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion
The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us - all of us. And, he wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.
The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC:
A - Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.
B - Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.
C - Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.
This message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God's mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.
The message and devotional practices proposed in the Diary of Saint Faustina and set forth in this web site and other publications of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception are completely in accordance with the teachings of Church and are firmly rooted in the Gospel message of our Merciful Savior. Properly understood and implemented, they will help us grow as genuine followers of Christ.
Spend time to learn more about the mercy of God, learn to trust in Jesus, and live your life as merciful to others, as Christ is merciful to you.
Saint Padre Pio
Feast: September 23
Born: May 25, 1887 at Pietrelcina, Benevento, Italy
Died: September 23, 1968
Canonized: June 16, 2002 at Rome, Italy
Founded: A Hospital called the House for the Relief of Suffering in 1956
Personal and Spiritual encounters to a special kind with Padre Pio.
He died forty seven (47) years and five (5) days ago.
Francesco was one of eight brothers and sisters. His parents were poor farmers. From the time he was a little boy he wanted to become a Priest. One day he said to his parents, "God is calling me, and I would rather die than fail to respond to my call." His father said, "If that's what you want, I will go to America to find work so we can pay for your studies." At 15 years of age, he entered the Monastery of the Capuchin Friars in Morcone. There he lived a life of silence, prayer, and study. With simplicity he obeyed his Superiors and practiced charity towards his neighbours. After 7 years of study, he was ordained a Priest at the age of 22. He prayed the Rosary constantly. When people asked him why he prayed the rosary so much, he would say, "Our Lady has attached the greatest graces for our times to the Rosary. If Our Lady has always recommended it wherever she appeared, don't you think that there must be a special reason?" When asked how many Rosaries he prayed daily, he answered: "Thirty. five complete Rosaries." When asked how could he say that many Rosaries in one day, he responded, "How can you not pray that much?" In 1952, Pope Pius XII, urged people to respond to Our Lady of Fatima's call by forming prayer groups. When Father Pio heard about this, he immediately encouraged his followers to do as the Holy Father requested. These prayer groups soon came to be known as "Padre Pio Prayer Groups" and have spread throughout the world. He would tell people, "The Rosary is a summary of our faith, the strength of our hope, the explosion of our charity. The Rosary is a powerful weapon to make the devil flee, to overcome temptations, to win the heart of God, to obtain graces from Mary." He said, "As my testament I tell you: "Love Our Lady. Make her loved. Always recite the Rosary!" "Always carry the Rosary in your pocket and in difficult moments squeeze it in your hands."
While praying before a cross, he received the stigmata on September 20, 1918 (the wounds of Jesus on his body.) He would hear many confessions; people said if they held back sins he would tell them what sins to confess. He was able to bilocate (to be in 2 places at the same time) he was seen levitating (lifted above the ground when praying), and was able to heal by touch.
Novena to St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Dear God, You have generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit. You have marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son. Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio laboured endlessly in the Confessional for the salvation of souls. With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently ask You to grant me the grace of (mention your intentions here). Amen.
Pray 3 Glory Be to the Father.