Six Sunday in Easter...
Once there was a famous priest who did miracles and wonders, and man came to him saying, "Please, Father, pray for my hearing". The priest right away touched the man's ears and prayed for him for forty minutes and then he looked at him and asked, "How is your hearing...how is your hearing?" The man said, "I don't know Father. My hearing isn't until next week".
Today's Gospel reading invites us to know that the indwelling of God, the presence of God, in every one of us.
Friends in Christ, every time we come to Church, we are given a especial blessing to know the presence of God in us and everytime we receive any of the Church's sacraments, we come to the presence of Christ in us and every time we extend ourselves to the needs of others, we come the know the presence of God in every one of us. God is always with us.
Today one of the greatest challenges is 'Isolation'. There are more than 25% of people live alone. Parents, Spouses and Children live as strangers to each other. Today children especially do things alone, playing alone, eating alone and dealing with their challenges alone. But as believers of Christ, we do not need to be alone at all. Because the indwelling of God, the presence of God is always with us.
Christ who came for us; Christ who died for us and Christ who came back to life for us is always with us. As we open ourselves and let Him in into our hearts, see begin to see miracales and wonders around us.
Saint Francis of Assisi was an ardent advocate of the doctrine of the indwelling God in man. God's presence is in every person. Once he met with a man who refused to believe in God. As the saint was walking with the non-believer, they met with a blind person. Saint Francis looked at him and said, "what would you do if I restore your sight?" The man said, "I will follow you for the rest of my life. I will serve you for the rest of my life" . At that point, Saint Francis of Assisi looked at the non-believer and said, "why don't you love God who created you with sight".
There is an invisible force namely the presence of God that directs us to do everthing. Even what we see and understand the visible world is not even ten percent and how could we understand and know the invisible world. All we have to give ourselves to Christ and He will give us the Holy Spirit to know the truth.
Once a little boy saw his grandpa being sad and asked why. The grandpa said, "Son, there are two wolves fighting in me, the good one and the bad one". The boy asked, "Which one is going to win, grandpa?" The grandpa said, "The one I feed the most".
Conclusion:
Which one we are going to feed the most, the material world or the divine world. As we come to know more and more the indwelling presence of God in us, then we do not need to go after things, people and perishable things, they all come to us. yes, it is because what belongs to God comes to God and since God dwells in us, they all come to us. So let us see God and His presence and then everything will be given to us. Amen.
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Six Sunday of Easter-C
Six Sunday in Easter
Once there was an old priest in a remote village known for his devotion and hard work. Even Vatican was impressed at his dedication and they sent reporters to interview him as they wanted to use his story to inspire other priests. So the reporter looked at him and asked the secret to his dedication and hard work. The old priest said, "Two things my son...two things, Coffee and Rosary". Then he leaned back on his chair and yelled towards the kitchen: "Rosary! please bring in two coffee".
Today's Gospel reading invites us to know that the indwelling of God in every one of us.
Dear friends in Christ, every time we come to Church, we are given a special blessing by God Almighty to know that He is always with us. Every time we come to Church and receive any of the Church's Sacraments, there Christ assures us that He will never abandon us. Yes, dear friends in Christ, God who sent His Son Christ Jesus to us continues to shower upon us His Holy Spirit.
Today one of the great social and ethical problems of our time is 'Isolation'. Today more than 25% of all adults live alone. Spouses, parents and children live as virtual strangers to one another. We especially see children eating alone, playing alone and dealing with their chellenges alone. This is very unfortunate and we never need to be alone at all.
Christ who was sent by His Father to be with us, the one who died for us and the Mighty one who came back to life us is always with us. yes, Christ is with us and that is why, every time we celebrate Mass and other spiritual celebration, we say, "The Lord be with you" and others respond saying, "With your spirit". The only thing what we have to do is let Christ come into our lives and then we will see great things happen to us.
Saint Francis of Assisi was an ardent advocate of the doctrine of the indwelling God in man. God's presence is in every person. Once he met with a man who refused to believe in God. As the saint was walking with the non-believer, they met with a blind person. Saint Francis looked at him and said, "what would you do if I restore your sight?" The man said, "I will follow you for the rest of my life. I will serve you for the rest of my life" . At that point, Saint Francis of Assisi looked at the non-believer and said, "why don't you love God who created you with sight".
There is an invisible force namely the presence of God that directs us to do everthing. Even what we see and understand the visible world is not even ten percent and how could we understand and know the invisible world. All we have to give ourselves to Christ and He will give us the Holy Spirit to know the truth.
Once a little boy saw his grandpa being sad and asked why. The grandpa said, "Son, there are two wolves fighting in me, the good one and the bad one". The boy asked, "Which one is going to win, grandpa?" The grandpa said, "The one I feed the most".
Conclusion:
Which one we are going to feed the most, the material world or the divine world. As we come to know more and more the indwelling presence of God in us, then we do not need to go after things, people and perishable things, they all come to us. yes, it is because what belongs to God comes to God and since God dwells in us, they all come to us. So let us see God and His presence and then everything will be given to us. Amen.
Once there was an old priest in a remote village known for his devotion and hard work. Even Vatican was impressed at his dedication and they sent reporters to interview him as they wanted to use his story to inspire other priests. So the reporter looked at him and asked the secret to his dedication and hard work. The old priest said, "Two things my son...two things, Coffee and Rosary". Then he leaned back on his chair and yelled towards the kitchen: "Rosary! please bring in two coffee".
Today's Gospel reading invites us to know that the indwelling of God in every one of us.
Dear friends in Christ, every time we come to Church, we are given a special blessing by God Almighty to know that He is always with us. Every time we come to Church and receive any of the Church's Sacraments, there Christ assures us that He will never abandon us. Yes, dear friends in Christ, God who sent His Son Christ Jesus to us continues to shower upon us His Holy Spirit.
Today one of the great social and ethical problems of our time is 'Isolation'. Today more than 25% of all adults live alone. Spouses, parents and children live as virtual strangers to one another. We especially see children eating alone, playing alone and dealing with their chellenges alone. This is very unfortunate and we never need to be alone at all.
Christ who was sent by His Father to be with us, the one who died for us and the Mighty one who came back to life us is always with us. yes, Christ is with us and that is why, every time we celebrate Mass and other spiritual celebration, we say, "The Lord be with you" and others respond saying, "With your spirit". The only thing what we have to do is let Christ come into our lives and then we will see great things happen to us.
Saint Francis of Assisi was an ardent advocate of the doctrine of the indwelling God in man. God's presence is in every person. Once he met with a man who refused to believe in God. As the saint was walking with the non-believer, they met with a blind person. Saint Francis looked at him and said, "what would you do if I restore your sight?" The man said, "I will follow you for the rest of my life. I will serve you for the rest of my life" . At that point, Saint Francis of Assisi looked at the non-believer and said, "why don't you love God who created you with sight".
There is an invisible force namely the presence of God that directs us to do everthing. Even what we see and understand the visible world is not even ten percent and how could we understand and know the invisible world. All we have to give ourselves to Christ and He will give us the Holy Spirit to know the truth.
Once a little boy saw his grandpa being sad and asked why. The grandpa said, "Son, there are two wolves fighting in me, the good one and the bad one". The boy asked, "Which one is going to win, grandpa?" The grandpa said, "The one I feed the most".
Conclusion:
Which one we are going to feed the most, the material world or the divine world. As we come to know more and more the indwelling presence of God in us, then we do not need to go after things, people and perishable things, they all come to us. yes, it is because what belongs to God comes to God and since God dwells in us, they all come to us. So let us see God and His presence and then everything will be given to us. Amen.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
good shepherd sunday
JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Once a sunday school teacher asked her students to memorize the famous Psalm 23rd. One of the boys tried to memorize the Psalm but he could not remember the whole psalm at all. As the children were reciting the Psalm on day in front of the congregation, Sam out up nervously and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd and that is all I need to know". Yes, the Lord is our Shepherd and that is all we need to know and everything will be fine.
Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. This day, we celebrate our special call to follow Him and to be with Him. The Shepherd knows His sheep and leads them to everlasting life.
1. Once two people were asked to recite the Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want..." The first man who was a powerful orator got up and recited the whole Psalm, and everyone stood up and clapped their hands and cheered for him. Then the other man got up and repeated the same word and this time, no mone cheered for him. They were all sitting quietly in a devotional and prayerful mood. Then the orator got up and said, "I have a confession to make". You should know the difference between this old man and I, "I only know the psalm and this man knows the shepherd". today, we are called to know the shepherd persnally by means of every day prayer and self-giving.
2. One day a sheep saw a hole in the fence and he escaped through the hole. He wandered far and forgot his way back. Then he realized that he was being chased by a wolf. He ran and ran but the wolf was kept following him until the shepherd came and rescued him. Then he carried the sheep to the fold. After that so many people told the shepherd to nail up the fence but he never did. That is our Good Shepherd who gives us freedom and free will to choose between good and bad and between right and wrong. When we go away from Him and fall into sin, He recognizes our failures and weaknesses saying, "I came for the one sheep that was lost". For the Good Shepherd, the lost sheep is also a good sheep. And He saves us from peril and danger. He gives us freedom not to go away from Him but to know our humanness fully and thus to love God with all our heart, mind and body and love others as ourselves.
3. In today's gospel, Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him. And no one can snatch them out of His hand. People may go away from God and His Church but because of His love and forgiveness, they will certainly come back to Him. Nothing can stop them from experiencing His love.
4. Once there happened a dialogue between a recent convert and his friend, "So you have been converted to Catholicism?' Yes. Then you should know about Jesus and His life. Tell me about His birth place. The convert said, "to be honest with you, I don't know. what was His age when He died? I don't know. How many sermons did He preach? I don't know. Then the friend looked at him and said, "you don't know much and you claimed to be converted to Catholicism". Yes, I am ashamed at how little I know about Jesus but this much I do know. Three years ago, I was a drunkard and was in debt. My family was falling to pieces. My wife and children hated me and they did not even want to see me. But now I have given up drinking, we are out of debt; ours is a happy family. All this Christ has done for me. This much I know.
what is our call? Do we follow Christ and His teaching and do we love Him? let us ask ourselves again and again.
Conclusion: The love of the Good Shepherd transforms our very nature. The lost sheep is also a good sheep, le us go to Him and He who is our way, truth and life and He who is our Good Shepherd will transform our lives. Amen.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Third Sundayof Easter-C
Third Sunday-C1
Good evening/morning every one, I am so happy to see you all and I come from the best church in Lakefield called St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Once a woman died and as she was entering into heaven, the angel that was standing at the door said, "Before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word". She said, "what word". The angel said, "Spell love". she said, "L...o..v...e". Then the angel said, "You may enter into heaven now... and by the way, I am going to have a break, why don't you stand at the door and if anyone comes just ask to spell a simple word and let the person in.." Thus she was standing at the door. Imagine who came to heaven, her ex-husband. she looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?' He said, "I took a heart attack and here I am. Am I in heaven?" She said, "Not yet my ex-husband, not yet... you suppose to spell a word before entering into heaven". He said, "what word?" She looked at him and said, "Spell Czechoslovakia".
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
1. When Mary Magdalen saw the empty tomb, she was so confused and began to cry. What happened while she was crying? As she was crying, Jesus the Only Son of God Himself apeared to her and said, " woman, why are you crying? and whom are you looking for? she, thinking he was a gardener, said, "Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have laid him and I will go and take him with me". Then the risen Christ called her by name saying, "Mary". Then only she recognized the risen Christ. Jesus the Lord appeared to her while whe was in pain and loney. Christ the Lord appeared to her while she was grieving and was struggling to cope with suffering.
When we grieve of losing someone dear to us, we might think that we are alone and God abandoned us. But the risen Christ never leaves any of His Children alone. He comes us to in an unexpected time to console and comfort us. As children of God, we will never be alone and He is always with us.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
2. The another resurrection story is about the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. While they were travelling, they looked sad and were suffering, because the Jesus in whome they put all their trust and hope was gone. While they were travelling, Jesus Himself joined them and explained everything about Himself beginning from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Then they recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread and as Jesus vanished from their sight, they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us" "Were not our faith increasing while He explained the Scriputres to us".
when we are saddened and are struggling with our faith, we will never be left unanswered, the risen Christ will definately join us and thus increase our faith in Him. When we question our faith, doubt our spiritual practices, we will never be left alone but Christ will inspire us through His words and make us stronger.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
3. Last weekend, we heard the story of the apostles hiding behind locked doors for the fear of authority and we also heard about Thomas saying, "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nail and my hand in his side, I will not believe" When Christ appeared and gave them all divine peace and said to Thomas, "Do not dout but believe and continued saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe".
And in today's gospel, we see the second calling of Simon Peter whom Christ called him at the sea of Galilee saying, "Come and follow me". He immediately left everything behind and followed our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ gave him a new name peter and made him His apostle. When Christ asked His disciples at Ceasarea Philipi who they were saying Christ was, Simon Peter was the one who said, "Jesus, you are the Messiah, the Only Son of God". When many of His followers left Him because he said his flesh was the real food and His blood was the true drink, Jesus asked his disciples whether they also wished to go away from Him and that time Simon Peter was the one who came forwared and said, "Jesus, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life" and the same Simon Peter was the one who denied Christ three times. And in today's gospel we see how Simon Peter expresses his threefold love for Christ. Then happens the second calling. After His confesison, Christ askes to follow Him.
Conclusion: It's human nature to go away from the Lord and it's our human nature to fall into the same sin again and again and it's our human nutre to doubt and question our faith but at the same time, when we come back, Christ will never abandon us. Instead He will love us more and more. So let us celebrate the resurrection of Christ...and celebrate our life in the risen Christ. Alleluia.
Good evening/morning every one, I am so happy to see you all and I come from the best church in Lakefield called St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Once a woman died and as she was entering into heaven, the angel that was standing at the door said, "Before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word". She said, "what word". The angel said, "Spell love". she said, "L...o..v...e". Then the angel said, "You may enter into heaven now... and by the way, I am going to have a break, why don't you stand at the door and if anyone comes just ask to spell a simple word and let the person in.." Thus she was standing at the door. Imagine who came to heaven, her ex-husband. she looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?' He said, "I took a heart attack and here I am. Am I in heaven?" She said, "Not yet my ex-husband, not yet... you suppose to spell a word before entering into heaven". He said, "what word?" She looked at him and said, "Spell Czechoslovakia".
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
1. When Mary Magdalen saw the empty tomb, she was so confused and began to cry. What happened while she was crying? As she was crying, Jesus the Only Son of God Himself apeared to her and said, " woman, why are you crying? and whom are you looking for? she, thinking he was a gardener, said, "Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have laid him and I will go and take him with me". Then the risen Christ called her by name saying, "Mary". Then only she recognized the risen Christ. Jesus the Lord appeared to her while whe was in pain and loney. Christ the Lord appeared to her while she was grieving and was struggling to cope with suffering.
When we grieve of losing someone dear to us, we might think that we are alone and God abandoned us. But the risen Christ never leaves any of His Children alone. He comes us to in an unexpected time to console and comfort us. As children of God, we will never be alone and He is always with us.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
2. The another resurrection story is about the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. While they were travelling, they looked sad and were suffering, because the Jesus in whome they put all their trust and hope was gone. While they were travelling, Jesus Himself joined them and explained everything about Himself beginning from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Then they recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread and as Jesus vanished from their sight, they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us" "Were not our faith increasing while He explained the Scriputres to us".
when we are saddened and are struggling with our faith, we will never be left unanswered, the risen Christ will definately join us and thus increase our faith in Him. When we question our faith, doubt our spiritual practices, we will never be left alone but Christ will inspire us through His words and make us stronger.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
3. Last weekend, we heard the story of the apostles hiding behind locked doors for the fear of authority and we also heard about Thomas saying, "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nail and my hand in his side, I will not believe" When Christ appeared and gave them all divine peace and said to Thomas, "Do not dout but believe and continued saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe".
And in today's gospel, we see the second calling of Simon Peter whom Christ called him at the sea of Galilee saying, "Come and follow me". He immediately left everything behind and followed our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ gave him a new name peter and made him His apostle. When Christ asked His disciples at Ceasarea Philipi who they were saying Christ was, Simon Peter was the one who said, "Jesus, you are the Messiah, the Only Son of God". When many of His followers left Him because he said his flesh was the real food and His blood was the true drink, Jesus asked his disciples whether they also wished to go away from Him and that time Simon Peter was the one who came forwared and said, "Jesus, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life" and the same Simon Peter was the one who denied Christ three times. And in today's gospel we see how Simon Peter expresses his threefold love for Christ. Then happens the second calling. After His confesison, Christ askes to follow Him.
Conclusion: It's human nature to go away from the Lord and it's our human nature to fall into the same sin again and again and it's our human nutre to doubt and question our faith but at the same time, when we come back, Christ will never abandon us. Instead He will love us more and more. So let us celebrate the resurrection of Christ...and celebrate our life in the risen Christ. Alleluia.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Divine Mercy Sunday
Divine Mercy Sunday
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the solemn feast of the divine mercy called divine mercy Sunday. Dear friends, every time we come to Church, we celebrate divine mercy, we are given divine mercy to continue our mission of preaching the Good News of our Risen Christ to all and every time we come to Church, we are called to share divine mercy with our brothers and sisters in need.
Once there was a servant who used to bring fresh fruits to the king every morning. The king enjoyed the fresh fruits and one day, the king was in a very bad mood. As the servant brought some fresh black berries, he tasted it and did not like it so he vented his anger by throwing the berries on his face. Then the servant bowed before the king and said, “God is merciful”. The king looked at him and said, ‘why do you say God is merciful?’ The servant said because this morning I thought of bringing you pineapple but I changed my mind for that I am saying that God is merciful.
Once a mother sought from King Napoleon pardon of her son. But the king said that it was the man’s second offence and justice demanded his death. She then looked at him and said, “I am here not for justice but for mercy. The king said, he does not deserve mercy. She then said it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all I ask. Then the king looked at her and said, “Then I have mercy for your son”.
Dear friends, we do not need justice from our God but mercy and compassion. Our God is full of mercy and compassion and that is why He sent His only Son Christ to us all. Today we celebrate divine mercy Sunday. Pope John Paul the second blessed the second Sunday of Easter as divine mercy Sunday. As we all know the story of Sister Faustina to whom Jesus our Lord appeared and asked her to let the world know how much he loves us and has compassion for us all. This private apparition and revelation does not reveal some thing new to the world but instead give us reassurance of God’s mercy and compassion for the world.
This divine mercy we are going to recall three importance things such as Ask trust and share. Yes, we are called to ask God for his mercy and compassion without any hesitation. Jesus promises that those who ask will receive not thirty or sixty but hundred fold of love, kindness and mercy. To those who ask the gift of the Holy Spirit is given. Let our prayer of thanksgiving and spiritual celebration becomes a form of asking God our father.
The divine mercy Sunday also invites us to trust in the mercy of god our father. Yes, every time people came to Christ for healing, all He asked them was, “ do you have faith? Or do you believe and trust and when they said, “Yes” lord we trust in you and Christ said, your faith has healed you, go in peace. Let us trust in God and celebrate as though we have received it already.
To remember the whole celebration of Divine Mercy, let us keep in mind an acronym — F.I.N.C.H.
F — The Feast of Divine Mercy, or the Second Sunday of Easter. The divine flood gates through which all graces flow are open on that day. On that day the Good Shepherd goes after us with love and mercy. The promises of Divine Mercy Sunday are real. On that day we should pray with boldness for the deepest intention of our hearts. The grace of Divine Mercy Sunday cleanses our souls completely of all sin and the punishment due to those sins.
I — The Image. At Jesus' command, St. Faustina had an image painted to remind us that God wants to forgive us. Jesus wanted at the bottom of the image the signature "Jesus, I trust in you." If we trust, He will do the rest. Jesus promised special graces for those who spend time before this image.
N — The Novena helps us prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day for nine days we bring a specific group of people before the mercy of God. The novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Holy Saturday. However, it can be prayed anytime.
C — The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is a short but powerful prayer to the Father that Jesus taught to St. Faustina when she was praying for Poland. It looked like Poland was about to be destroyed by the angel of wrath because of Poland's sins. Saint Faustina's prayers seemed fruitless. She heard in her soul the words of the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy. When she began to pray that prayer, the angel of wrath was powerless. We must pray the Chaplet for mercy and conversion for our country and the whole world.
Father Michael noted Jesus' message to St. Faustina that if you pray the Chaplet at the bedside of the dying, He will give them the grace of salvation. At the end of their life, I come to them not as a Just Judge but as a Merciful Savior. Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for the dying, since the salvation of some souls was dependent on her prayers.
H — The Hour of Mercy from 3to 4 p.m. daily, commemorating the death of Jesus, is like a mini-Divine Mercy Sunday. If possible, we are asked to do at least one of these three things:
1. Pray the Stations of the Cross
2. Try to visit Jesus in the chapel
3. Remember Jesus in His abandonment on the cross
Jesus wants us to remember the 3 o'clock hour every day. One of the most important ways to receive God's mercy is to trust in His mercy and be willing to give that mercy to others.
And the divine mercy Sunday invites us to share the divine mercy with others. The whole of Christianity is based on serving others. Dear friends, our loving saviour will judge us on how we served and helped others. Any thing we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to the Lord. So let us celebrate divine mercy and recall the goodness of the Lord. Amen.
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the solemn feast of the divine mercy called divine mercy Sunday. Dear friends, every time we come to Church, we celebrate divine mercy, we are given divine mercy to continue our mission of preaching the Good News of our Risen Christ to all and every time we come to Church, we are called to share divine mercy with our brothers and sisters in need.
Once there was a servant who used to bring fresh fruits to the king every morning. The king enjoyed the fresh fruits and one day, the king was in a very bad mood. As the servant brought some fresh black berries, he tasted it and did not like it so he vented his anger by throwing the berries on his face. Then the servant bowed before the king and said, “God is merciful”. The king looked at him and said, ‘why do you say God is merciful?’ The servant said because this morning I thought of bringing you pineapple but I changed my mind for that I am saying that God is merciful.
Once a mother sought from King Napoleon pardon of her son. But the king said that it was the man’s second offence and justice demanded his death. She then looked at him and said, “I am here not for justice but for mercy. The king said, he does not deserve mercy. She then said it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all I ask. Then the king looked at her and said, “Then I have mercy for your son”.
Dear friends, we do not need justice from our God but mercy and compassion. Our God is full of mercy and compassion and that is why He sent His only Son Christ to us all. Today we celebrate divine mercy Sunday. Pope John Paul the second blessed the second Sunday of Easter as divine mercy Sunday. As we all know the story of Sister Faustina to whom Jesus our Lord appeared and asked her to let the world know how much he loves us and has compassion for us all. This private apparition and revelation does not reveal some thing new to the world but instead give us reassurance of God’s mercy and compassion for the world.
This divine mercy we are going to recall three importance things such as Ask trust and share. Yes, we are called to ask God for his mercy and compassion without any hesitation. Jesus promises that those who ask will receive not thirty or sixty but hundred fold of love, kindness and mercy. To those who ask the gift of the Holy Spirit is given. Let our prayer of thanksgiving and spiritual celebration becomes a form of asking God our father.
The divine mercy Sunday also invites us to trust in the mercy of god our father. Yes, every time people came to Christ for healing, all He asked them was, “ do you have faith? Or do you believe and trust and when they said, “Yes” lord we trust in you and Christ said, your faith has healed you, go in peace. Let us trust in God and celebrate as though we have received it already.
To remember the whole celebration of Divine Mercy, let us keep in mind an acronym — F.I.N.C.H.
F — The Feast of Divine Mercy, or the Second Sunday of Easter. The divine flood gates through which all graces flow are open on that day. On that day the Good Shepherd goes after us with love and mercy. The promises of Divine Mercy Sunday are real. On that day we should pray with boldness for the deepest intention of our hearts. The grace of Divine Mercy Sunday cleanses our souls completely of all sin and the punishment due to those sins.
I — The Image. At Jesus' command, St. Faustina had an image painted to remind us that God wants to forgive us. Jesus wanted at the bottom of the image the signature "Jesus, I trust in you." If we trust, He will do the rest. Jesus promised special graces for those who spend time before this image.
N — The Novena helps us prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day for nine days we bring a specific group of people before the mercy of God. The novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Holy Saturday. However, it can be prayed anytime.
C — The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is a short but powerful prayer to the Father that Jesus taught to St. Faustina when she was praying for Poland. It looked like Poland was about to be destroyed by the angel of wrath because of Poland's sins. Saint Faustina's prayers seemed fruitless. She heard in her soul the words of the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy. When she began to pray that prayer, the angel of wrath was powerless. We must pray the Chaplet for mercy and conversion for our country and the whole world.
Father Michael noted Jesus' message to St. Faustina that if you pray the Chaplet at the bedside of the dying, He will give them the grace of salvation. At the end of their life, I come to them not as a Just Judge but as a Merciful Savior. Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for the dying, since the salvation of some souls was dependent on her prayers.
H — The Hour of Mercy from 3to 4 p.m. daily, commemorating the death of Jesus, is like a mini-Divine Mercy Sunday. If possible, we are asked to do at least one of these three things:
1. Pray the Stations of the Cross
2. Try to visit Jesus in the chapel
3. Remember Jesus in His abandonment on the cross
Jesus wants us to remember the 3 o'clock hour every day. One of the most important ways to receive God's mercy is to trust in His mercy and be willing to give that mercy to others.
And the divine mercy Sunday invites us to share the divine mercy with others. The whole of Christianity is based on serving others. Dear friends, our loving saviour will judge us on how we served and helped others. Any thing we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to the Lord. So let us celebrate divine mercy and recall the goodness of the Lord. Amen.
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