The Joy of Married Love

The Joy of Married Love

An Overview

 

By Lorraine Vincent

November 26, 2018

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This year our Holy Catholic Church celebrates the 50th anniversary of the encyclical, Humanae Vitae, on the Regulation of Birth, by Pope Paul VI. To honour this anniversary our Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued a document in July called, The Joy of Married Love. To make this year even more special, Blessed Paul VI was canonized on October 14; and now Saint Paul VI officially joins all our Saints in Heaven.

The CCCB’s document, The Joy of Married Love, is about Humanae Vitae, is joyfully written and is addressed to all the faithful. All Catholics are encouraged to read it. It is short and easy to read. It can be obtained on a computer by typing the title on Google; and then it may be printed.

The Joy of Married Love reminds us that all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God. And Christ in His infinite love for us, gave us the Sacrament of Marriage to reflect God’s love in the world, and bring forth new life. Through prayer, the Holy Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, spouses receive the graces necessary to grow in love through life’s everyday challenges.

Regarding Christian marriage, Ephesians 5:25,28,31 states, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her … husbands should love their wives as their own bodies … For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”. Consider that in divine love, Christ died on the Cross, offering His Body and Blood for us. Therefore in union with Christ, married couples, as part of the Body of Christ, can make the complete gift of self to each other, including the most intimate expression of marriage.

Every sexual act in marriage is meant to express faithful love to each other while being always open to new life. “Married love is called to be a reflection of God’s fruit­ful love” (The Joy of Married Love). God wants us to cooperate with Him. When God grants a couple the conception of a baby, God instills a soul into this new little human being. At the same time, we produce the flesh. It’s a joint effort!

The Joy of Married Love teaches us the “Truth” as written in Humanae Vitae, and encourages us to read, study and meditate on Saint Paul VI’s encyclical. He predicted the rampant lustful relationships in today’s society, if artificial contraception should be allowed and encouraged. In these cases sexual acts “misdirect our search for love and make it harder for us to find true and enduring love” (The Joy of Married Love, also see Humanae Vitae, n. 12, 14).

Now, we see that today’s society is even worse than what Saint Paul VI predicted 50 years ago. Many couples reject the Sacrament of Matrimony, and live together out of wedlock. Also, Pro-Life is being challenged by the Culture of Death, in the murder of millions of unborn babies in abortions, and the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Some people are homosexual, and are living in same-sex relations. We hear about the promotion of transgender ideas in schools, where little children are encouraged to decide whether they want to be a boy or a girl. Also, an elementary school program in Canada, teaches oral and anal sex methods of intercourse with diagrams. Shocking, and yet true—all this in opposition to the plan of God.

The Magisterium of our Church teaches us the “Truth” for the good of our souls, as we read in the encyclical, Humanae Vitae and our Bishops’ document, The Joy of Married Love. “Thus, the Church’s teaching is not aimed at repressing our sexual desires or ensuring that each of us ends up living frustrated and boring lives. In fact, the opposite is true. Our Church shows us that marriage is the place where sexuality can be fully experienced and lived out” (The Joy of Married Love).

Some married couples experience infertility, and “have adopted fertility awareness-based methods for overcoming infertility and for responsible family planning. Because these methods do not change the language of sexual intercourse in any way, they can help couples grow more deeply in love with each other and with God” (The Joy of Married Love).

Every sexual act in marriage must be open to new life. Some parents, who have many children, wish to space their children to suit their needs. There are family planning methods available to help them. “Based on modern scientific knowledge of fertil­ity, these methods are also known as natural family planning. They allow parents to plan their family in a way which fully respects their love and their dignity” (The Joy of Married Love).

“If therefore there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external circumstances, the Church teaches that married people may then take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile, thus controlling birth in a way which does not in the least offend the moral principles” (Humanæ Vitæ, n. 16).

When children are born, married love requires of the husband and wife responsible parenthood, and recognition of their duties towards God, themselves, their families and society. “May all mar­ried couples, in faithfulness to the grace of their baptism and marriage vows, live and experience the joy of married love as taught in Humanæ Vitæ and thus be signs of God’s loving presence in the world” (The Joy of Married Love).

 

 

The Most Powerful Prayer

The Most Powerful Prayer

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

By Lorraine Vincent

June 7, 2018

 

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Why Pray?

In our busy lives full of so many things to do, we should give top priority to prayer. Prayer unites us to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “To pray ‘Jesus’ [which means ‘Yahweh Saves’] is to invoke Him and to call Him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC, 2666). Our Holy Catholic Church encourages us to have a personal relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ. Daily prayer will help us to deepen our faith, fight against our short-comings and learn how to do His will. Jesus said, You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Even in our most difficult trials, while accepting and loving our crosses, as we lay praying in silence, sick and dying, we can be united with Him and He will give us hope and peace of heart. Jesus is the “Prince of Peace”.

Prayer is a powerful weapon against the evils of this world. The accumulation of SINS in the world enables the devil to do more damage. The accumulation of PRAYER in the world enables the Holy Spirit to inspire more souls to repentance and conversion. Our prayer opens our hearts and other people’s hearts to God’s graces, giving us consolation and heavenly light. We can help save souls by offering up our cross, our suffering, trials and pain, in union with the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross. We can help melt hearts of stone. The sanctity or the fall of each individual soul has an effect upon the whole Church. When enough of us become saints following Jesus, then the problems of the world will be overcome.

The Most Powerful Prayer!

Jesus gave us the most powerful prayer—the Holy “Sacrifice” of the Mass! The saving power of the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the Cross is made present at every Holy Mass. During the Mass, silently in our hearts, we can offer each Holy Mass for souls whom we hold dear, in union with the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross. This is powerful because Jesus offers Himself, along with our intentions, to His Father, His Body and every drop of His Blood for us! Holy Mass should be the center of our prayer lives. The highlight of the Mass is when we receive the living Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and are united with Him. I recommend studying our Catechism which teaches us about the Holy Eucharist, particularly numbers 1324, 1329, 1330, 1341, 1348, 1358, 1360, 1368, 1374, 1380 and 1381.

The Parts of the Mass

Introductory Rites

  1. In silence before Holy Mass begins we must prepare ourselves to participate in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist and pray to be open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The priest celebrant will be carrying out the acts of Jesus Christ Himself that Jesus executed and entrusted to the Apostles at the Last Supper.
  2. Entrance Hymn, Procession and the Greeting – The presence of Christ is represented in His ministers with different vestments, according to the Liturgical Calendar. The Greeting is proclaimed by the priest.
  3. Penitential Act – We acknowledge our sins, with humility and with the spirit of conversion in our hearts, asking God to have mercy on us and to forgive us.
  4. Glory to God – This is an exuberant, cheerful, praise of God showing our love for God, that we want to be transformed by the Holy Trinity and that we trust in Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for our salvation.
  5. Collect – Then the priest reads the Opening Prayer or Collect that is appropriate for that day.

Liturgy of the Word

  1. Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son, is the “Word”.
  2. The written Word of Scripture – We meditate on God’s messages in the Liturgy that we hear in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, that is, the Old Testament as interpreted through the person and life of Jesus, and the New Testament of Christ as a fulfillment of the Old Testament and the history of Israel. That is why we respond, “Thanks be to God” and “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.”
  3. The proclamation of the Gospel, read by the priest, is the climax of the Liturgy of the Word.
  4. The Homily – The priest or deacon guides the faithful to discover the meaning of the Word of God and how it applies to their daily lives.
  5. The Creed, the Profession of Faith
  6. Prayer of the Faithful – This is an expression of the faithful, with petitions, our needs and our responsibilities for ourselves and the world.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Offertory

  1. Preparation of the Gifts – The bread and wine are placed on the altar.
  2. Prayer over the Gifts – The Celebrant offers and gives thanks for the bread and wine which will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Then a small jar of water is handed to the priest. He carefully pours one drop of water into the wine. This drop of water represents us and we become part of the wine. This is an important time to offer ourselves to Jesus, our whole life—all our cares and worries and all our good intentions as we try to do His will. The priest prays quietly, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”
  3. The Preface – The priest proclaims this prayer of thanksgiving and praise to our Triune God.
  4. Holy Holy – The Preface concludes with the “Holy Holy” as we unite our voices with the Angels and the Saints who sing unceasingly. We become united to the entire heavenly Church, which reminds us that the Liturgy on Earth is a participation in the Liturgy of Heaven. This is a Divine Act in which the Lord makes each one of us take part.

Eucharistic Prayer

  1. We Offer the Gifts  Together with the priest, we offer the gifts of bread and wine to God our Father and ask Him: “make holy these gifts we have brought to You for consecration; that they may become the Body and Blood of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.” We offer these gifts for the Church, our Pope, the Bishops, all who are gathered here, and all the faithful, that we may hold fast to the True faith. We offer You, Father, this Sacrifice of praise for the redemption of their souls, in hope of health and well-being, in communion with Mary, Joseph, the Apostles and all the Saints.
  2. The Consecration takes place, by an act of the Holy Spirit as the priest repeats the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “This is My Body… This is My Blood… Do this in memory of Me.” The bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The Sacrifice and death of Jesus on the Cross is made present. Jesus offers all of us in union with His Sacrifice to the Father, in atonement for our sins, and the sins of the whole world. At this moment we are united with the Church in Heaven with all the Saints. In this way Jesus, our Saviour, reconciles all humanity to the Father. As a result, the closed gates of Heaven are now open to receive us.
  3. Post Consecration – The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus are now proclaimed. This is a time of reflection on the nourishing presence of Christ in our lives.
  4. The Memorial – The Sacrifice continues. In a memorial we call to mind Jesus’ death and Resurrection. This Act of Love took place in the past, but God who is eternally present, truly makes present this event in the Eucharistic Celebration. In thanksgiving for our salvation we recall our offering to the Father of this spotless Victim, “this holy and living Sacrifice … by whose death You willed to reconcile us to Yourself”.

The Petitions – The Church assembly unites itself with the entire Universal Church. May this Sacrifice of our reconciliation, we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world.” We ask our heavenly Father to remember all of us, your servants. We come to Calvary with our sorrows, with our sins, with our failures, our spiritual ambitions and our simple attempts at love, and unite them to the Sacrifice of Christ. We pray for the living and the dead, and all who are dear to us. “May all who have gone before us with the sign of faith attain fellowship with Your holy Apostles and Martyrs.”

Final Doxology – The Eucharistic Prayer ends with the final doxology: our praise to God the Father, through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. We express our participation in the Lord’s Sacrifice, which has been celebrated and which has been offered to the Father for us

Communion Rite

The Lord’s Prayer

We pray the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer to Our Father that Jesus gave us, which includes love of God, adoration, petition and expiation. We pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. We can forgive others by praying for the good of their souls and offering Masses for them.

Sign of Peace

The Sign of Peace opens with the words of Jesus, “My peace I leave you, My peace I give you.” The priest says, “The peace of the Lord be with you always. Let us offer each other a sign of peace.” We are called to see Christ in each other and live His new Commandment, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” Jesus is Love! May we become what He is and be changed into love. In the hymn, “Lamb of God” we hear how much Jesus loves us. We hope to become like Him and we pray for forgiveness and for peace, in order to stand worthy in His presence.

The Breaking of the Bread and the Elevation

This is an element of the Last Supper, representing Jesus Who offered His life on the Cross, that is, Jesus broken and elevated on the Cross. The priest proclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God”. We kneel and adore Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Also this gesture of the Breaking of the Bread is what allowed the disciples from Emmaus to recognize Jesus, the Risen Lord. The faithful are invited to the banquet: “Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” The people pray, “Lord I am not worthy …”

Reception of Holy Communion

At this time the faithful, who have no mortal sin on their soul, come forward to receive Holy Communion. It is the Father’s will that all mankind be saved. When we receive Holy Communion, we are receiving the “living” Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the Consecrated Host. It is Christ Himself in all His humanity and all His divinity. He offers Himself as a gift to us, as food for our journey. The more we believe, the more graces we receive. With each Holy Communion we can draw closer and closer to Jesus. He will transform us even if it takes a couple of years. He lifts us up to Himself so that we may become what He is and He is “Love”! He was kind to sinners who hated Him and prayed to the Father that their souls may be saved. We can pray for souls, too. When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion we become part of His Mystical Body which is the Church. It is also a participation in the Heavenly Banquet. It is a pledge given to us by Our Lord to be One with Him forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. After we have returned to our pews, let us not forget to pray silently and tell Jesus how much we love Him and thank Him for all that He is doing for us. Jesus is our Best Friend.

Concluding Rite

Prayer after Communion The priest recites the Prayer after Communion. Then he dismisses the faithful and gives the final blessing, making the Sign of the Cross and calling upon Jesus. Thus, through the priest representing Jesus, the Lord blesses the people of God gathered together in the Eucharistic Celebration of the Holy “Sacrifice” of the Mass. Lastly, the priest dismisses the people so that each one may return to their good works, praising and blessing God.

 

 

The New Age Movement

The New Age Movement

A Non-Christian Trend

March 17, 2018

By Lorraine Vincent

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 In our Western society, people are becoming interested in some aspects of Eastern religion. Christians are adopting methods of prayer, practices and techniques that are not Christian, that come from ancient Hindu and Buddhist religions which date back 5,000 years. It is called the New Age Movement. It started to become popular in the 1960’s.

New Age Document

To guide us in the Truth, St. John Paul II published a document on New Age on February 3, 2003. It is called Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, A Christian reflection on the “New Age. This comprehensive work quotes classic New Age writings, discusses common points in the New Age Movement, and presents a comparison between New Age spirituality and Christian spirituality. In the following pages I quoted some sentences from this document and highlighted some words to emphasize certain points.

This document states in Section 2.5, “New Age has become immensely popular as a loose set of beliefs, therapies and practices, which are often selected and combined at will … What is offered is often described as simply ‘spiritual’, rather than belonging to any religion, but there are much closer links to particular Eastern religions than many ‘consumers’ realize.” I was one of these ‘consumers’.

My Testimony

In the 1960’s I did not realize that my belief in my Catholic faith had gown weak. I was very naïve. I played the Ouija Board game once which was a scary experience. I found out later that I was communicating with a demon spirit in this dangerous occult game; and all the answers to my questions that I received, turned out to be lies.    We have to be careful not to consult the Evil One. Unfortunately, one thing tends to lead to another. Not good. The devil makes evil appear interesting and good. So I continued to experiment in different practices, not knowing that they were New Age. I became interested in New Age exercises and meditations. I was enticed into Transcendental Meditation (similar to Centering Prayer). I was given a mantra, a few words in a language foreign to me. It involved repeating this mantra daily for 20 minutes. I didn’t know that it was a mind emptying technique that opened me to an evil spirit. After several months of this, I began to feel uneasy and stopped that kind of meditation.

Meanwhile I had an accident and tore my back muscles.  In terrible pain and unable to bend my back, I continued to delve deeper into the New Age. Seeking a healing, I tried some holistic health practices: acupuncture, homeopathy and iridology for years. I spent about $300 a month on all this with no relief from pain and no healing. Finally years later, I went back to my original family medical physician, prayed to our one True God, received conventional medical science injections (not New Age) in my torn muscles and within a couple of days the pain was completely gone! My muscles are no longer torn.

After the Vatican’s New Age document was published in 2003, I studied it thoroughly and did a lot of research. As the years went by, I also studied our Catechism of the Catholic Church, (CCC), and read many Catholic Church documents, growing in our Catholic faith. I found out that my mantra in Transcendental Meditation was the name of a god worshipped in India. I was shocked! I did not want to pray to a foreign god or evil spirit. Then I began to write articles on the dangers of this New Age Movement, to try to help people who are searching for the Truth, not to fall into these evil practices.

Fallen Angels

It’s important to understand the Truth about the gods and spirits that we hear about in our New Age society. First of all, there are only good spirits or bad spirits. The good spirits are angels and the bad spirits (called gods) are demons. These gods/bad spirits are really the fallen angels who were cast out of Heaven by God along with their leader, Lucifer. In the beginning, when all the angels were in Heaven and worshipped God, their Creator, they were beautiful, and Lucifer was the most beautiful of all. But when Lucifer and 1/3 of all the angels rebelled against God and refused to obey and worship Him, they were cast down to earth and into Hell. God took away their angelic beauty and they became ugly evil spirits whom we call demons. Lucifer their leader became the ugliest and is now called Satan, the devil, the Evil One. They hate God; and because God created mankind and loves us, they hate us. They are wicked and devious, and try to trick people into thinking that they are nice and kind gods. Their intention is to lead us away from our loving Almighty God and our future happiness with Him in Heaven; and instead bring us down to Hell with them. They can be successful, so we must be on guard not to be led astray. We must not compromise with the devil and his demons or we will build a relationship with evil. We must reject these false gods and turn back to our one True God. God said in His First Commandment in Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (also see CCC 2084, Mt 4:10).

A Loose Set of Beliefs, Therapies and Practices

The New Age Movement is a loose set of beliefs, therapies and practices taken from the ancient Hindu and Buddhist religions which date back 5,000 years. Our society portrays these beliefs, therapies and practices as good, and most people are not aware that they come from various aspects of Hindu and Buddhist religions. Our Holy Catholic Church comes to our aid. The wonderful document on the “New Age” by St. John Paul II points out what is spiritually harmful to us and what we should avoid. I recommend that everyone read this document. It can be downloaded off your computer by typing the whole title on “Google”. The following is a brief overview of the document.

What does New Age say about God?

New Age spirituality does not believe in our God, the devil, sin or Hell. Therefore, New Agers cannot condemn anyone and nobody needs forgiveness. The Vatican’s document in Section 2.3.4.2. states: “There is talk of God, but it is not a personal God; the god of which New Age speaks is neither personal nor transcendent. Nor is it the Creator and sustainer of the universe, but an ‘impersonal energy’ immanent in the world, with which it forms a ‘cosmic unity’”.  Section 3.1. New Age as spirituality: New Agers believe, “Jesus of Nazareth is not God, but one of the many historical manifestations of the cosmic and universal Christ.” They pray to the universe and use a mind emptying technique to achieve ever greater harmony between the self and divine cosmic energy. Some New Agers think that they are Christian. But if they pray to the universe and exhibit the general New Age vocabulary and way of thinking, they are not Christian.

Reincarnation

The belief in reincarnation comes from the Hindu and Buddhist religions in India. They believe that they will have many lives; and with each new life they will get closer and closer to eventually becoming gods in the divine cosmic energy in the universe. They believe that doing a charitable work for someone damages their chakra system (personal power to connect to their deepest source of spirituality) and inhibits their cosmic energy in their next life. That is why Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, picked up dying people in ditches covered with sores and worms. Their own people would not help them, and the dying understood this and accepted their situation. I read that when St. Mother Teresa was cleaning the wounds and picking out the worms in an elderly man’s body, he looked up at her in amazement, wondering why she was doing this for him. It is sad to see that these people were opening themselves up to demon spirits who were influencing their minds and souls.

Section “2.3.4.3. What does New Age say about the world?”

“[T]he concept of matter as waves or energy rather than particles, is central to much New Age thinking. The universe is an ocean of energy … the universe is ‘spirit’ … the world itself is divine and it undergoes an evolutionary process which lead from inert matter to higher and perfect consciousness. … God and the world, soul and body, intelligence and feeling, heaven and earth are one immense vibration of energy.”

Ecological Spirituality is New Age, similar to pantheism. These New Agers worship nature. They believe that nature, the earth, is a living being, sacred, intelligent, with feelings and emotions. There are religious orders of sisters, Sisters of Earth and green sisters, in the U.S.A. and Canada, who promote this belief. The green sisters’ core principle is that, “God and the cosmos are fused” and our planet is holy. Some green sisters in Canada believe that animals are divine and intelligent with feelings; so they tell people not to eat fish or animals. People of this Spiritual Ecology might believe they are Catholic, but their beliefs are not.

Section “2.2.3. Health”—Suffering and Illness—Holistic Health Practices

Our weak human nature tends to abhor suffering. When we become ill, it is natural that we want to be made well. God can and does heal us. However, if the will of God is contrary to what we want, and we want what we want right now, we can be enticed to turn to the power of other spirits, evil spirits, for healing. We forget that our Church teaches us about redemptive suffering—how we can offer our sufferings in prayer to Jesus for the good of souls. New Age thinkers believe that suffering and illness is an imbalance in the body’s energies, and needs to be fixed. They stress ‘the self’ and their need for happiness, health and success. They aspire to heal themselves, ‘balance’ their chakra system, and get in touch with their inner or cosmic energy. Salvation is within themselves (self-salvation), and can be attained by mastering psycho-physical techniques which lead to definitive enlightenment.

The Vatican’s document states, “Alternative therapies have gained enormously in popularity because they claim to look at the whole person and are about healing rather than curing. Holistic health, as it is known concentrates on the important role that the mind plays in physical healing. The connection between the spiritual and the physical aspects of the person is said to be in the immune system or the Indian chakra system. In a New Age perspective, illness and suffering come from working against nature; when one is in tune with nature, one can expect a much healthier life… Developing our human potential will put us in touch with our inner divinity, and with those parts of our selves which have been alienated and suppressed. This is revealed above all in Altered States of Consciousness, which are induced either by drugs or by various mind-expanding techniques, particularly in the context of ‘transpersonal psychology’. The shaman is often seen as the specialist of altered states of consciousness, one who is able to mediate between the transpersonal realms of spirits and gods and the world of humans. … The source of healing is said to be within ourselves, something we reach when we are in touch with our inner energy or cosmic energy.

New Age health clinics provide a variety of holistic health practices. They offer healing techniques and practices that have no connection with medical science. The world-renowned Mayo Clinic in the U.S.A. will confirm this. They stated, “Conventional medicine values therapies that have been demonstrated through research and testing to be safe and effective.” The Mayo Clinic is uncertain of combining medical science with New Age techniques, as not enough research has been done so far. Therefore, it is wise to avoid acupuncture, psychic healing, healing by crystals, metals, music or colours, reincarnation therapies, biofeedback, kinesiology, homeopathy, iridology, and bodywork such as therapeutic touch and reiki. Yoga is another practice to avoid. Practitioners command the powers of evil spirits to enter our bodies through the needles of acupuncture, through their hands, or through the other things mentioned above.

Regarding health clinics: the only exceptions that I know of, are some massage or chiropractor clinics. Some are good and only use medical science to help relieve our aches and pains. But some use New Age methods. I suggest that when you visit a massage therapist or chiropractor ask whether they use New Age healing techniques or not. Ask politely and they will tell you. I have done this. If they do use New Age techniques, leave.

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is a New Age practice and is similar to Transcendental Meditation. They are both mind-emptying techniques. The idea is to mentally go to the center of your being and erase all thoughts and feelings, even the most devout thoughts, and reach a mental void, while repeating a mantra for 20 minutes. These are techniques that lead to an altered level of consciousness, and open us to an evil spirit. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) comes from the teaching authority of the Church. It warns us about such prayer. CCC 2726 and 2727 state, “[W]e must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures (e.g. Yoga).  …  Christian prayer is neither an escape from reality nor a divorce from life.”

Christian prayer can be verbal or a meditation which involves the mind and heart, thinking about the teachings of our God to help us discern how to improve our lives. We can pray the “Our Father” that Jesus taught us. We can read and meditate on Holy Scripture. The Holy Rosary is based on Holy Scripture. We can pray to the Mother of God for assistance. CCC 971 states, “Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an epitome of the whole Gospel, express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.” Our Catholic Church has given us countless numbers of saints whom we can pray to for help. We can read the lives of the saints to help us in our journey through life. We can pray for the dead. CCC 958 states, “[I]t is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead … Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.”

Occult Practices

Occult practices date back thousands of years before Christ. There are many Old Testament statements warning the Jews about them, such as in Lev. 19:31 and Lev. 20:6. God said, “Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.” Unfortunately many occult practices are popular today. People think working with and talking to the devil and his demons is fun and interesting. They want to know the future using horoscopes, fortune telling, crystal balls, palm reading, tea cup reading and automatic writing. People go to mediums who contact demons in order to use their power for divination, necromancy, séances, trance-speaking, clairvoyance, table lifting, and levitation, just to name a few. Séances are popular for people who want to talk to deceased relatives (who are really demons disguised as relatives). We find another example of demons speaking through people in Jer. 29:8, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream, for it is a lie which they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD.” Other occult practices are the use of charms, crystals, pendulums and hypnosis; also, magic, sorcery, witchcraft (good witches do not exist), and wizardry (such as Harry Potter) to use hexes and curses to influence people, places or things. You can read the words of Moses in Deut. 18:10-12 that mention quite a number of these occult practices. Some people are attracted to occult games, such as tarot cards, Ouija Board, and Dungeons and Dragons that involve demons. Of course, all these occult practices are very dangerous and can lead to demonic obsession or possession. Also, satanic books, movies and satanic rock music are to be avoided. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2116, 2117 is very helpful and goes into detail explaining all this. Please read it.

What is the solution? How do we turn back to God?

Once we have fallen into the mortal sins of contacting or seeking out evil spirits, it is difficult to break free. But everything is possible with God. Our Holy Catholic Church, given to us by Jesus 2,000 years ago, is our guide. We must burn the tarot cards, Ouija Board games, the horoscopes, books and movies; and wash the crystals and charms with holy water and throw them out. Also, we must return to praying daily, talking to Jesus, praying the Holy Rosary, reading the Holy Bible and going to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. However, we cannot receive the Holy Eucharist at Mass until we have made an appointment with a Catholic priest for spiritual direction and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we confess absolutely everything we did, with total regret and firm resolve to quit. We will then be strengthened by God’s grace, and when we go to Mass we can receive the Holy Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ!

If we fall into mortal sin again, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to cleanse our souls again. Life is a struggle, our earthly journey continues. To help us, Jesus gave us His Most Holy Virgin Mother Mary. God also gave each of us a guardian angel to protect us from danger and to give us the proper suggestions at the right moments. Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist (now retired) said, that if we hear someone cursing, we should repeat in our mind, “Jesus, I love You,” or “Blessed be Jesus” in reparation; as it is an effective retort against the devil. To turn back to God requires effort on our part. Remember we have free will to choose—to draw closer to God, or slide back into bad habits. With courage and zeal we must strive to be good in thought, word and deed. We are to obey and worship our loving and merciful God. Then Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will fill us with His peace if we keep our eyes fixed on our glorious destiny—to be with Him forever in Heaven in total joy and love!

References:

1. Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, A Christian reflection on the “New Age” by St. John Paul II, February 3, 2003

2. The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version / Catholic Edition

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church

4.  An Exorcist Explains the Demonic, The Antics of Satan and His Army of Fallen Angels by Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist

5. Mayo Clinic in the U.S.A., Research on Alternative Medicine

6. Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent website

7.  Green Sisters: A Spiritual Ecology by Sarah McFarland Taylor, Harvard University Press

 

 

How Can I Forgive

How Can I Forgive?

September 6, 2017

By Lorraine Vincent

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It’s difficult to forgive. But Jesus commanded us to forgive. He insisted. One day, Peter, puzzled by His words, asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?” [Then Peter thought he would make a very generous offer to forgive and asked,] “Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21, 22). Peter must have been shocked!

Why must I forgive?

In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray to God our Father: “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Jesus explains, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14). Tough words! We see that our lack of forgiveness prevents God from forgiving us. His mercy cannot penetrate a hardened unforgiving heart. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC, 2840, states, “In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father’s merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to His grace”.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

In our Catholic Church we are blessed to be able to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we are angry and unforgiving we can go to confession to a Catholic priest to be reconciled with God. We can confess our sins of lack of forgiveness for our brothers and sisters, admit our weakness in trying to forgive, and ask for God’s help. Jesus will be pleased with our good will, in that we are not refusing to forgive, but wish we could. Therefore, our hearts are not closed and hard, but open to His grace.

After making a good confession, we will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and be reconciled with God, through the words of the Catholic priest. Our loving and merciful God has the power to forgive us and wash our souls clean of all sins. We have to believe God has forgiven us, accept it and live it, by trying to do His will. God then gives us His grace, that is, His help, so we can go forth and forgive those who have hurt us. To do this we can speak to them and tell them we have forgiven them. “Forgiveness is the fundamental condition of the reconciliation of the children of God with their Father and of men with one another” (CCC, 2844).

Forgive from Your Heart—Pray!

Jesus gave us the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, about a good king who forgave a slave a huge debt. But this slave went and threw a fellow-slave into prison who owed him only a very small debt. The king was furious with this slave and said, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. [Jesus then said,] So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart” (Matthew 18:32-35).

How do we forgive from our heart? What do we do? Jesus says, pray! “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44, 45). Therefore, our response must be to pray daily for these souls. This is because God loves all people, including great sinners, and wants all of us to come to live with Him in Heaven. He wants everybody to repent, to work hard at changing their sinful ways and humbly return to Him, asking for forgiveness—and our prayers can help them. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus shows us how God the Father embraced his repentant son, who had been a very great sinner, rewarded him with many gifts and took him into his house.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

To forgive from our heart is a process, a course of action. Even while we are still wounded, in our pain, we can ask God to bless those who have wronged us and make them holy. The most powerful prayer is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. During the Mass we can privately offer these souls to God. Compassionate prayer for the wellbeing of their souls is very important. We can pray for ourselves, too. However, we must not harbour feelings of resentment, anger and revenge, but rather pray with genuine sympathy for those souls that are wounded by sin. Prayer gives us spiritual strength, bringing us closer to God and our efforts will be pleasing to Him.

Jesus Prayed for His Enemies

We are called to follow Christ. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27, 28). When Jesus was dying and nailed to the Cross, He forgave His enemies and prayed for them with compassion: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). We should imitate Jesus and sincerely pray for the souls of our enemies. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He was scourged, crowned with thorns and nailed to the Cross! So what excuse do we have? Every time we look at a crucifix, we should think of this, and pray for those who have sinned against us. “Christian prayer extends to the forgiveness of enemies, transfiguring the disciple by configuring him to his Master” (CCC, 2844).

Can We “Forget” the Offense?

People around us tell us, “Forgive and Forget.” But how can we forget when we feel so hurt? Jesus did not command us to forget. He did command us to forgive, but did not tell us to forget. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense” (CCC, 2843). This teaching makes sense. For example, a woman who was raped cannot forget that traumatic experience. But it doesn’t mean she should dwell on it and relive it constantly for years and years. Common sense tells us to try to put our terrible past experiences behind us and try to move on with our lives for good mental health and for the good of our souls. Once again, prayer is the answer.

Offer Our Sufferings to God

As we offer our wounded heart and sufferings to God, we should pray [intercede] for the person who hurt us, with compassion for that person’s soul. I like this prayer: “Jesus, I offer You my sufferings to be joined to Your Holy Passion and offered to our heavenly Father, in reparation for my sins, for (name) and for all souls, in union with all the Holy Sacrifices of the Mass throughout the world today”. As we try to forgive from our heart, our memory will gradually be purified by our daily compassionate prayer. Our Catechism states, “the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession” (CCC, 2843).

The Holy Rosary

When we persevere in daily prayer for the soul of the person who hurt us, the anger and the bad thoughts will dissipate slowly and go away. Our Church recommends the Holy Rosary. If we pray the Holy Rosary every day, we can include this particular soul in our prayers, asking Most Holy Mother Mary for Her intercession, so we can attain love, mercy and graces from God. Gradually the injury will turn into compassion and peace will flood our hearts. Don’t give up praying every day, for weeks and months or maybe even years. I did—and now I am at peace. Isaiah wrote about the love God has for us, “Those of steadfast mind You keep in peace—in peace because they trust in You” (Isaiah 26:3). We have faith that Jesus will be very pleased with our efforts and bless us.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is an intercessory prayer that is prayed on the Holy Rosary beads. We can pray this Chaplet for our enemies, and for all souls. This prayer begs God the Father for graces for souls, based on the strength of Jesus’ Passion. Jesus is Love and Mercy itself. He is The Divine Mercy. He wants all souls to be saved. In His great love for us, God gave this prayer to St. Faustina. She wrote it for us in her Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, 476: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” The Chaplet begins with the “Our Father”, one “Hail Mary” and the “I Believe in God”. Then the first part of the prayer, “Eternal Father…” is said on the Our Father beads of the Rosary. The last part, “For the sake of…” is said on each of the ten beads. After the five decades, the Chaplet concludes with, “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world” prayed three times. To learn more about The Divine Mercy, check back to my previous articles on this website, entitled, “The Divine Mercy” and “Complete Pardon to Souls, Divine Mercy Sunday”.

Fast and Make Sacrifices

As we pray for a sinful soul, we can also fast and make sacrifices for that person. For instance, we can do something that is very good, but very hard to do, and offer our efforts to God for a particular soul. There is great merit in this because it is not easy. This action will also help us in the perfecting of our own souls, if we have an attitude of humility. Only God knows the state of all souls; and for all we know, the other person’s soul might be in better shape than ours! If we feel we are superior, then we must humbly remind ourselves that the more graces and gifts we have, the more is expected of us. Our Lord says, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48).

St. Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles

St. Paul was given many graces from God in order for him to preach the faith far and wide, and much was expected of him. His letters show us the great number of people he forgave and prayed for, so that their souls would be saved. He wrote, “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. …on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters… And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor 11:24-28).

St. Paul, in some ways, imitated Jesus as He prayed for His enemies while on the Cross; because despite all Paul’s extreme sufferings, wounds, and trials that he endured, He prayed for those that hurt him and for the salvation of all souls. He wasn’t angry or bitter about the terrible way he was treated. Instead he wrote to sinners, “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31,32).

Persevere in Prayer

Compassionate prayer attuned to God’s compassion unites us to Him. Our daily prayers for souls open our hearts and other people’s hearts to God’s graces, giving all of us consolation and heavenly light. Let us try to do God’s will, persevere in prayer and trust in Him. God can do all things. With His graces we can forgive from our heart and be filled with the peace of God in the depths of our soul!

 

Lent, Loving Sacrifices for Souls

Lent—Loving Sacrifices for Souls

March 9, 2017

By Lorraine Vincent

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During the Season of Lent our Holy Mother Church encourages us to do penance and make sacrifices to try to purify ourselves and become more holy. Lent is the time to take stock of our lives and determine where we need to change. It is very important to go to Confession in Lent to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus acts through the Catholic priest. If we are truly repentant and want to depart from our sinful ways and do penance, we will be absolved of our sins and our souls will be washed clean. We will be reconciled with God and renewed and strengthened spiritually. Filled with the grace of God we can start anew. Each one of us has a mission here on earth. Every one of us affects the whole Body of Christ here on earth, either in a positive way or a negative way. By earnestly striving to be holy, we strengthen the Church, and more souls will be saved throughout the world.

We can make loving sacrifices for souls. In this way we will follow Jesus and do what He did. Think of all the wonderful acts of mercy that Jesus did for the suffering people that He encountered! How hard He worked for souls despite all the rejection He experienced and angry comments said to Him. Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). He made loving sacrifices!

The greatest loving sacrifice was made by Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She stood at the foot of the Cross, looking with great love and compassion at Jesus, sharing in His suffering, trying to comfort and console Him as He died. She joined Jesus in His loving sacrifice because she loved souls. “There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of His suffering, joining herself with His sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim, born of her…” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 964).

In our journey in this life, we will constantly experience trials, tribulation and suffering. Jesus often spoke to St. Faustina Kowalska, who wrote His words in her Diary. He said to St. Faustina, and thereby to us, “Do not be absorbed in your misery … be merciful to others” (Diary, 1486). Jesus is Love and Mercy. We can try to imitate Him and His Mother Mary. Being merciful to others changes our focus from all our problems to something positive. We could plan to accomplish some difficult good deed in a loving manner. We could go to visit and help the sick and the elderly. They really need us! But we have to go with the determination to be kind and loving, and try to help them. It feels good to help others and see them smile in gratitude. Our problems won’t necessarily disappear, but we will be filled with the love of God, set on fire and full of zeal to do His will. Jesus said, “…unite, in a special way, even your smallest deeds to My merits, and then My Father will look upon them with love as if they were My own” (Diary, 1543).

Loving sacrifices for souls are accomplished when it is not easy or convenient. Here is an example. I know a lady who drove for 7 hours to another city to visit a person in a nursing home. She did this every 6 weeks for years until the death of the sick person. A nurse approached the lady, amazed at her continual acts of mercy, saying that people in the same city do not visit their sick and suffering family members as often as she did.

We too can perform a difficult act of charity and mercy for someone in need. Remember that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Jesus. Making this great effort will not go unnoticed by God and He will bless us. Our loving sacrifices for souls will draw us more closely to Jesus, and we could make significant progress in our spiritual life.

If we are not well and cannot go to visit ailing friends, we can phone these people often and try to cheer them up. Our calls could really brighten their days! We can also pray for our sick and suffering friends and offer Masses for them. Another way for us homebound sick people to make loving sacrifices for souls, is to offer to Jesus all our pain and sufferings for these souls. Jesus said, “Join your sufferings to My Passion and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners” (Diary, 1032). So with each agony during the day we can bring this prayer to mind for a certain soul. Then we can experience with a sense of relief that each pain and agony of ours will have great spiritual value.

St. James wrote about spiritual care for the sick: “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders [priests]of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil [the Sacrament of the Sick] in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14,15). The Sacrament of the Sick is wonderful for the sick and the dying. We can make the time and effort to arrange for a priest to come and administer the Sacrament of the Sick, also called the Last Rites, for a very sick Catholic friend or loved one. What a great act of charity that would be! Such a loving sacrifice would certainly be well received by Jesus, as we try to imitate Him more closely for the good of souls.

Our Lord Jesus Christ asks us to embrace the cross He gave us in this life, the cross of suffering and trials. This Lent we are to endure our cross with patience as we make loving sacrifices for souls. We could attend any special Lenten programs held in the parish, particularly the Stations of the Cross, or pray the Stations privately at home. We could spend more time daily in prayer, even to the extent of praising and calling upon Him in prayer every moment of every day. Our loving sacrifices and prayers for souls conquer the evil one. Therefore, this Lent we can make significant progress in our spiritual life, drawing closer and closer in union with God, and praise and thank Him for His loving presence in our lives.

 

 

Complete Pardon to Souls

Complete Pardon to Souls

Divine Mercy Sunday

Lorraine_columnist

By Lorraine Vincent

March 27, 2016

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The Divine Mercy

Our Lord Jesus Christ is The Divine Mercy. Jesus wants His message of mercy to be spread throughout the world. We have a tapestry of Jesus, The Divine Mercy, at the front of Blessed Sacrament Church; and there is a picture of The Divine Mercy near the front of St. Mary’s Church. Jesus spoke to St. Faustina many times about His Sacred Image. Jesus said: “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’” (Diary, 327). The rays of graces streaming from His Heart represent the love and mercy that Jesus has for us, and His great desire to save souls. Jesus said, “By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls” (Diary, 742).

St. Faustina

Jesus chose Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) to write down all His words in her Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, and requested that she promote His message of Divine Mercy (see Diary, 1142). Jesus said to her, “I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy” (Diary, 299).

Therefore, when Saint John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina on April 30, 2000, he stated during his homily: “The Second Sunday of Easter (which is the first Sunday after Easter) from now on throughout the Church will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.’” Also, through Jesus’ words to St. Faustina, our Holy Catholic Church has promoted The Divine Mercy message and devotion including works of mercy, throughout the universal Church.

St. Faustina wrote this prayer: “O most sweet Jesus, who have deigned to allow miserable me to gain a knowledge of Your unfathomable mercy; O most sweet Jesus who have graciously demanded that I tell the whole world of Your incomprehensible mercy, this day I take into my hands the two rays that spring from Your merciful Heart; that is, the Blood and the Water; and I scatter them all over the globe so that each soul may receive Your mercy and, having received it, may glorify it for endless ages” (Diary, 836).

Our Time in Purgatory can be Cancelled

Divine Mercy Sunday is a very special day.   If we follow the directives of our Catholic Church we can have all our sins forgiven, and our time in Purgatory cancelled. Jesus said, “I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy” (Diary, 1109, 699).  On all other days of the year the Sacrament of Reconciliation forgives sins, saves us from Hell and reconciles us with God so we can receive His graces; but it does not take away our time in Purgatory. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1472, 1473, states: “Every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory”This suffering in Purgatory cleanses the soul completely and prepares the repentant sinner to go to Heaven.

Divine Mercy Sunday is the greatest day of the year for us sinners. On this day Jesus has promised to totally forgive all sins and take away all punishment in Purgatory—“complete pardon”—for those who “go to Confession and receive Holy Communion” worthily, free from mortal sin, and with a humble heart on this special day. During the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass we should pray for the intentions of Pope Francis. We should also admit we are sinners, have the determination to start anew, and make a commitment to continuous conversion.

Therefore, having fulfilled the Church’s directives, all our sins and punishment in Purgatory are removed on this day, from when we were born up to this point in time. However, it also means that from this day on, we will have to suffer in Purgatory for any future sins, until we go to Divine Mercy Sunday to Confession and Holy Communion the following year. So every year on this special day, we can be wiped completely clean.

Pope Benedict XVI stated that we can go to Confession in Lent, and during the week before Divine Mercy Sunday; because a priest cannot cope with 500 people all wanting to go to Confession on that one day.  So let us fulfill the conditions set by our Church, receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, and take advantage of this marvellous offering.

The Divine Mercy Novena of Chaplets

Jesus requested that we prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday by reciting His novena of Chaplets of Divine Mercy (on the beads of the Rosary), beginning on Good Friday, and continuing for nine days until the first Sunday after Easter. In this way we can offer our intentions to The Divine Mercy and pray for souls.

St. Faustina heard these words: ‘This prayer will serve to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the OUR FATHER beads you will say the following words: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” On the HAIL MARY beads you will say the following words: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.” In conclusion, three times you will recite these words: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world”’ (Diary, 476).

Jesus gave us His intentions for His novena of Chaplets of Divine Mercy. St. Faustina recorded His words for each of the nine days of the novena; and added a prayer for each day focusing on each intention. This special novena of Jesus’ intentions can be found in her Diary in numbers 1209 to 1229.

Pray The Divine Mercy Chaplet Daily

St. Faustina also wrote about the value of The Divine Mercy Chaplet when prayed throughout the year: “I heard these words in my soul: “Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (Diary, 687). Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will” (Diary, 1731).

Jesus said, “Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet … let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the End Times; after it will come the Day of Justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them” (Diary, 848).

We can pray The Divine Mercy Chaplet at three o’clock, the time when Jesus died on the Cross. St. Faustina wrote: “During Holy Mass, I saw the Lord Jesus nailed upon the Cross amidst great torments. A soft moan issued from His Heart. After some time, He said, “I thirst. I thirst for the salvation of souls. Help Me, My daughter, to save souls. Join your sufferings to My Passion and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners” (Diary, 1032). Jesus said, “At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony [death on the Cross]. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I …will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion” (Diary, 1320).

Continue to Go to Confession Once a Month

Having received the gift of “Complete Pardon to Souls” on Divine Mercy Sunday, we have to be careful not to lapse into complacency, and old sinful habits. It is a good idea to go to confession once a month, whether we have to confess a mortal sin or not. Besides the wonderful graces we receive from God, we also receive a wealth of spiritual guidance from the priest in the confessional. The experience keeps us on the right track and renews our commitment to continuous conversion.

Jesus spoke to St. Faustina Kowalska about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She wrote in her Diary that Jesus said to her: “Pray for souls that they be not afraid to approach the tribunal of My mercy [the Sacrament of Reconciliation]. Do not grow weary of praying for sinners. You know what a burden their souls are to My Heart. Relieve My deathly sorrow; dispense My mercy. …Write, speak of My mercy. Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy [the Sacrament of Reconciliation]. There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. 

“To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative [a Catholic priest] and to reveal to him one’s misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy [the Sacrament of Reconciliation] restores that soul in full” (Diary, 975, 1448).

Jesus spoke these words to St. Faustina: “Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy (Diary, 1488). I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy (Diary, 1146). Know that as often as you come to Me, humbling yourself and asking My forgiveness, I pour out a superabundance of graces on your soul, and your imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your humility. You lose nothing but gain much (Diary, 1293).

“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 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” (Diary, 1728).

“In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy” (Diary, 1588).