Reflection 5: Redemption of the World

featured image DM

Gabriel Metsu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Note: Reflections 1-10 provide a general introduction to the Diary of Saint Faustina and to The Divine Mercy. Starting with Reflection 11 we will begin to ponder its content with citations to the Diary. For now, during these first 10 days, use these short initial introductory reflections to help set the foundation for your understanding of this new devotion to The Divine Mercy to be pondered throughout the year.

The Incarnation was the greatest act of Mercy ever known. The only subsequent act that surpassed it was the act of Jesus dying on the Cross destroying sin and death by His blood. The redemption of the world, through the blood of the Cross, is an act of love and Mercy that we will never fully comprehend. We could never be grateful enough for this act since we will never fully fathom the depth of this love.

Spend time throughout this day pondering the crucifix.  Hold it in your hand, look at it, imagine it and meditate on it.  And then try and close your eyes from time to time pondering the full reality of the Crucifixion.  This was not an easy sacrifice.  It was especially difficult to receive such brutality and to say, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”  This is Divine Mercy.

Lord, help me to gaze deeply upon Your Cross and to discover, within that Cross, an ocean of pure Mercy. Wash me in this sacrificial love and help me to obtain eternal redemption. Jesus, I trust in You.

Read Introduction to Reflections 1-10

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina has begun!  As we enter this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey.  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Available on Amazon

Reflection 4: The Incarnation and Birth

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Note: Reflections 1-10 provide a general introduction to the Diary of Saint Faustina and to The Divine Mercy. Starting with Reflection 11 we will begin to ponder its content with citations to the Diary. For now, during these first 10 days, use these short initial introductory reflections to help set the foundation for your understanding of this new devotion to The Divine Mercy to be pondered throughout the year.

When the eternal Son of God took on flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, human nature was changed forever. By uniting Himself with humanity, God raised our dignity to a whole new level. The Incarnation established a new unity between God and man and this is an act of the utmost Mercy on God’s part. 

Ponder, today, the great miracle of new life.  Think of the birth of a small child.  And then try to imagine this little and helpless child being the Creator of the Universe and the Savior of the World.  What a gift of God’s Mercy!

Lord, I thank You with profound gratitude for uniting Your divine soul with fallen humanity. I thank You for uniting Yourself with me, a sinner. May I always be in awe of the Mercy bestowed upon me through Your Incarnation. Jesus, I trust in You.

Read Introduction to Reflections 1-10

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina has begun!  As we enter this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey.  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Available on Amazon

Reflection 3: The Creation of the Angels as an Act of Mercy

Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Note: Reflections 1-10 provide a general introduction to the Diary of Saint Faustina and to The Divine Mercy. Starting with Reflection 11 we will begin to ponder its content with citations to the Diary. For now, during these first 10 days, use these short initial introductory reflections to help set the foundation for your understanding of this new devotion to The Divine Mercy to be pondered throughout the year.

In addition to the creation of the material world, God created the spiritual world out of nothing. The angels, as well as every human soul, are gifts of pure love from God. In creating the spiritual world, God created beings who are capable of knowledge and love. The creation of angels is a particular act of Mercy toward humanity in that angels are created not only to know and love God, but also to know and love humanity and to draw humanity into the heights of Heaven.

Spend time today reflecting upon the gift of all celestial beings.  Our guardian angels, as well as all celestial beings, are precious gifts beyond our imagination.  Try to let this reality sink in this day and be grateful for their working in your spiritual soul.

Lord, I thank You for the gift of the celestial hosts of Heaven. I thank You for the abundance of Mercy You bestow upon humanity through these celestial beings. May I always be open to Your grace which comes to me through them. Jesus, I trust in You.

Read Introduction to Reflections 1-10

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina has begun!  As we enter this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey.  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Available on Amazon

Reflection 2: Creation as an Act of Mercy

Michelangelo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Note: Reflections 1-10 provide a general introduction to the Diary of Saint Faustina and to The Divine Mercy. Starting with Reflection 11 we will begin to ponder its content with citations to the Diary. For now, during these first 10 days, use these short initial introductory reflections to help set the foundation for your understanding of this new devotion to The Divine Mercy to be pondered throughout the year.

In preparation for a deeper understanding of The Divine Mercy, we begin with the first gift of God: The Creation of the World. God, in His goodness, created the world out of nothing. This act of creating everything out of nothing reveals, in part, that creation is a pure gift from the goodness of God. This first act of love is His first act of Mercy. 

Ponder the gift of creation throughout this day.  Try and let your heart be filled with gratitude for all God created out of nothing.  All creation reflects the splendor and beauty of our God.

Lord, I thank You for the wonderful gift of creation. I thank You for creating all things out of love and for being the one and only source of all that is. All of creation reveals Your merciful love. Jesus, I trust in You.

Read Introduction to Reflections 1-10

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina has begun!  As we enter this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey.  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Available on Amazon

Reflection 1: “The” Divine Mercy

featured image DM

Image via pexels.com

Video

Note: Reflections 1-10 provide a general introduction to the Diary of Saint Faustina and to The Divine Mercy. Starting with Reflection 11 we will begin to ponder its content with citations to the Diary. For now, during these first 10 days, use these short initial introductory reflections to help set the foundation for your understanding of this new devotion to The Divine Mercy to be pondered throughout the year.

When speaking of Divine Mercy we refer to this gift from God as “The Divine Mercy.” By pondering “The” Divine Mercy we are more aware of two things:  First, The Divine Mercy of God is real, definite and concrete. It is not some abstract concept but it is a reality that we must understand and enter into.  Second, there is only One Divine Mercy. It is “The” one and only gift of God. All that God has given us is a gift and for this gift we are to be eternally grateful.

Strive, today, to make this a glorious year of reflection on The Divine Mercy of God.  Make a conscious decision to enter into all God desires for you this year.

Lord, Help me to be attentive to The Divine Mercy You pour forth day and night. Help me, during this year of reflection upon Your Mercy, to allow it to transform my life in a real and profound way. Jesus, I trust in You.

Read Introduction to Reflections 1-10

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina begins today.  As we prepare for this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey!  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Introduction – 365 Days of Divine Mercy begins!

featured image DM

Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

The world we find ourselves living in today is a world of increasing violence, chaos, despair and interior isolation.  It’s a world in which so many are connected through the means of modern communication, such as through the daily headlines and social media.  As a result, we are increasingly aware of the countless problems and tragedies that so many people face each and every day.  These tragedies are becoming a means of constant curiosity, satisfaction, and even obsession for so many. 

As a result of being constantly bombarded with the sensational problems in our world, we are drawn in, daily, to the painful drama of a fallen world.  We see sin and its consequences everywhere we look and it takes a toll on our souls.

So how do we deal with this constant awareness of the evils, sins and pain of so many people on such a regular basis?  The only answer to that is what this book is all about: The Divine Mercy.

The Divine Mercy must become the lens through which we see all things.  It must become the filter for everything we take in and everything we give out.  The Divine Mercy is so deeply needed today and we can rest assured that He who is divine, desires to bestow this precious gift in abundance.

What is Mercy?  More specifically, what is The Divine Mercy?  The Divine Mercy is the grace and love of God alive in our lives.  It’s God acting in us, upon us, and through us.  It’s God taking control of our lives and teaching us how to think and how to act.  It’s God possessing us so that we do not become possessed by the craziness of the world we live in.

The Divine Mercy of God is like a fountain of endless water in the midst of a parched and arid desert.  It’s the source of refreshment and newness of life that we all seek, whether we realize it or not.  It’s the deepest longing of our hearts and the only thing that will ever satiate the longing we have.

The world we live in tries to satisfy and satiate us through constant stimulation, excitement, drama and intrigue.  The world is constantly offering us a false sense of happiness and fulfillment.  The first step to discovering The Divine Mercy of God is to see the world for what it is.  To see the lies and deceptions all around us and to turn our eyes to this font of truth and grace that we were made for.  We need to turn to The Divine Mercy.

As a fountain of grace, gushing forth in an arid place, The Divine Mercy of God comes from a hidden source, keeps going and never runs out, and produces all that we need to find satisfaction in life.  It’s like a vast ocean that we are called to plunge into and enter its depths.  It’s endless and all-consuming. 

Jesus has always given us images to try to describe the love He has for us. He is the loving Father, waiting for His wayward son to return.  He is the Good Shepherd who seeks out the one stray sheep.  He is the Good Samaritan who cared for the foreigner in dire need. 

Of course, these can never fully explain the depths of His Mercy and love. Each image brings its own meaning to each person based on one’s own personal experience and history.  One recent gift that God gave to us is Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska.  She was born on August 25, 1905 in Kraków, Poland and died October 5, 1938 in the same city at the age of thirty-three.  At the young age of twenty she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw and was later transferred to Płock and then to Vilnius.  It was in Vilnius where she met her confessor, Father Michał Sopoćko who helped her immensely with many mystical graces she received from God.  Sister Faustina was graced to receive daily private revelations from Jesus by which He revealed to her the abundance of His Divine Mercy.

At the direction of her superior and Fr. Sopoćko and Jesus Himself, she kept a diary of these mystical experiences which is known, today, as Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.

The goal of this present book is to walk through the pages of her Diary, reflecting upon its messages over the period of a year.  The Diary is reflected upon in a way that the reader will be able to easily ponder the message of Divine Mercy as it was revealed to Sister Faustina by Jesus Himself.

On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina on Divine Mercy Sunday.  With her canonization, the messages of Saint Faustina continue to spread to a world so desperately in need of God’s abundant grace. 

On December 8, 2015, Pope Francis began an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy for the Church and world.  This book is a fruit of that Year of Mercy and was written during that Jubilee Year so as to help each person who reads its pages to enter more deeply into the Divine Mercy of God for years to come.


Amazon –  Barnes and Noble – Google Play – iTunes

Available in eBook & Paperback

Table of Contents

Structure of this Book

Introduction for Priests


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina begins tomorrow, January 1.  As we prepare for this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey!  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today

Reflection 365: The Queen of Mercy

Simone Cantarini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

This last reflection is dedicated to the Queen of Mercy, the Most Glorious Mother of God.  She, more than any other, was and continues to be a perfect instrument of the Mercy of God.  She brought forth Mercy Himself into this world by her fiat, her “Yes,” at the Annunciation.  She suffered greatly as she watched her Son suffer such brutality, and offered her motherly love to console His Heart and to win much grace in the world through her sacrifice.  She was taken body and soul into Heaven and given the Crown of Glory by her Son, so that from her glorious throne in Heaven, she may continue to lavish Mercy on the world.  Seek her prayers, trust in her intercession, consecrate yourself to her motherly care, and know of her perfect love for you.  She will never abandon her children and, therefore, she will never abandon you. 

Dearest Mother, my Queen, I love you with a profound love and I desire to consecrate myself to your Immaculate Heart.  Your heart, dear Mother, is a heart overflowing with the Mercy of Your Son.  He has given you all grace and entrusted you with the dispensation of this grace upon the world.  May I never doubt your maternal care and intercession.  I love you, dear Mother.  I give myself entirely to you so that you may bring me to Your Son, Jesus.  Mother Mary, my Queen, pray for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Would you consider an end of the year donation?


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina begins January 1.  As we prepare for this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey!  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

 

Table of Contents

Structure of this Book

Introduction for Priests

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Available as eBook & Paperback

Reflection 364: Prayer for the Dying

Our Lady of the Rosary by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Video

In regard to your eternal salvation, the hour of your death is so very important.  When you pray the “Hail Mary” prayer, you pray specifically for this sacred hour.  It is a holy hour.  But it is also an hour when the evil one will lash out at you one more time to try to steal your soul for all eternity.  It is essential that you spend your life preparing for this sacred hour by your prayers, a life of sacrifice, and a life of charity.  But it is also essential that you pray for those who are in their last hour.  For some, this is a moment of true spiritual battle.  See it as a duty of charity to regularly remember those who are in their last hour in your prayers.  They will thank you in Heaven (See Diary #1798). 

Reflect upon your death this day, and especially try to pray the rosary for this moment.  Consider, also, making a commitment to pray for those who are dying.  Death brings many temptations, such as fear, and is a time when much grace is needed.  Pray that every soul, including your own, will enter this hour with confidence and faith, trusting in the abundant Mercy of God.

Lord, I offer You my last hour in this life and pray for all those who will face this moment today.  May it be a sweet hour in which we are surrounded by Your angels and saints.  May we especially receive the consolation of knowing the prayers of Your dear Mother at this moment.  Mother Mary, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Would you consider an end of the year donation?


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina begins January 1.  As we prepare for this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey!  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Table of Contents

Structure of this Book

Introduction for Priests

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Available as eBook & Paperback

Reflection 363: Hearing God Speak

Vendimian of Bythinia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Imagine you were in a crowded room with much noise and someone whispered to you from across the room.  You may notice them trying to speak but it would be difficult to hear.  This is much like the Voice of God.  When God speaks, He whispers.  He speaks gently and quietly and only those who are truly recollected throughout the day will notice His Voice and hear what He says.  The Lord wants us to eliminate the many distractions of our day, the constant noise of the world and all that drowns out His gentle command of love.  Seek to be recollected, silencing the noise of the world, and the Lord’s gentle Voice will become crystal clear (See Diary #1779).

Do you hear God speak to you?  If not, what is it that distracts you and competes for your attention?  Look into your heart and know that the gentle Voice of God speaks to you day and night.  Try to be absolutely attentive to His Voice of perfect love, and follow all that He asks.  Ponder His Voice not only today, but always.  Build a habit of attentiveness so that you will never miss a word that He says.

Lord, I love You with a burning love and desire to hear You speak to me always.  Help me to eliminate the many distractions of life so that nothing will ever compete with Your gentle Voice.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Would you consider an end of the year donation?


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina begins January 1.  As we prepare for this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey!  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Table of Contents

Structure of this Book

Introduction for Priests

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Available as eBook & Paperback

Reflection 362: Two Hearts of Mercy

Unidentified painter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Jesus’ Heart is pure Mercy.  It’s a fountain of grace pouring out upon the world.  This is consoling but there is another heart that must also become a fountain of Mercy, and that is yours.  You must become so immersed in the Mercy of the Lord that your heart bursts forth with rivers of grace for others.  This is especially how God touches those souls who are lost and do not pray.  By you going to them, loving them with great devotion and lavishing the Mercy of God upon them, their hearts meet the Lord’s (See Diary #1777).

Reflect upon your call to be the very Heart of Christ to others.  His Heart must beat in yours and His Mercy must become yours.  This takes total surrender and requires much personal sacrifice.  But if you can allow our Lord to flood your heart with His Mercy, the overflow from your heart will affect countless others.

Lord, please make my heart Your Heart.  I give it to You dear Lord to use in this world to touch many lives.  May I so humble myself before You that a flood of Mercy flows through me to touch the lives of many.  I love You dear Lord, help me to love all Your children with a burning love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Would you consider an end of the year donation?


Are you ready for a new year?

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina begins January 1.  As we prepare for this new year of God’s mercy, we invite you to invite family and friends to join us on this journey!  Invite them to join us by:

  1. Signing up for daily emails
  2. Installing our Catholic Daily Reflections app
  3. Daily visiting our website
  4. Purchasing Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy in paperback or eBook

Share the abundant mercy of God with family and friends this new year!

Table of Contents

Structure of this Book

Introduction for Priests

More Divine Mercy Reflections

Daily Gospel Reflections

Saints/Feasts for Today


Available as eBook & Paperback