Divine Mercy

Anyone that reads this blog knows I am totally in love with the Divine Mercy devotion. When I first encountered it I didn't like it though. I had no idea what to meditate on while praying the chaplet. Then I found out that I could contemplate His wounds with these meditations.

I didn't like the image. Then I found out that there were several. It was the Hyla image that I didn't care for. My preference is the original Vilnius version. The Skemp is OK too. However, it doesn't matter which image you prefer because Jesus told St. Faustina "Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush, lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace. (Diary 313)

I could not for the life of me memorize the Chaplet until we got EWTN in December of 2007. The first program I watched when we got that channel was the Flynn family chanting the chaplet. I would rush home from work every day to listen to it. In March of 2008 I started going to the Novena at my parish. We sang this version.

But I truly think my mother-in-law planted the seed of this devotion back in 1997, before St. Faustina was even canonized. When my mother died my mother-in-law enrolled her in the Association of Marian Helpers. The following blessings were bestowed on her soul: daily Mass, Mass on First Fridays and First Saturdays and all Feasts of Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother, Rosaries of the Marian priests and brothers and the continuous Novena to the Divine Mercy.

Now in the those days I was far away from the Church. I had never even prayed the Rosary never mind the Divine Mercy chaplet or novena. I thought it was a nice gesture but I didn't "get it". My mother-in-law had given the Marians my address and occasionally they would send me cards that I could send out (for a small donation) and their little magazine "Marian Helper." I still didn't get it.

But God is patient and eventually I underwent a powerful conversion experience. Slowly, He began to reveal things to me. Devotions I had found weird or even creepy now became near and dear to my heart. Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Miraculous Medal and Eucharistic Adoration became very important to me and eventually so did the Divine Mercy.

I love the Marians and the Divine Mercy so much that I recently went to New York for one of their conferences.

I hope that you too will come to love the Divine Mercy devotion. You can read more about God's unfathomable mercy here and here.

Tomorrow afternoon we will start the Novena. Intentions may be found here.

And new poll in the side bar....

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Dear Readers,
Please pray for Bob Morden. I accidentally ended up on a blog devoted to updates on his condition (an Internal Cerebral Hemorrhage) and promised to pray for him and his family. Truthfully I don't think my surfing in there was accidental - I think the Holy Spirit led me there. I have never met Mr. Morden or his family but I am sure they could use our prayers. Thank you. Angela