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FEAST OF MERCY During the course of Jesus' revelations
to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy He asked on numerous occasions
that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that this
feast be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. The liturgical texts
of that day, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, concern the institution of
the Sacrament of Penance, the Tribunal of the Divine Mercy, and
are thus already suited to the request of Our Lord. This Feast,
which had already been granted to the nation of Poland and been
celebrated within Vatican City, was granted to the Universal Church
by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the canonization of Sr.
Faustina on 30 April 2000. In a decree dated 23 May 2000, the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stated that
"throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive
the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian
world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties
and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come."
These papal acts represent the highest endorsement that the Church
can give to a private revelation, an act of papal infallibility
proclaiming the certain sanctity of the mystic, and the granting
of a universal feast, as requested by Our Lord to St. Faustina.
Concerning the Feast of Mercy Jesus said:
Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted
complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary 300)
I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter,
and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know
about it. (Diary 341)
This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed
in the vast depths of my tender mercies. (Diary 420)
On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole
world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy
be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.
On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour
out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount
of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy
Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.*
[our emphasis] On that day all the divine floodgates through which
grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even
though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind,
be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all
eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths
of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I
contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of
Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire
that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.
Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
(Diary 699)
Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there
must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for
Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere.
You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it.
(Diary 742)
I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession
and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. (Diary 1109).
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| LIVES
OF THE SAINTS |
JULY 1
BLESSED JUNIPERO SERRA
Blessed Junipero Serra was born in Petra, Spain, on November 24, 1713. The boy became a student at the Franciscan school in Palma 
JULY 2
ST. OTTO.
St. Otto lived in the twelfth century. He was born in Swabia, present-day Bavaria.
JULY 3
ST. THOMAS
St. Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. His name in the Syriac language means "twin."
JULY 4
ST. ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL
St. Elizabeth, a Spanish princess, was born in 1271. She married King Denis of Portugal at the age of twelve.
JULY 5
ST. ANTHONY MARY ZACCARIA
St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria was born in Italy in 1502. While he was still young, his father died.
JULY 6
ST. MARIA GORETTI
St. Maria Goretti was born in 1890. Her father died when she and the other five children in her family were small. At twelve, Maria was already very pretty.
JULY 7
BLESSED ROGER DICKENSON, BLESSED RALPH MILNER AND BLESSED LAWRENCE HUMPHREY
These three martyrs lived in England during the time of Church persecution by Queen Elizabeth I.
JULY 8
BLESSED EUGENE III
Blessed Eugene III was born near Pisa, Italy, in the twelfth century. He was baptized Peter.
JULY 10
ST. FELICITY AND HER SEVEN SONS.
St. Felicity was a noble Christian woman of Rome. She lived during the second century.
JULY 11
ST. BENEDICT
St. Benedict was born in 480. He was from a rich Italian family. His life was full of adventure and wonderful deeds.
JULY 12
ST. JOHN GAULBERT
St. John Gaulbert was born in Florence, Italy, at the end of the tenth century. He and his father were devastated when John's only brother, Hugh, was murdered.
JULY 13
ST. HENRY II.
St. Henry II was born in 972. He became the duke of Bavaria in 995. One night he had an unusual vision. St. Wolfgang, who had been his beloved teacher when he was a boy, appeared to him.
JULY 14
BLESSED KATERI TEKAKWITHA
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha was born in Auriesville, New York, in 1656. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin. Her father was a non-Christian Mohawk chief.
JULY 15
ST. BONAVENTURE.
St. was born in 1221 in Tuscany, Italy, and was baptized John.
JULY 16
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
This feast was instituted by the Carmelites between 1376 and 1386 under the title "Commemoratio B. Marif Virg.
JULY 17
ST. LEO IV.
St. Leo IV lived in the ninth century. He was a Roman by birth and spent his life in that city. Leo was educated in the Benedictine monastery near St. Peter's Basilica.
JULY 18
ST. FREDERICK.
St. Frederick lived in ninth-century Utrecht, in the central part of the Netherlands. When he was ordained a priest, Bishop Ricfried put him in charge of instructing converts.
JULY 19
ST. MACRINA.
St. Macrina was the first child of St. Basil the Elder and St. Emmelia.
JULY 20
SAINT CHARBEL.
St. Charbel was born to a poor Maronite Family on May 8, 1828 in a mountain village of Biqa-Kafra, Lebanon.
JULY 21
ST. LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI.
St. Lawrence was born Caesar Rossi in Brindisi, Italy, in 1559. Brindisi was part of the Kingdom of Naples, Italy.
JULY 22
ST. MARY MAGDALENE.
St. Mary Magdalene was from Magdala near the Sea of Galilee. Some people identify her as a well-known sinner when she first saw Our Lord.
JULY 23
ST. BRIDGET OF SWEDEN.
St. Bridget was born in Sweden in 1303. From the time she was a child, she was greatly devoted to the passion of Jesus.
JULY 24
ST. BORIS AND ST. GLEB
St. Boris and St. Gleb, the brothers, were born toward the end of the tenth century.
JULY 25
ST. JAMES THE GREATER
St. James was a fisherman like his father Zebedee and his brother John.
JULY 26
ST. JOACHIM AND ST. ANNE
St. Anne and St. Joachim are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
JULY 27
ST. PANTALEON
St. Pantaleon came from Nicomedia, near the Black Sea, in Asia. He lived in the fourth century.
JULY 29
ST. MARTHA
St. Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus.
JULY 30
ST. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS
St. Peter Chrysologus was born in the small town of Imola, Italy.
JULY 31
ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
St. Ignatius, the famous founder of the Jesuits, was born in 1491.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God?
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