COTR Magazine June 2013 | Page 18

Thererealyisaheaven, andthererealyisahel. Itma�ershow welive. Itmatterswhatwebelieve. Itma�ershow weactinthislife. Itma�erswhetherwesay " Yes " tomercy. Itma�erswhetherwebelieveandrepent. Itma�erswhetherwe ' reactualy joinedtotheBodyofChristeternaly. ThisisthemessageoftheGospel. Thisisthe messageoftheChurch. ThisisthemessageofSt. Faus�na.

— RalphMar�n, founderandpresidentofRenewalMinistries, speakingatthe4th annualDivineMercyConference, March7, Bronx, N. Y

Hewhoknowshow toforgivepreparesforhimselfmanygracesfrom God. Aso�en asIlookuponthecross, soo�enwilIforgivewithalmyheart!-St. Faus�na WhatdoesGodhaveinstoreforme? WhereisHeleadingme? Itloomsoutthere. My a�tudeistosaytoGod:' Useme, asyouwil. I ' m standingontheedgeofacliff. What areyougoingtoaskmetodo?' Itboilsdowntotrust, everyday. Iconstantlyremind myself: Ineedtotrust. IneedNOTtobeafraid. It ' slibera�ngknowingIdon ' tneedto beafraid.

— BarbaraLaBrecofManchester, Conn., oneofthemilionsofAmericanswholost herjobin2009

Menmaydeprivemeofpropertyandhonour; sicknessmaytakeawaymystrength andothermeansofservingYou; ImayevenloseYourgracebysin; butnever, neverwil IlosemyhopeinYou. Iwilcherishituntothatdreadfulmomentwhenalhelwilbe unchainedtosnatchmysoulaway.“ NoonehashopedintheLordandhasbeenconfounded”-St. ClaudedelaColombiere

What DivineMercySundayis ~

Amongaloftheelementsofdevo�ontoTheDivineMercyrequestedbyourLord throughSt. MariaFaus�naKowalska, theFeastofMercyholdsfirstplace. TheLord ' s wilwithregardtoitsestablishmentwasalreadymadeknowninHisfirstrevela�onto thesaint, asrecordedinherDiary. Inal, therewere14revela�onsconcerningthedesiredfeast.

OurLord ' sexplicitdesireisthatthisfeastbecelebratedonthefirstSundaya�er Easter. ThisSundayisdesignatedin " TheLiturgyoftheHoursandtheCelebra�onof theEucharist " asthe " OctaveDayofEaster." ItwasofficialycaledtheSecondSunday ofEastera�ertheliturgicalreform ofVa�can I. Now, bytheDecreeoftheCongrega- �onforDivineWorshipandtheDisciplineoftheSacraments, thenameofthisliturgical dayhasbeenchangedto:" SecondSundayofEaster, orDivineMercySunday."

PopeJohnPaulImadethesurpriseannouncementofthischangeinhishomilyat thecanoniza�onofSt. Faus�naonApril30,2000. There, hedeclared:" Itisimportant thenthatweacceptthewholemessagethatcomestousfrom thewordofGodonthis SecondSundayofEaster, whichfrom now onthroughouttheChurch, wilbecaled‘ DivineMercySunday.'"

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