Easter Saturday

Today is the ninth and final day of the Novena to the Divine Mercy, that Christ asked us by way of St.Faustina to pray, which will lead up to the Feast of the Divine Mercy tomorrow. In speaking to St.Faustina Christ gave her a different intention to pray for on each day of the Novena.

In St.Faustina's diary she wrote that Jesus told her:
"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy...On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces of these souls."

Day 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
Day 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
Day 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
Day 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him
Day 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
Day 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
Day 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
Day 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory
Day 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm

"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.


You can visit here to see all of the days at once.

The Sun Will Come Out _______

Ahh the sun came out yesterday! Wooohooo! 

Considering it's the end of April and March was supposed to leave like a lamb, it has been outlandishly dreary as of late. Both of my teachers let us out of class early, just enough time for me to bask in the sunny glory for 45 minutes before heading inside to work for 3 hours. I found a hill on campus with a couple friends from St.Lawrence, laid back, closed my eyes and absorbed as much sun as I could. It was fabulous. My only job during that time was to soak up as much sun as possible and to thank it so much for being out! I felt instantly happier just being in the sun's presence.

I carried the warmth I received from the sun into work for me that day. I even received a "it looks like you got some sun" comment, that was nice.

Then I thought about when I had gone to Eucharistic Adoration the night before.  Much like I can just be in the sun and praise it for being out, in Adoration I can just be with Christ the Son and adore Him for He is the Lord and Savior of all. I can sit in Christ's presence and close my eyes because the Son is so bright and while I think of Christ my soul is warmed from the inside. My job for that hour is to soak up as much of the Son as I can and to thank Him for letting me spend time with Him. And I feel instantly happier when I am in the Son's presence. 

I can carry the warmth that I received from the Son into the rest of my day. And if I can live out my vocational call to holiness than I just might receive a "it looks like you got some Son" comment, and that would be nice.

Easter Friday

Today is the eighth day of the Novena to the Divine Mercy, that Christ asked us by way of St.Faustina to pray, which will lead up to the Feast of the Divine Mercy next Sunday. In speaking to St.Faustina Christ gave her a different intention to pray for on each day of the Novena.

In St.Faustina's diary she wrote that Jesus told her:
"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy...On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces of these souls."

Day 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
Day 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
Day 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
Day 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him
Day 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
Day 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
Day 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
Day 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory

"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.
Day 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm

Feel free to come back tomorrow for the prayers of Day 9 or you can visit here to see all of the days at once.

Not Business as Usual

It's official! I met with an adviser yesterday to lay out my plan of attack for the next few semesters and filled out a change of school form.

 I am now a student of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a

  pre-BUSINESS major!

Anxiety overcame me just thinking about the Accounting, Calculus, Econ and Statistics classes that loomed in my future. But I know that if it's God's will for me (I'm pretty sure it is) to be a business major than He will help me through it. 

I won't be able to graduate in four years, who knows if I'll even be able to graduate in five. I guess that's what I get for changing my major at the end of my sophomore year, but I'll survive.

AfterDark

On a Wednesday night about a month a group of friends from St.Lawrence and I went to an event that KU had called AfterDark, that was sponsored by the different Christian groups and churches affiliated with campus.  

It was nice to be out and involved with other Christian denominations from campus remembering everything that our religions hold in common. But as AfterDark went on and and different events popped up throughout the night I realized just how lucky I am to be Catholic. 

At one point in the night after a giant cross had been built we were invited to write down on a note card our sins that we'd like to leave behind and throw it on the stage so that it could be nailed to the cross. By nailing those sins to the cross we were 'forgiven' and Christ's blood washed them away. 

And I couldn't help but think, that 3 hours before when I had gone to the sacrament of reconciliation, my sins had been truly forgiven and taken away. I was overjoyed, as my soul felt truly new as I had left those sins in the confessional.

Easter Thursday

Today is the seventh day of the Novena to the Divine Mercy, that Christ asked us by way of St.Faustina to pray, which will lead up to the Feast of the Divine Mercy next Sunday. In speaking to St.Faustina Christ gave her a different intention to pray for on each day of the Novena.

In St.Faustina's diary she wrote that Jesus told her:
"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy...On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces of these souls."

Day 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
Day 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
Day 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
Day 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him
Day 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
Day 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
Day 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy

"Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God:

Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.

Day 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory
Day 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm

Feel free to come back tomorrow for the prayers of Day 8 or you can visit here to see all of the days at once.

I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell

I hope they serve beer in hell.

This is what was written on the girls shirt as she walked past me on campus. (I guess this is what I get for attending a secular university)

I find this to be a very interesting concept. In the class on heaven at St.Lawrence a few weeks ago JohnMark mentioned that all things that are good on earth will be even better in heaven.

So I have 2 questions for you.

1. Do you like beer?
2. If beer is going to be better in heaven wouldn't you want to find out?

So do people really think that there will be beer served in Hell? [I realize that the people that are wearing these shirts and saying these things probably don't believe Hell exists anyways, but humor me here.] Do they think that all of the sin that they enjoy on earth they will get to enjoy in Hell for the rest of eternity?

Oh how the devil has tricked them. Hell is not some happy place where you get to keep on living in your earthly sin, having sex and getting drunk. No, eternity in Hell will be much more like this:

"and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." -Matthew 13:50 

"where 'their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." -Mark 9:48 

"will be tormented in burning sulfur" -Revelation 14:10 

"there will be no relief day or night" -Revelation 14:11

 I don't know about you but I'm gonna take my chances and live for Heaven.

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." -C.S. Lewis