April 30th is the 21th anniversary of the canonization of Sr. Faustina Kowalska from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, an apostle of Divine Mercy. Her canonization took place at St. Peter’s Square in Rome and at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki in the year 2000. Saint Faustina described the event with details more than 60 years earlier, at the end of March 1937 (Diary, 1044-1048). Whoever participated in these events knows that her vision was fulfilled accurately. On that day, the Holy Father John Paul II introduced the Feast of Divine Mercy for the whole Church and provided it with the message of Mercy as articulated by St. Faustina for the third millennium of our faith. You can find out more the testimony of miraculous healing which was tested for the canonization, a description of the event and the canonization homily of the Holy Father at faustyna.pl. We give daily thanks for this “gift of God our time”, as St. Faustina and the message of Mercy which she provided us with were called by St. John Paul II. Millions of people around the world are joining in St. Faustina’s prophetic mission of proclaiming the biblical truth about the merciful Love of God to the world through the witness of life, deeds, words and prayer, creating the Apostolic Movement of the Divine Mercy, which is the “new congregation” as demanded by Jesus. May the anniversary of the Apostle of Divine Mercy’s canonization be an opportunity for us not only to give thanks, but also to explore the abundant heritage of the Saint.
People from many countries of the world participating in the work of the Perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy are praying not only in their own intentions, but also asking for “mercy on us and the whole world”. A detailed intention for April is prayer for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the necessary graces for the sick and those fighting the Covid-19 virus, as well as for the spiritual rebirth of mankind and its confident turn towards God’s Mercy.
The work of Perpetual Chaplet is a response to the request of Jesus to constantly implore for mercy “for us and the whole world”. The work has been operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at: www.faustyna.pl since 2011. Anyone can participate in it by filling out a short form and declare to say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Jesus dictated to St. Faustina—at least once.
In April in all the chapels of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, including the one of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, evening devotions in honor of Divine Mercy will take place, during which the Litany of Divine Mercy will be recited. The words of the litany were written down by St. Faustina in her Diary and her Vilnius confessor, Bl. Fr. Michael Sopocko, composed the prayer on this basis. Praying with her words, we not only praise God’s Mercy, but also get to know the mystery of God’s merciful Love more, which accompanies man in all the dimensions of his earthly life, accompanying him always and everywhere.
On April 26, another Monday’s meeting will be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, dedicated to contemplating the Catechism of the Catholic Church and prayer at the miracle-famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina for the recovery of faith in the Eucharistic presence of Jesus, and for priests. At 6.45 pm, Fr. Janusz Kościelniak will lead a short meditation based on the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (149-150). The focal point of the program will be the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with individual blessing. Those who cannot physically come to Łagiewniki, can connect to the on-line broadcast at www.saint-faustina.org
Since Mercy Sunday 2021, video broadcasting of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel has been available at the website of the Kraków-Łagiewniki Shrine of Divine Mercy Rectorate, www.milosierdzie.pl. For 24 hours a day, you can adore the Lord Jesus, worship and give thanks for His mercies, as well as ask graces for yourself, your loved ones and the world. Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Łagiewniki Shrine began on 3 April 2005. On this occasion, Pope John Paul II wrote, a few days before his death: I am glad that this Sunday perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will begin at the Shrine. There is nothing that makes the work of mercy accomplished through the Cross and the Resurrection present like the Eucharistic presence of the Lord. Let this presence be a source of strength and hope for all pilgrims.
The presentation of the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Łagiewniki Shrine has been available by daily video broadcasting for many years now at www.saint-faustina.org
On Sunday, April 25th, Sr. M. Faustyna, Sr. Clareta and Sr. Faustia from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will be sharing the message of Mercy recorded in the Diary of St. Faustina with the faithful at the historic church of St. Bartholomew in Niedzica. The Message of Mercy will be proclaimed in Polish and Slovak, because the church, located at the Polish border crossing with Slovakia, offers services also in the Slovak language.
The nearest “Łagiewniki 22”, which is a monthly meeting of young people at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, will be held on April 22nd. In this year of formation, the young will meet at 7 pm for an evening of Divine Mercy veneration in front of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. Those who cannot physically come to Łagiewniki, can connect to the on-line broadcast at www.saint-faustina.org.
On Sunday, April 18, the 5th National Bible Reading will take place, this time selected texts from the Gospel according to St. Mark. Ceremonial celebration led by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, the metropolitan of Krakow, with the participation of invited teachers, will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki at 7.00 a.m and will be broadcasted together with the Eucharist by TVP1 and on the website: www.faustyna.pl, You Tube and on mobile applications: faustyna.pl . Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, chairman of the EPP and Mateusz Morawiecki, president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland took the patronage over the event.
April 18 is the 28th anniversary of the beatification of Sister Faustina. Therefore, it is an excellent opportunity to thank God for her life, her school of spirituality, her prophetic mission to remind the world of the biblical truth about God’s merciful love for man and to proclaim it with a new strength through the witness of life in a spirit of trust in God and mercy towards others, word and prayer. Today, there is no country left in the world without an image of Merciful Jesus painted according to the vision she had in Płock. The Feast of Mercy has been inscribed in the liturgical calendar of the universal Church, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, dictated by the Lord Jesus in Vilnius, is recited even in tribal languages on tiny islands in the oceans, and prayer is increasingly practiced at the moment when Jesus died on the cross, called the Hour Mercy as more and more people join in spreading the message of Mercy, creating today a multi-million movement of the Apostles of Divine Mercy.
On April 18th, Sr. Zacheusza from the convent of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will be sharing the message of Mercy recorded in the Diary of St. Faustina with the faithful at the parish of Mary Queen of Poland in Michałowice near Krakow. The church already has relics of St. Faustina and now the parishioners will be diving deep into her spiritual legacy.
On the octave of the Resurrection, the greatest feast of the Catholic Church, ends on the Feast of Divine Mercy, widely called the Mercy Sunday. Jesus demanded the establishment of the feast when He revealed Himself to St. Faustina, repeatedly expressing His desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy: He said: 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. 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. (Diary, 699). On this day, we can receive the grace of washing of regeneration (one of the graces of baptism), but also obtain many other graces and earthly blessings, if they are in accordance with the will of God. The condition is a pure heart without attachment to sin and the attitude of trust in God, which is the desire to do His will and active love of one’s neighbors. The only vessel for drawing the graces is trust, as Jesus taught St. Faustina, because God’s Mercy has no limits and the joy of God is to give much – very much. Such is the Merciful Love we can get to know better and venerate as we celebrate the holiday. Click here to learn more about the Feast and its history in the Church.
The Feast of Mercy, in accordance with the wishes of Jesus expressed to St. Faustina and the decisions of the Holy Father John Paul II, is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter (this year it is April 11). The central ceremony held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki. They will be preceded by a novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy made on Good Friday, and a night vigil which starts in the Basilica on Saturday at 9:00 pm. Sunday Masses at the Shrine of Divine Mercy will be the celebrated according to the following program:
6:00 am – Fr. Andrzej Tarasiuk (basilica).
7:00 am – Bp Jan Zając (chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina – transmission in TVP 1 ).
8:00 am – Bp Damian Muskus (basilica).
10:00 am – Bp Marek Jędraszewski, Archbishop of Krakow (field altar in front of the basilica – transmission in TVP 1).
12:00 – Holy Mass in English of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina.
12:30 pm – Bp Roman Pindel (basilica).
3:00 pm – Hour of Mercy and Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Fr. Zbigniew Bielas, Rector of the Shrine and the sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy (basilica).
4:00 pm – Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz (basilica).
5:00 pm – Holy Mass in Spanish of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina.
6:00 pm – Bp Robert Chrząszcz (basilica).
7:00 pm Holy Mass in English Fr. Grzegorz Zembroń, M.S. (chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina).
Masses from the basilica, the Hour of Mercy prayer (3:00 pm), and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be broadcast by TV Milosierdzie at the website of our Rectory, www.milosierdzie.pl, whereas Holy Mass at 7:00 pm and visitation of the Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina by pilgrims will be live streamed at www.faustyna.pl.
This year, due to the pandemic and sanitary regime, the pilgrims who usually flocked to the Shrine of the Divine Mercy to celebrate the novena before the Feast of Mercy and to attend the services on this feast, will only be able to connect with us spiritually, and through radio and television broadcasts.
Eve of the Feast of Mercy
“Ways of Mercy” service will be broadcast by the TVP3 channel nationwide and on the Rectory’s website at www.milosierdzie.pl. From 9 pm, nightly vigil will be held before the Feast of Mercy. Live broadcast will be available at the Rectory’s website, www.milosierdzie.pl.
Feast of Divine Mercy
Holy mass at 7 am and 10 am, as well as the 3 pm celebration of the Hour of Mercy and Adoration with the Chaplet, will be broadcast on TVP1 and TVP3.
Other Masses from the chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy image and from the Basilica will be streamed live at www.faustyna.pl and the Rectory’s site, www.milosierdzie.pl.
On the Feast of Divine Mercy, April 11th. Marek Jędraszewski, Archbishop of Krakow, will bless more Bells of Hope, this time for the islands of Samoa and Tonga, which will remind of the message of Mercy, provided to the world by Saint Faustina. The inhabitants of these two islands in Oceania are presently under terrible threat to their lives from the rising waters of the Pacific Ocean and also the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The bells cast in Poland and blessed at the Łagiewniki Shrine of Divine Mercy will be delivered to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Consumption in the capital city of Apia on Samoa, which is the home of the Divine Mercy Center in Oceania, the main coordinator of which is Archbishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga, and to the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua in the capital city of Nuku’alofa on Tongo, where the dynamic movement of Divine Mercy has many members and apostles of Divine Mercy, headed by Cardinal Saone Patita Paini Mafi. In mid-August 2021, in Apia, Samoa, the V World Congress of Divine Mercy Apostles will be hosted. For more information, visit https://gf.me/u/y22t6r
The first Bells of Hope were dedicated last year for Brazil and the Phillipines. The bells for Oceania have been funded by the faithful from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Melbourne, Australia.
On April 11, the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Kielce will be officially introducing relics of St. Faustina. In preparation for this event, on April 9-11, Sr. Clareta Fečova and Sr. Klara Domańska from the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki will be sharing the gift of the message of Mercy and the school of the Apostle’s of Divine Mercy spirituality.
This year, the Feast of Divine Mercy will be celebrated differently than ever before because of the pandemic and the inability of sacramental confession and participation in the Eucharist. This gives rise to many questions: how can one fully experience this Mercy Sunday? How do you receive the graces promised by Jesus on this holiday?
The external circumstances of celebrating the solemnity have changed, but the conditions for enjoying the graces connected with it have not. And this is what matters the most. We do not know, and we cannot be certain that by receiving Holy Communion spiritually we will surely receive the grace of complete absolution if all our sins and punishment (we never have such certainty, anyway). However, we can be sure that God desires to grant us His mercy and perfectly knows the limitations under which we live now. To give much, very much, is His joy, as He asserted St. Faustina. The barrier that limits God’s generosity in providing mercy is on the human side, and it is the lack of vessels of trust. This is the only vessel, as Jesus said, to access His graces.
So, what can we do this year on the Feast of Mercy? Let’s do what we always have, that is, seek an attitude of trust in the Lord, accept and do God’s will in the circumstances in which we live, in the restrictions we are experiencing, in the calls we must take every day. This is not only a matter of an attitude of trust in the Lord, which is expressed in the fulfillment of His will, but also an attitude of mercy towards others, and to this we now have plenty of opportunities, especially towards our loved ones, in our professional and social service, and in every field of human existence. If we cannot participate in sacramental confession (as is most often the case now), one must awaken perfect contrition for our sins and receive Jesus in spiritual Communion. Leave the rest to God. He, as the best Father, knows what is needed and by whom, and He will give it freely if we have the very disposition to be open to His will and to those graces which He wishes to give us.
In a situation when we cannot participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are particularly encouraged to practice perfect contrition, that comes from our love of God. Saint Faustina was involved in this practice of awakening perfect contrition every day. She made a pledge in her Diary: I will practice contrition, not only during confession, but during every self-examination, and I will arouse within myself an act of perfect contrition, especially when I am going to bed (Diary, 377). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from faith. If repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called “perfect” contrition; if it is founded on other motives, it is called “imperfect” (CCC, 1492).
Spiritual Holy Communion is a well-known practice and was often taken advantage of by great saints. Also St. Faustina experienced such days and weeks in her life when she could not receive Holy Communion. She writes in her Diary about how she felt about such moments:.
Today the doctor decided that I am not to go to Mass, but only to Holy Communion. I wanted very much to assist at Mass, but my confessor, in agreement with the doctor, told me to obey. “It is God’s will, Sister, that you should get well, and you must not undertake mortifications of any kind. Be obedient, Sister, and God will reward you for it.” I felt that the confessor’s words were Jesus' words, and although it made me sad to miss Holy Mass, during which God had been granting me the grace of seeing the Infant Jesus; nevertheless, I placed obedience above everything else. I became absorbed in prayer and said my penance. Then I suddenly saw the Lord, who said to me, My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. Oh, how good it is to live under obedience, to live conscious of the fact that everything I do is pleasing to God! (Diary, 894).
Now, when we cannot be present at Mass, the Church recommends the spiritual Holy Communion. In preparation to receive Jesus in a spiritual way excerpts of St. Faustina’s Diary may be helpful. Like this one:
I go out to meet Him, and I invite Him to the dwelling place of my heart, humbling myself profoundly before His majesty. But the Lord lifts me up from the dust and invites me, as His bride, to sit next to Him and to tell Him everything that is on my heart. And I, set at east by His kindness, lean my head on His breast and tell Him of everything. In the first place, I tell Him things would never tell to any creature. And then, I speak about the needs of the Church, about the souls of poor sinners and about how much they have need of His mercy. But the time passes quickly. Jesus, I must go t carry out the duties that are awaiting me. Jesus tells me that there is still a moment in which to say farewell. Deep mutual gaze, and we seemingly separate for while; but, in reality, we never do. Our hearts are constantly united. Though outwardly I am distracted b my various duties, the presence of Jesus plunges me constantly in profound recollection (Diary, 1806).
On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, 2021, an English Mass will be celebrated at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, Poland at 12 noon (Central European Summer Time zone). A Jesuit priest, Fr. Andrzej Sarnacki, SJ, will preside at this Mass. Taking part in the liturgy are some English-speaking residents of Krakow, and some English-speaking sisters from the Kraków convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. At 12 noon every Sunday, the English Holy Mass is live streamed from the sister’s Chapel on the website: www.faustyna.pl on our YouTube channel: faustyna.pl and on your mobile App: Faustina.pl for android and iOS. You are most cordially invited to join us online: https://www.saint-faustina.org/transmission-of-the-hour-of-mercy-and-the-chaplet/
Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, in the Santo Spirito church in Sassia, adjacent to the Vatican, home to Italy’s first Center for the Spirituality of Divine Mercy, which was created after the beatification of Sister Faustina Kowalska. The church hosts relics of the Apostle of Divine Mercy and a Divine Mercy image donated by St. John Paul II. The rector of the church is a Polish priest, Fr. Józef Bart, and Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy are serving there as well. Prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is broadcast from this church from Monday to Friday by the Italian Telepace television, and on Saturdays and Sundays on YouTube (find the broadcast via www.divinamiseriordia.it).
Good Friday is the first day of the novena before the feast of Divine Mercy. Jesus asked St. Faustina to use it in order to prepare for the celebration, in which we worship God in the mystery of His unfathomable Mercy. The novena consists of nine days of recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Jesus said about the power of this novena that it entreat just about everything which is in accordance with God’s will, which means that is good for us on earth and in eternity. Out of devotion, you can also recite a novena which Jesus dictated to Sister Faustina. The ceremonial start of this novena will take place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy after the prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3:00 pm), which is celebrated and experienced in a special way on Good Friday. Live broadcast on-line and TVP 3.
In the Catholic Church, Holy Saturday is a day of mourning after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In churches and chapels, the „Tomb of the Lord” is arranged, we adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, thanking Him for the work of Redemption and graces brought by the Cross for our salvation, and we beg for mercy for us and the whole world. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in the morning, foods are blessed on the Christmas table. About 3:00 pm, prayer at the Hour of Mercy is observed, combined with the novena before the Feast of Divine Mercy, followed by memoration of the descent of Jesus into the abyss. After nightfall, at 8:00 pm in front of the basilica, the rites of the Easter Vigil will begin with the Eucharist, where candles should be brought, because this liturgy renews our vows of baptism. Live broadcast: www.milosierdzie.pl.
On the occasion of Easter and the Feast of Divine Mercy, the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy would like to wish all our Benefactors, Associates supporting our apostolic works, as well as Visitors to the Congregation’s website and Members. May you all experience a joyful encounter with the risen, merciful Lord. He is the One who brings peace which the world cannot give, fills our hearts with love and always bestows blessings, as we see Him in the Image which He instructed St. Faustina to paint. Blessed Easter to you all!!!
Trust. This distrust of My goodness hurts Me very much. If My death has not convinced you of My love, what will? (Diary, 580), Jesus complained to St. Faustina. His life, teachings, and miracles most fully revealed the goodness of God and his merciful love to the world. And yet, it so difficult for us to trust in God, so deep is our wound of distrust left by the original sin and our personal sins. Sister Faustina lifts the veil of heaven so we can deepen our knowledge of God’s merciful love, most fully revealed by Jesus’ passion and death on the Cross. This knowledge awakens and grows an attitude of trust in us, which expresses itself in fulfilling God’s will contained in the Commandments, the word of God, duties of the state or inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The will of God, as St. Faustina used to say, is mercy itself, which is why she served it faithfully and prayed with the words: Should You take me in my youth, be blessed; should You let me live to a ripe old age, be blessed. Should You give me health and strength, be blessed; should You confine me to a bed of pain for my whole life, be blessed. Should you give only failures and disappointments in life, be blessed. Should You allow my purest intentions to be condemned, be blessed. Should You enlighten my mind, be blessed. Should You leave me in darkness and all kinds of torments, be blessed. From this moment on, I live in the deepest peace, because the Lord himself is carrying me in the hollow of His hand. He, Lord of unfathomable mercy, knows that I desire Him alone in all things, always and everywhere (Diary, 1264). Doing the will of God is not only an expression of trust in Him, but also a release from fear, pride and selfishness, that brings peace and joy to the heart, so that we can more fully live in the freedom as God’s children and to participate in the life and mission of Jesus. It is the shortest way to union with God in love.
Good Friday is the only day in the year when there is no Holy Mass, as the most perfect sacrifice was made by Jesus Himself at the Cross. Jesus told St. Faustina in one of the many revelations associated with His Passion: On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls – no one have I excluded! (Diary, 1182). On Good Friday, the 3:00 pm prayer, recited at the moment of the agony of Jesus on the Cross (Hour of Mercy) the is celebrated in a particularly solemn manner at the Shrine of Divine Mercy and followed by the start of the novena before the Feast of Mercy (transmission available at: www.faustyna.pl and www.milosierdzie.pl). After the novena, at approx. 3:30 pm, the Way of the Cross will be celebrated. The Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion will begin in the Basilica at 6:00 pm. After Adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion, an Eucharistic procession will set off to the Holy Sepulcher, which is traditionally arranged in the convents' Chapel of the Passion. There will be a continual adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. On Good Friday, strict fasting and abstinence from all meat is required. Live broadcast: www.milosierdzie.pl.
Holy Thursday is the day when we give thanks to merciful God for the gift of priesthood and the Eucharist. Jesus allowed me to enter the Cenacle, wrote St. Faustina about her mystical experience, and I was a witness to what happened there. However, I was most deeply moved when, before the Consecration, Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and entered into a mysterious conversation with His Father. It is only in eternity that we shall really understand that moment. His eyes were like two flames; His face was radiant, white as snow; His whole personage full of majesty, His soul full of longing. At the moment of Consecration, love rested satiated – the sacrifice fully consummated. Now only the external ceremony of death will be carried out – external destruction; the essence [of it] is in the Cenacle (Diary, 684).
At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, on Holy Thursday (April 1) at 10:00 the Holy Chrism Mass will be presided by archbishop Marek Jędraszewski. Oils for the exercise of the Holy Sacraments will be consecrated. About 6:00 pm, Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be presided by Bishop John Hare, the honorary curator of the Shrine. The Holy Thursday liturgy will be completed by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose, which traditionally arranged in the convent chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. Adoration of Jesus in Repose will last all night. Live broadcast: www.milosierdzie.pl, www.saint-faustina.org.
March 28 is Passion Sunday, also celebrated as Palm Sunday, which starts the Holy Week. On this day, the account of Jesus Christ’s Passion is read from the Gospel during the Holy Mass. The Eucharist is preceded by a procession with colorful Polish palms as a celebration of the memory of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The palms symbolize the Divine life being reborn in the souls of the faithful. The evangelic description of Jesus' entry to Jerusalem is supplemented by the account of St. Faustina’s visions from her Diary: I saw Jesus riding on a donkey’s foal, and the disciples and a great multitude with branches in their hands joyfully accompanying the Lord Jesus. Some strewed them before His feet where He was riding, while others raised their branches in the air, leaping and jumping before the Lord and not knowing what to do for joy. And I saw another crowd which came out to meet Jesus, likewise with joyful faces and with branches in their hands, and they were crying out unceasingly with joy. There were little children there also. But Jesus was very grave, and the Lord gave me to know how much He was suffering at the time. And at that moment, I saw nothing but only Jesus, whose Heart was saturated with ingratitude (Diary, 642). Jesus gave me to understand how much He had suffered in that triumphal procession. “Hosanna” was reverberating in Jesus' heart as an echo of 'Crucify'. Jesus allowed me to feel this in a special way (Diary, 1028).
On every Friday at Shrine of Divine Mercy, a communal devotion of the Stations of the Cross, or Way of Sorrows, will be celebrated at the Basilica at 4:00 pm and in the chapel of the Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina at 7:00 pm, with the exception of the first Friday, when the Way will be celebrated at 6:15 pm (online broadcast available at www.saint-faustina.org). The devotion, in which we contemplate the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, allows us to discover and explore the merciful love of God to man, to develop the attitude of trusting God in every situation, even the difficult and painful ones and the attitude of mercy toward our neighbors. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and suffered ignominious death for every one of us, to rise again so that we may have life and enjoy it now and forever.
In March in all chapels of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, including the one with the miracle-famous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. Faustina at the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, evening devotions will be held to memorate St. Joseph. The sisters, since the early history of the Congregation, have had special veneration for St. Joseph, Spouse of the Mother of God and diligent protector of Christ, whose care they entrust themselves to. The Saint provides aid not only in respect to material things, but also spiritual ones. He gave St. Faustina “to know how much he is supporting this work of mercy” which the Lord commanded – one of proclaiming the message of mercy to the world, and promised his protection. However, he also demanded her continuing devotion and asked that she recite three daily prayers and one Memorate to St. Joseph (Diary, 1203). Our daily on-line broadcasts (except Thursdays and Sundays) at 7:00 pm will allow you to join in the singing of the Litany of St. Joseph with the sisters to thank for his fatherly care and to ask for his powerful intercession in our intentions before God.
People from many countries of the world participating in the work of the Perpetual Chaplet of Divine Mercy are praying not only in their own intentions, but also asking for “mercy on us and the whole world”. A detailed intention for March is prayer for a fruitful experience of Lent, and the grace of conversion for all sinners, especially those in danger of losing their salvation.
The work of Perpetual Chaplet is a response to the request of Jesus to constantly implore for mercy “for us and the whole world”. The work has been operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at: www.faustyna.pl since 2011. Anyone can participate in it by filling out a short form and declare to say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which Jesus dictated to St. Faustina at least once.
