Dawn Marie

And it’s A Year of…Mercy!

Published on March 18, 2015November 30, 2016 by Dawn Marie4 Comments

It’s Wednseday!

And it’s my day to reflect on The Divine Mercy of God!

And I am…

Jumping with Joy!

Papa made the best announcement recently & my heart is still over the moon giddy! It’s been so thumpity-thumping, over-joyed pumping, that my rib-cage feels bruised. (Well not really, but that’s a pretty good word-exaggeration to give you an indicator of just how HAPPY I am!) Pope Francis (Papa) announced on Friday, March 13, 2015 that next year will be an extraordinary jubilee year dedicated to mercy!

Pope Francis will make the formal announcement on April 12th which is Divine Mercy Sunday!!

“Dear brothers and sisters, I have thought about how the Church can make clear its mission of being a witness of mercy,” Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported. “It’s a journey that starts with a spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to declare an Extraordinary Jubilee that has the mercy of God at its center. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy.”

Luke 6:36, “Be merciful as your Father is merciful,” will be the verse for the year!

“I am convinced that the whole Church will be able to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscovering and making fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and every woman of our time,” CNA quotes the pontiff, adding that he then entrusted the Holy Year to Mary, Mother of Mercy. You can read even more at the Catholic Beat.

As Pope Frances wrote in Evangelii Gaudium: “The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.”

I have been dancing the Divine Mercy Dance, body and soul, (another great visual) ever-since learning of this!

And I can just imagine how smile-face-happy St. Faustina would be!

images — Smilin’ St. Faustina (Helen) Kowalska!

“Oh most Holy Tinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your Mercy!” -St. Faustina

St. Faustina also wrote in her Diary:

“Today, my soul is preparing for the coming of the Lord, who can do all things, who can make me perfect and holy. I am preparing very carefully for His reception, but there arose the difficulty as to how to present this to Him? I rejected it (this difficulty) at once. I will present it as my heart dictates.” – entry, 1825

May we each begin today to prepare our own hearts for the coming of this beautiful year in the Church, a Holy Year of Mercy!

I know Helen already is!

hugs n’ blessings!

shine!

Published on March 13, 2015August 17, 2015 by Dawn Marie7 Comments

Dancing Through My Head :

for my friend L

(because i understand)

a lot of stuff being said.

yes, the words hurt.

the knowledge of how twisty-turned people can use their words to make a fantasy appear true

is the slippery-slope of the devil.

e217eb9a873ba20f4e583ba0448dc3af — People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck

and the devil is uninvited.

st. michael, with your sword of truth, shine down!

away satan! stand behind me!

you need only be still.

for he is at your side.

pray those hearing not travel down the slippery slope.

pray the snare not be set for they too.

pray.

no hate set up in our house.

only friendship given. with hugs n’ blessings.

pecked by ducks maya angelou always said. (gossip be like that…)

but our god is stronger than a flock.

He is stronger when we are weak.

and so sleep soundly.

awake afresh.

in His joy. shining bright.

His plan.

His protection. no matter what may come.

526f7140151c58dcc82a0fc71ba3bcba — get ye’ to thee sunglass hut satan!

just hugs n’ blessings given here!

Music by : Casting Crowns

This is not a test!

Published on March 11, 2015August 2, 2016 by Dawn Marie5 Comments

I’m going to do my very best at targeting Wednesdays as one of my regular feature posts.

Wednesdays for Saint Maria Faustina KoWalska (why else,) with a brief reflection on the

Divine Mercy of God.

So ya’ better Get ready to…

Sharpen your pencils! Grab a high-lighter!

Find a notebook! And load up on those sticky notes! (Because there will be a test!)

As I wrote in a previous post, Inner Silence, in the year 1937 Saint Faustina (Helen KoWalska) wrote a particular “examen” to aide her in being united with the merciful Christ. Through prayer she was guided to create what she titled The Conscience; and which became for her a chart of an “internal control of the soul.” Each month she used an examen to pray and meditate upon. Faustina took these practices so seriously that she recorded the Victories & Falls she experienced while attempting to adhere to each practice!

In 2014, inspired by this great act of love & my own desire to live united with Christ, I dedicated myself to memorize each (monthly) examen. My hope was that, through the memorization & monthly meditation upon the prescribed practice, I could give my best attempt at living out the practice in my own daily life. This year I have added the commitment to record (for myself) my own Victories & Falls, just as Faustina did. Although, I am certain my Victories will be far fewer and the Falls far greater than hers!

Seriously, don’t ask how it is going!

I was never a star-student in school academically. (Even though I graduated with honors.) My good grades came with true-grit-northern effort. And test-prep was often a nightmare for me! It wasn’t until the discovery of high-lighters and sticky notes, which aided my ability to organize my scattered fluff-sense, that testing became more successful. I like things nice & orderly. Tidier thoughts evolved into better grades. And I think this is why I have been so drawn to Saint Faustina’s monthly examens. They’re so tidy!

Not only are the examens drawing me closer to God; but by keeping tally of the Victories & Falls I have experienced while practicing the examen, it has given me a personal calculation where God is calling me to grow!

In these three short months of keeping record God has revealed my weaknesses, (the yucky part of testing oneself.) But because of His great grace He has also revealed just how much stronger I have become too! NOT due in part to my own efforts but in how much more drawn to Him I have become through utilizing this practice of: internal control of my soul. As Saint Faustina reveals, a soul turned over to God learns to direct itself toward HIM in its weakness.

And as a result, a beautiful observance of inner silence develops…ssshhhhhhh.

FullSizeRender — Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Diary- Divine Mercy in My Soul

I am leaving with you-who-too may be reading, a gift! (No, not a new high-lighter.) Something much better! The outline for Saint Maria Faustina’s monthly examen. May you find the same merciful Christ that I have; should your soul-be-inspired to unite with Him. (Now, THAT is a high-light!)

The Conscience

Exclamatory Prayers:

January- But Jesus remained silent.

February- Jesus, I trust in You.

March- Jesus, enkindle my heart with love.

April- With God, I can do all things.

May- In His Name is my strength.

June- All for Jesus.

July- Jesus, rest in my heart.

August- Jesus, You know.

September- Jesus, hide me in Your Heart.

October- Mary, unite me with Jesus.

November- O my Jesus, have mercy!

December- Hail, living Host!

One final gift: a prayer entry from Saint Faustina’s Diary and a heart-felt wish for your success as you study these examens. And always remember the final test is at the end….

I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor. (163)

hugs n’ blessings to all those studying for the final test!