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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!

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!

staying late after class

Published on March 10, 2015March 10, 2015 by Dawn MarieLeave a comment

A past assignment at last examined: consider what you want to accomplish with your blog. Write down three concrete goals you want to achieve. Live. And. Blog. (not blog to live.)

Having goals helps you focus your blogging energy. If the thing you’re doing isn’t helping you achieve your goals, ditch it. Done & ditched!

Some questions to mull over to help you uncover/refine what’s most important to you about your blog:

Why do you blog? My head’s all full of fluff. To connect with others? Sort-of, (but only kind-of.) If others are to connect with me they will need to be those who have not only smiles on their faces but smiles embedded in their souls, (or are striving for this.) To work through and clarify your own thoughts? Mostly.

If your blog exceeded your wildest dreams, what would that look like? It would be a creative outlet of love. How many followers would you have? Only thing that matters would be: a follower of my site must be one who is intrigued by silly, sappy, genuine love (which can be messy sometimes) & those who care to nurture God’s love in their lives and the lives of others. And MUST be comfortable with receiving hugs n’ blessings! (Yes, this site is touchy & feely.) What sort of community would participate? Builders of character. No conspirators who want to build themSELVES up while tearing others down. What discussions would take place? Godly giggles exhaled through angel breaths. How often would you post? my prayer is to build a routine. God is working on that for me...please be patient with His timing.

You can articulate your goals however you’re most comfortable, my main goal is: unpacking my brain fluff; but we recommend making them simple, concrete, and time-based to create laser-like focus, like: okay….unpacking my fluff ROUTINELY so i don’t become over-stuffed!

How would that look?

Attempt to publish three times each week with: One random fluff-thought, 2 regular features.

Spend one hour each week visiting my followers’ blogs, reading their posts, and commenting on their work.

Create an editorial calendar for the next three months by March 23rd.

Publish posts from respected guests once a month.

(Enlist prayer warriors to pray for me!)

Assignment completed. (no credit received. but my character is redeemed & for that I give mySELF some bonus points!)

hugs n’ blessings!