mercy – Page 19 – hugsnblessings

All about Helen!

Published on October 5, 2015October 5, 2015 by Dawn Marie9 Comments

Today is the Feast Day of my gal-pal, St. Faustina!!!!

(aka: Helen Kowalska before taking her vows as a Sister of Our Lady of Mercy!)

And oh, how I love her!❤️

We have even named our dog after Helen Kowalska! — Our dog’s name is…Helen Kowalska too!

In 2014 as I began reading St. Faustina’s personal Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, I had no idea the spiritual growth I would experience from the written experience of her life-lived out. But today I lift up prayers of gratitude for all I have gained through her example! God has moved me forward, in many aspects, as He clarified for me during that time spent reading her Diary, what it means to love beyond measure…regardless of the burdens or sorrows that may come. She continues to guide me and remind me that everyone deserves mercy!

I will always be grateful for this gift and the immense peace which has remained in my heart as a result.

Our Parish priest, Fr Larry Richards, has taught us a wonderful way of incorporating scripture into our daily lives. We have learned from him:

“No Bible, no breakfast! No Bible, no bed!”

This morning I decided to do my “breakfast portion” of Scripture in our Chapel prior to Morning Mass. And since it is a day all about her, I invited my gal-pal St. Faustina to be with me as I invoked the Holy Spirit; hoping she’d nudge Him in a direction that was merciful!

“Speak to me Your Word, Oh Lord, that I may know you, love you, and serve You.”

And (as I’d hoped in my heart) St Faustina, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, (I believe) nudged Him in a kind & gentle direction; affirming what has been (being) revealed to me for quite some time. As I randomly broke open the Word this is where He rested my eyes:

Lamentations 3: 55-62 & 24 “I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for help!” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life. Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me; you will judge my cause! You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me. Lord, you have heard their insults, all their devices against me—what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. …”The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.“”

A grateful giggle bubbled up inside me because of course St. Faustina would know the words I would rejoice over in celebration of this day for her! This restful heart He has been strengthening in me, she too found rest in these words as others mocked, judged & spoke poorly of her. And this is why she is so close to my heart! Her courage, to follow the ways of her Lord, despite the suffering she endured, has shone a light on my own humble attempts to love others despite what is returned to me. And to pray always for a conversion of heart; especially for those in need of the grace to love unconditionally in return.

Thank you St. Faustina!

For giving abundantly to me, through your example, with each reminder of what it means to place our trust in Him!

Enough thanksgiving from me…now it’s ALL ABOUT Helen!

When this saint was born in Poland on August 25, 1905, her parents named her Helen. In her short life on earth, she carried out the important mission of teaching the world about the mercy of Jesus. From the time she was seven years old, Helen knew she wanted to live a life consecrated to God as a sister. When she was twenty-five, she entered the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, taking the name Sister Faustina.
Her work was simple. She cooked, tended the convent garden, and answered the door. Her kindness, serenity, and spirit of recollection were remarkable. But few people knew the real depths of her spirituality. God blessed Sister Faustina with many extraordinary gifts, including visions, prophecy, and invisible stigmata.
In one of the visions Sister Faustina had, Jesus appeared in a white garment. He raised one hand in blessing and touched his heart with the other. Two rays of light, one red, the other pale, spread out from his heart. The red ray represented the saving blood of Christ; the pale ray stood for the cleansing water of Baptism. Jesus said, “Have an image painted just as you see me, with the words ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’” Jesus told Sister Faustina that the Sunday after Easter was to be the Feast of Divine Mercy.
Sister Faustina kept a diary in which she wrote down everything that Jesus wanted the world to know about his mercy. In it, she wrote about prayer as a loving relationship with God. Jesus told her that she was his secretary. It was her special work to encourage people to trust in the limitless mercy of God.
Jesus promised forgiveness and abundant graces to anyone who would honor the Feast of Divine Mercy. Devotion to Divine Mercy consists in trusting in God’s goodness, loving one’s neighbor, remaining in the state of grace with the help of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and receiving Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday.

After only thirteen years of religious life, Sister Faustina died of tuberculosis on October 5, 1938. She was thirty-three years old. Pope John Paul II declared her a saint on April 30, 2000.

Jesus told St. Maria Faustina, “I expect you to show mercy always and everywhere. You cannot excuse yourself from this.”

The best way to show that we trust in the mercy of Jesus is to be merciful and forgiving to the people who hurt us.

Are we willing to do this?

hugs n’ blessings to all those who love enough…to forgive!

Helen reminds us to pray for all those who (for today,) cannot! — Helen reminds us to pray for all those who (for today) cannot!

“Let them come to me…”

Published on September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 by Dawn Marie12 Comments

Held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, the World Meeting of Families is the world’s largest Catholic gathering of families. Each World Meeting of Families has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 is “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society. Since its inception by Saint John Paul II in 1994, the World Meeting of Families has strengthened the sacred bonds of families across the globe.

On June 30th, 2015, the Vatican released the comprehensive itinerary for Pope Francis’ journey to the United States, including his schedule for Philadelphia on September 26-27, which will close the 6-day Apostolic Journey. And ever-since that day I, (along with millions of others) have anticipated his arrival. I am still pinchity-pinching myself that I will be there!

Call me a fanatic, Jesus-freak, (did you know this is described in the urban dictionary???) Pope-stalker, or the likes; but really…it’s not that dramatic nor romantic! I’m just in awe of my God. I’m in awe of His love for me. His love for others. And the deep-desire He has to reign down his grace and His mercy upon us. God can never be outdone in His generosity & as I have opened my heart to Him more & more I have seen this great love FOR US…Every. Single. Day.

My enthusiasm for Our Holy Father is rooted in his “YES” to God to lead us in this endeavor. Pope Francis’ trust in God, strengthens my trust in him and in my Church. He leads me, guides me, & reminds me what the Gospels teach. I am grateful for the courage he embraces to be challenged, mocked, judged, and ridiculed for this trust in a God he knows intimately. And I am inspired that Pope Francis encourages, invites, and WELCOMES everyone to partake in this same unconditional love our Heavenly Father offers, as we place our trust in Him. The Pope reminds each of us: we are ALL sinners, himself included, BUT that Jesus stands AT the door of our hearts & knocks. However, WE must open the door!! The door-handle is ours to hold, to turn, to open. And I pray, if it hasn’t already been done, countless people, through the blessings of the Holy Father’s visit, find themselves pulling open the door which separates them from receiving God’s great love for them. This is what Christs’ vicar is showing us how to do in his papacy and I am so grateful…I cannot wait to be in Philly so I may tell him so!

KnotsIMG_5240 — Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto Philadelphia, Pa

knots1 — Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto Philadelphia, Pa

Exactly how will I tell him??? (I promise not to break any security-breeches in my endeavor.) Through my prayers, of course! My participation in this pilgrimage will be encased in prayers. All forms of prayer! Prayers of sacrifice & fasting. Prayers of gratitude, intentions & petitions. (To discover the difference between the two click on the link.) And I am collecting all forms from anyone who desires me to include theirs with mine. I will offer them at the final Papal Mass or if I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto in Philly I promise to “tie” your prayers to this special location.

My first prayer, after delivering all the others brought from each of you, will be as I said earlier, my gratitude. However, my biggest prayer is inspired by the tender-little-one shown below. Her message tugs at my heart for personal reasons. And her message is so very poignant to what the theme for The World Meetings of Families is all about…LOVE IS OUR MISSION. May it remain a theme in our lives forever…for the sake of our families…for the sake of one another.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

hugs n’ blessings to all the little-ones who: “try to do my best in my heart.”

So that everyone can smile…

Do you remember?

Published on September 22, 2015September 22, 2015 by Dawn Marie2 Comments

A wise Irish Man once asked us: “Do you remember, the 21st of September?”

“Yes, we do!”

And there have been indelible marks left behind as the clock changes to 22 September.

Like wine stains on your favorite table-covering that can never be removed, some memories remain forever.

There will be several 21st(s) of September I will always remember.

I will definately add this years’ to the list (along with the others!)

Yesterday Pope Francis delivered one such indelible moment as I listened to the live coverage of his homily message to the thousands gathered in Revolutionary Plaza in Cuba.

I pray a word or two leave an indelible mark on your heart as well.

Pope Francis told the crowds on 21 September 15:

“On a day like any other, as Matthew, the tax collector, was seated at his table, Jesus passed by, saw him, came up to him and said: “Follow me”. Matthew got up and followed him.

Jesus looked at him. How strong was the love in that look of Jesus, which moved Matthew to do what he did! What power must have been in his eyes to make Matthew get up from his table! We know that Matthew was a publican: he collected taxes from the Jews to give to the Romans. Publicans were looked down upon and considered sinners; as such, they lived apart and were despised by others. One could hardly eat, speak or pray with the likes of these. For the people, they were traitors: they extorted from their own to give to others. Publicans belonged to this social class.

Jesus, on the other hand, stopped; he did not quickly take his distance. He looked at Matthew calmly, peacefully. He looked at him with eyes of mercy; he looked at him as no one had ever looked at him before. And this look unlocked Matthew’s heart; it set him free, it healed him, it gave him hope, a new life, as it did to Zacchaeus, to Bartimaeus, to Mary Magdalene, to Peter, and to each of us. Even if we do not dare raise our eyes to the Lord, he looks at us first. This is our story, and it is like that of so many others. Each of us can say: “I, too, am a sinner, whom Jesus has looked upon”. I ask you, in your homes or in the Church, to be still for a moment and to recall with gratitude and happiness those situations, that moment, when the merciful gaze of God was felt in our lives.

Jesus’ love goes before us, his look anticipates our needs. He can see beyond appearances, beyond sin, beyond failures and unworthiness. He sees beyond our rank in society. He sees beyond this, to our dignity as sons and daughters, a dignity at times sullied by sin, but one which endures in the depth of our soul. He came precisely to seek out all those who feel unworthy of God, unworthy of others. Let us allow Jesus to look at us. Let us allow his gaze to run over our streets. Let us allow that look to become our joy, our hope.

After the Lord looked upon him with mercy, he said to Matthew: “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him. After the look, a word. After love, the mission. Matthew is no longer the same; he is changed inside. The encounter with Jesus and his loving mercy has transformed him. He leaves behind his table, his money, his exclusion. Before, he had sat waiting to collect his taxes, to take from others; now, with Jesus he must get up and give, give himself to others. Jesus looks at him and Matthew encounters the joy of service. For Matthew and for all who have felt the gaze of Jesus, other people are no longer to be “lived off”, used and abused. The gaze of Jesus gives rise to missionary activity, service, self-giving. Jesus’ love heals our short-sightedness and pushes us to look beyond, not to be satisfied with appearances or with what is politically correct.”

Jesus looks at Matthew with Love and Mercy. Everyone wants to be noticed. Children are forever saying to their parents ‘Look at me, Look at me.” One of the most painful crosses are those who feel invisible. No one seems to notice or look at them.

Jesus looks at us. Jesus looks into our eyes. In the Gospel today, Jesus stops and looks at a man who everyone considered an outcast. Jesus simply looks at him with Love, and Matthew followed him.

Jesus is looking at you today with eyes full of love and mercy.“

And so I ask: “Will you remember?”