Sunday, November 20, 2016

A Word from Your Pastor - November 20 Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe

Dear Parishioners:

This weekend we bring to a close the Year of Mercy.  However, just as they say on Broadway, “The show must go on!”  Now that we have spent a year in reflection on Mercy, we are in a better condition to put it into practice.  Mercy is a quality that tells us that God is with us especially in the tough times.  We are called to be a people who bring His Mercy to the world.

No one can deny the need for Mercy.  The challenge is to discover the practical ways to live it out.  As St. Faustina teaches us, we need to Ask for Mercy, to Be merciful and to have Confidence in God’s Mercy and to completely trust in Him.  “Jesus, I trust in You” is the simplest prayer that acknowledges the Mercy revealed by the Heart of Jesus.  The Divine Mercy Image shows us that the blood and water that flowed from His side on the Cross continues to flow out as rays of Mercy upon the world.

The Mercy Chaplet contains three short prayers:

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

It is clear that the focus of this devotion is Eucharistic.  We experience Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, and the Divine Mercy Devotion allows us to carry it into the world.  This can be prayed for our own needs and the needs of the whole world.  It is especially effective when we are at the deathbed of loved ones.

The proclamation of God as Merciful Father was the center of the Year of Mercy.  We entrust to the God of Mercy all that we experience to we trust Him to bring us to the Kingdom.  As we complete journey of the Year of Mercy, may we now carry the Message of Mercy to the whole world.


Happy Thanksgiving to you and all you love!

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