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CATHOLIC FAITH AT HOME RESOURCES
For Our Family of Parishes
STELLA MARIS, STAR OF THE SEA
including:
St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette,
St. Mary's, St. Peter's
APRIL 16
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“Yes, Christ is truly risen,
and we are witnesses of this.
We proclaim this witness to the world,
so that the joy which is ours will reach
countless other hearts,
kindling in them the light of the hope
which does not disappoint.”
ST. JOHN PAUL II
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WHAT IS THE
IMAGE OF DIVINE MERCY???
In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision.
She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment
with His right hand raised in blessing.
His left hand was touching
His garment in the area of the Heart,
from where two large rays came forth,
one red and the other pale.
She gazed intently at the Lord in silence,
her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy.
Jesus said to her:
Paint an image according to the pattern you see,
with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.
I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.
I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth,
especially at the hour of death.
I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 47, 48).
I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep
coming for graces to the fountain of mercy.
That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327).
I desire that this image be venerated,
first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (47).
At the request of her spiritual director,
St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image.
She heard these words in reply:
The two rays denote Blood and Water.
The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous.
The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls.
These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy
when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross.
Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter,
for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299).
By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls.
It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy,
because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (742)
Click the link below to hear more detail as:
FR. CHRIS ALAR EXPLAINS THE DIVINE MERCY IMAGE
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DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
This Feast of The Divine Mercy,
is the Second Sunday of Easter
(the first Sunday after Easter).
This year the Feast of The Divine Mercy falls on
Sunday, April 16, 2023.
You probably know that Easter is the most important feast day
of the year, but did you also know that we actually
celebrate it for eight full days!
This is the “Octave of Easter.”
Moreover, it is the last day of the octave,
which is the greatest of all,
the climax of the whole feast.
Fittingly, Jesus promised to give great graces
on Divine Mercy Sunday.
He told St. Faustina:
On that day [Divine Mercy Sunday],
the very depths of My tender mercy are opened.
I pour out a whole ocean of graces
upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. …
On that day all the divine floodgates
through which graces flow are opened (Diary, 699).
Regarding the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday,
Jesus told St. Faustina,
“The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion
shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (699).
This is an extraordinary promise!
JOIN THE STELLA MARIS Parish Family's
DIVINE MERCY CELEBRATION
at St. Thomas More Church
Sunday, April 16 from 2:00 - 3:15pm
with
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
the Divine Mercy Chaplet
and Confession available
(with 6 attending priests).
Click the link below to watch a short video on:
WHY GO TO CONFESSION?
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The Divine Mercy
Message
and
Devotion
Both PROFOUND and simple.
The message is: God loves us – all of us.
He wants us to recognize that
His mercy is greater than our sins,
so that we will call upon Him with trust,
receive His mercy - to be saved! -
and let it flow through us to others.
This message and the devotion to Jesus
are based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska,
an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience
to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages,
in which she recorded revelations
she received about God's mercy - deeper than any abyss!
The Chaplet can be said anytime,
but the Lord also specifically asked that it be recited as a novena.
He promised, "By this Novena (of Chaplets),
I will grant every possible grace to souls."
You can begin it any time, but it especially recommended to (also)
start it on GOOD FRIDAY
so finish it for the Feast of Divine Mercy on April 16.
(More on that Feast Day next week.)
For each of the novena's nine days, Jesus Himself gave Saint Faustina the intention for us to pray for:
1. All mankind, especially sinners;
2. Souls of priests and religious;
3. All devout and faithful souls;
4. Those who do not believe in God and
those who do not yet know Jesus;
5. Souls who have separated themselves from the Church;
6. Meek and humble souls and the souls of little children;
7. Souls who especially venerate and glorify His mercy;
8. Souls detained in purgatory;
9. Souls who have become lukewarm
(the last group's apathy causing Jesus to express greater concern about their soul's willingness to consider repenting)
Click below to see how to pray :
THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET
Click below to see the:
DIVINE MERCY NOVENA PRAYERS
Click below to hear from Fr. Michael Gaitley:
30 MINUTE CRASH COURSE ON DIVINE MERCY
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SERIES OF LESSONS ON DIVINE MERCY
How do we achieve peace and learn
to trust in the boundless love
and mercy of Jesus?
Click below for this highly acclaimed Divine Mercy series
providing a roadmap for understanding
this beautiful message.
DIVINE MERCY SERIES
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AN EASTER MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP SCHNURR
Jesus's self-giving sacrifice on the cross
and His triumphant victory over death
arm us with the grace needed to
overcome the darkness of sin.
That is what we celebrate at Easter.
May Christ's light radiate in your hearts
and homes this Easter season.
Click below to watch our Archbishop's message:
EASTER MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP SCHNURR
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TOTUS TUUS !!
(NOT summer Bible school)
Actively engage your children and teens with their
Catholic Faith
through near-peers.
Totus Tuus goals
Strengthen youths' faith in Jesus Christ.
Prayer, discussion, and encounters
but also
Lively activities & Youthful, on-fire disciples
Specially trained for this ministry
(not summer Bible school!)
Only in a
real and personal relationship with Him
can we truly know the Father's love in the Spirit
and be made sharers in the Holy Trinity's life.
CHECK OUT THE FLYER BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS!
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HALLELUIA!
HE IS RISEN!
Halleluia!
All glory, praise and honor to You,
Most Glorious Lord Jesus!
You have risen from the grave,
You have conquered sin and death,
You have opened the gates to Heaven!
Halleluia!
All praise and honor to You, Most Glorious Lord Jesus!
My Lord, hope is restored, joy and excitement
are instilled in many hearts as You
quietly, gently and gloriously rise from the dead
and bring forth new life for this fallen world.
Sweet Jesus, give me the eyes of faith
that I may see and believe in Your Resurrection.
Help me to know the effects of Your triumph in my life.
As I come to know You, my resurrected Lord,
help me to entrust to You all that I am
and all that I hope to be.
Help me to trust in the abundant Mercy
that flows from Your resurrected soul.
Lord of Mercy, as our Church prepares
for the glorious celebration of Mercy,
poured out in a special way on the eighth day of this
Octave on Divine Mercy Sunday,
help me to open my heart more deeply
than ever before to the abundance of
Grace and Mercy You wish to bestow.
Pour forth Your Mercy into my life
and into the lives of all Your children.
I offer You my family, friends, community and the entire world.
I pray for the faithful, the sinner,
the lost and confused, the clergy,
our Holy Father and all of Your precious children.
May we all anticipate, with eager hope,
the abundance of grace You wish to dispense.
My Resurrected Jesus of Mercy,
I trust in You.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Jesus, I trust in You!
Halleluia!
All glory, praise and honor to You,
Most Glorious Lord Jesus!
You have risen from the grave,
You have conquered sin and death,
You have opened the gates to Heaven!
Halleluia!
All praise and honor to You,
Most Glorious Lord Jesus!
Click below to read the:
AVE MARIS STELLA PRAYER
Click below to hear:
AVE MARIS STELLA in GREGORIAN CHANT
Click below to hear:
AVE MARIS STELLA SUNG IN ENGLISH
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NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL
NEW WEEKLY INFO
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Encountering God’s Beloved Sons
Sr. Maria Miguel Wright, O.P., recalls
how an invitation to offer a concert
in an unusual setting led her and her sisters
to encounter Jesus in a powerful way
one Easter Sunday as she reflects
on The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, no. 41.
Click the link below to read this story:
ENCOUNTERING JESUS IN A POWERFUL WAY
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THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AMONG US!
Sr. Marcella Louise Wallowicz, C.S.F.N.,
helps us recognize that the Kingdom of God
is uniquely revealed to us through the lens of the Cross.
Reflect on The Mystery of the Eucharist
in the Life of the Church, no. 42
in light of Sr. Marcella’s insights.
Click below to read her insights:
SISTER MARCELLA'S INSIGHTS
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NEW!!! EUCHARISTIC PRAYER COMPANION
Click the link below to download the new (pdf)
Eucharistic Prayer Companion
corresponding with the Lenten Sunday Mass readings
and the week’s particular work of mercy.
NEW!! EUCHARISTIC PRAYER COMPANION FOR LENT
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Registration for the Congress
Launches
With all the grace Our Lord wants to pour
over the United States through
the National Eucharistic Revival and 2024 Congress,
the devil is working overtime to
disrupt this endeavor anywhere he can.
Please take a moment to pray for everyone involved
in coordinating and executing this historic occasion of grace.
Below is a list of specific intentions where your prayers are most needed.
Please pray for:
• The technology that will process registrations
• Congress volunteers
• Event organizers and administrative staff
• All those considering attending
• All who God is calling to the Congress, especially sacrifice to be there
• The pilgrims as they prepare for the National Eucharistic Procession
Thank you for your ministry as a Prayer Partner of the Revival.
Your intercession makes a real difference!
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WILL YOU BE THERE, TOO?
You can join us in July, 2024 for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.
At this historic event, directly experience the fruits
of your intercession and see the impact
your ministry made all over the country.
Click the link below to REGISTER
REGISTRATION FOR 10TH
NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONFERENCE
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QUIZ! FOR THE WEEK
How many times did Jesus appear after his resurrection?
Scroll down to find the answer!
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HUMOR HIGHLIGHT
THE END IS NIGH
A priest and a pastor are standing by a road
holding up a sign that reads,
“The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!”
A passing driver yells, “You guys are nuts!”
and speeds past them.
From around the curve, they hear screeching tires—
then a big splash.
The priest turns to the pastor and says,
“Do you think we should just put up a sign that says
‘Bridge Out’ instead?””
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GOSPEL READING REFLECTION
For APRIL 16, 2023
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
Gospel John 20:19-31
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GOD'S GIFT OF PEACE
- Peace is more than a lack of conflict. A lull in action between two opponents only gives them a chance to regroup, to recharge for the next round. A void of violence does not lead to happiness.
- True peace, on the other hand, gives us happiness, since it is build on trust. The gospel tells us how Jesus gave his followers peace because they trusted him. In spite of skepticism, he offers us the same peace.
- In this gospel, John related two resurrection stories and two verses many scholars believe were the original ending to the gospel. The first section focused upon the gift of the Spirit, the second upon faith, and the third upon the reason for evangelization.
- In his gospel, John gave the reason the followers gathered together behind locked doors. They feared the Jewish leadership. "If they killed Jesus," the followers reasoned, "the leadership would certainly be looking for us."
- Barred doors made Jesus' followers look more suspicious. At the time, trust within the Jewish community was built upon open access. Doors were never locked. Neighbor children could enter one's house at will. Jews lived private lives in the open. Anyone who locked their doors (save the rural family who lived miles from their neighbor), cut themselves off from the community.
- Suddenly Jesus appeared in the locked room and greeted his followers with " Shalom."
- Shalom ("peace" in Hebrew) meant God was working in the world. When God worked, he put the world in balance. No war, no hatred, no cynicism could overcome God's providence. When God worked, he put the spirit in balance. No fear, no doubt, no lack of trust could overcome the sheer joy of God's presence. Shalom meant everything was right in God's world.
- When his followers saw Jesus alive with his deadly wound, they realized the "Shalom" of Jesus, for they witnessed God's activity in the world. Fear left them, for now they believed. Joy entered their hearts.
- Again Jesus said "Shalom" with a command and a gift. The command: Go into the world. As the Father send Jesus into the physical world, Jesus would now send his followers into the cultural world.
- With the command came the gift: the Holy Spirit. In Greek (pneuma) and Hebrew (ruah), the word "spirit" can be translated as "breath" In 20:22, the word "breathe on" in Greek can be seen only here and in Genesis 2:7 of the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Bible used by the early Church) where God breathed life into Adam. So, when Jesus breathed on his followers, he gave them his Spirit. When the followers took in the Spirit, they received his newly risen life.
- Preachers have called Thomas the "Doubter." Few have touched upon his cynicism. Over and over, Thomas heard the witness of the followers. But, Thomas wanted more than proof positive.
- He stepped beyond skepticism into cynicism.
- A week later, Jesus again appear with the greeting of "Shalom." Turning to Thomas, Jesus answered the challenge of cynicism with the challenge of faith. Thomas responded with two titles for Jesus: Lord and God. Thomas acknowledged the rightful place of Jesus as Lord; he also saw God working through the Risen Christ. Thomas finally received Christ's gift of Shalom.
- In contrast to Thomas, Jesus blessed those who believed without seeing him raised from the dead. Here John used the word "believe" in two senses: to trust ("believe in") and to hold onto the truth ("believe (something) about..."). Blessed were those who placed their personal trust in Christ (believe in); they do not need proof of his resurrection, for they know he is alive. But, even blessed are those who hold onto the truths of faith (believe...about), for, with an open heart, they will soon experience the risen Christ. Belief in these two senses stood against the cynicism found in Thomas.
- Without the Resurrection, Christianity would be nothing more than a school that taught the wisdom of a great teacher. With the Resurrection, however, Christianity became a road to intimacy with God.
- The Resurrection justifies the life, works, and teachings of Jesus. Through the lens of the Resurrection, we can see this life, these works and teachings in the context of Scripture and realize "Jesus is Lord." Faith in the Resurrection leads us to the conclusion Jesus is true God and true man.
- Through the Resurrection, we receive the gift of a new eternal life, free from evil. We become one with our Savior who died and rose for us. And, as he rose, Christ assures us that we, too, will rise on the last day.
- How does the cynicism of the world affect you? How does faith keep you from cynicism?
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ANSWER TO QUIZ
After Jesus rose from the dead,
He appeared to His disciples on numerous occasions.
This He did not just on a single day,
but on several days between His
resurrection and ascension into Heaven.
In all, Jesus is recorded as appearing
10 times to his disciples in His resurrected body.
Click below to watch a slideshow displaying the recorded appearances:
SLIDESHOW OF JESUS' RESURRECTION APPEARANCES
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BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
We need to be armed for battle!
At all times, and especially during these crazy times in this vale of tears,
we need to lay our foundation in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual reading helps us build and strengthen that foundation.
Order though your favorite book dealer.
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This week's recommendation is:
ESCHATOLOGY:
DEATH AND ETERNAL LIFE
by Pope Benedict XVI
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Jesus's resurrection offers us the hope of eternal life with him and all the saints!
Joseph Ratzinger's Eschatology remains internationally recognized
as a leading text on the "last things"
―heaven and hell, purgatory and judgment, death and the immortality of the soul.
This highly anticipated second edition includes
a new preface by Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI
and a supplement to the bibliography by theologian Peter A. Casarella.
Eschatology presents a balanced perspective of the
doctrine at the center of Christian belief―the Church's faith in eternal life.
Recognizing the task of contemporary eschatology as "to marry perspectives,
so that person and community, present and future, are seen in their unity,"
Joseph Ratzinger brings together recent emphasis on the
theology of hope for the future
with the more traditional elements of the doctrine.
His book has proven to be as timeless as it is timely.
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We pray you will be excited to embark on purposeful
spiritual reading as a way to build a more prayer-filled,
Christ centered life.
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