We Experienced FIRST HAND Our Lord's Divine Mercy!

We are so thankful for Our Lord's Mercy in sparing us from harm last week.  We were in the DIRECT PATH of the deadly tornado that ripped across the state of AL on the 27th of April.  We were having supper when we heard the tornado was hitting downtown Tuscaloosa. We turned on the television to a horrifying site.  You just know people are losing everything when you see a tornado a mile wide ripping right through a city!

It wasn't long before the tornado sirens were sounding and we realized this monster was heading straight for Birmingham.  We got in our safest spot under our staircase and prayed our Divine Mercy Novena.  Buck is especially terrified of tornadoes!!!  He held a small crucifix and prayed his little heart out.  We all did!  Our Lord is so good to us!!  From what I understand, the tornado lifted from the ground for about 8 miles.  I can't find the words to tell you how amazing it is that our home is in the middle of that stretch!  We are so thankful, humbled, grateful.....

You can visit this blog to see it for yourself ~
The Original Weather Blog: More on Birmingham, AL Tornado 4-27-11: "***Updated 4-30-11, 9am (added prelim. track map, videos & photos). The violent, extremely damaging tornado that struck the Western and Nor..."

Please continue to pray for all those who were affected by the storms last Wednesday!

Divine Mercy in My Soul

From Your open Heart, as from a pure fount, flows comfort to a repentant heart and soul . . .

- Diary; 1b

St. Faustina is well known throughout the world as the woman who communed with God and brought to others a deeper realization of His infinite mercy. She was born on August 25th, 1905, and at the age of seven received a definite call to a religious vocation. However, her parents refused her request to enter a convent at 18. From then on, she tried to ignore God's call, and forced her interests to center on the world. But when the suffering Christ appeared to her at a dance, He asked her, "How long shall I put up with you, and how long will you keep putting Me off?" The next day, she left her home for the city of Warsaw in search of a convent.

After more than a year, she was accepted into the order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. In that order she was to spend the rest of her life, physically and spiritually communing with the Lord.

During the next 13 years, she endured persistent illness (which became tuberculosis), and also the personal injuries from other sisters who scorned the idea that the Lord appeared and spoke to her. She battled severe attacks of despair and spiritual dryness, and the overwhelming fear that Christ had rejected her. It was during these years that she wrote her Diary, out of obedience to her confessor. Our Lord also ordered her, saying, " . . . be diligent in writing down every sentence . . . concerning My mercy, because this is meant for a great number of souls who will profit from it." Her Diary is a great eye-opener to Jesus' mercy, and His desire to enter souls and sanctify them. The way she participated in His grace, and persevered through her sin in the belief in His forgiveness is inspiring and encouraging.

Through all her suffering and doubt, Christ remained with her, and on October 5th, 1938, He took her to her eternal reward. Maria Faustina Kowalska was canonized on April 30th, 2000, by Pope John Paul II. Her feast is on October 5th.

- by the Housecat

Divine Mercy Sunday

Our Lord’s words to St. Faustina about this requirement to be merciful are very strong and leave no room for misinterpretation:
Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy. … I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it (742).

Thus, to fittingly observe the Feast of Mercy, we should:

1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter;
2. Sincerely repent of all our sins;
3. Place our complete trust in Jesus;
4. Go to Confession, preferably before that Sunday;
5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;
6. Venerate* the Image of The Divine Mercy;
7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf.

*To venerate a sacred image or statue simply means to perform some act or make
some gesture of deep religious respect toward it because of the person whom it
represents — in this case, our Most Merciful Savior.

On June 29, 2002, in a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Holy Father Pope John
Paul II granted a plenary and a partial indulgence to the devout observance of the Second Sunday of Easter, “Divine Mercy Sunday.”

The decree offers: a plenary indulgence, granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout
prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!");

A partial indulgence, granted to the faithful who, at least with a contrite heart,
pray to the merciful Lord Jesus a legitimately approved invocation.

(Taken from John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy )

Jesus I Trust In You

May this always be our prayer! Do not worry about this life and what it holds. Look to Jesus and TRUST in God's plan for us all. Have a blessed day!

The Divine Mercy Novena

The Divine Mercy Novena started yesterday on Good Friday. I hope you remembered to start it! If not, I'm sure it's not too late to start :)

It's a wonderful and powerful novena. You'll be very blessed by it!