Mother Angelica Live Classic - Another Look at Mortification

St. Francis Xavier

Today the church honors one of our patron saint of the missions, St. Francis Xavier.  This statue is prominently placed at St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa.

St. Francis Xavier often spent whole hours during the day and into the night before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, Who gave Him the grace and the strength to lead so many souls to Christ. His devotion to Our Eucharistic Lord was so great that Fr. Stefano Manelli, O.F.M. writes (in his book, Jesus, Our Eucharistic Lord):  

"What shall we say of St. Francis Xavier who at times when distributing Holy Communion felt so carried away by a sense of adoration toward Our Lord Who was in his hands, that he got on his knees and in that position continued giving Holy Communion? Did that not present a witness of faith and love worthy of heaven?"

St. Francis Xavier

Spain ~ 1506-1552

One of seven founders of Society of Jesus (Jesuits)

Considered "greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles"

Incredible zeal, baptized thousands, miracle worker

Patron of mission fields

Known as the "Apostle to the Far East"

Incorrupt

FEAST DAY - December 3

 

 

 

St. Francis Xavier - from his letters to Saint Ignatius ...

“Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: “What a tragedy: how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!”

“I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.

“This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God’s will and his choice. They would cry out with all their heart: Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like — even to India.”

 

This Eucharistic Reflection is archived. 

CLICK HERE: http://truthhimself.blogspot.com 

Marantha, Come Lord Jesus

Our Advent Wreath is ready.  We had a mishap with two of our candle holders so we had to make do with another set.  This year there is a tiny Christmas tree in the wreath and the four Advent candles are along side the wreath.  We have our copies of the Magnificat Advent Companion ready for our evening prayer readings.  These were generously provided by our church.  Tomorrow we will light the first candle and usher in the Advent season with a few resolutions:

1.  Make sure to eat dinner together at the table, as a family.  (Lately, everyone's schedule kept us from doing just that)
2.  Watch Father Robert Barron's Catholicism nightly as well as more of EWTN programming.
3.  Not stressing about the preparations, purchasing gifts, etc.  We refuse to lose sight of the beauty of Advent in the rush to get ready for Christmas.

This Advent it will be particularly busy for our family.  My husband and I are celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary, our son is graduating from the university, of course, and more importantly, our Lord is celebrating His birthday.

My family and I hope you and your family have a very blessed and joyful Advent with all the eager childhood anticipation which makes Christmas such a miraculous and blessed time.

Feast of Our Lady of Kibeho - Nov. 28

Shared by Mary Jane.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Kibeho. The Blessed Virgin Mother of God appeared in Kibeho Rwanda as Our Lady of Sorrows.
This apparition has the official approval from the Roman Catholic Church. 

http://www.marian.org/mary/prayers/sorrows.php

Prayer to Our Lady of Kibeho

Imprimatur:
Gikongoro, the 25th of March, 2006-05-29
+ Augustin Misago - Bishop of Gikongoro


Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Word,
Mother of all those who believe in Him
and who welcome Him into their life,
we are here before you to contemplate You.
We believe that you are amongst us,
like a mother in the midst of her children,
even though we do not see You with our bodily eyes.

We bless You, the Sure Way that leads us to Jesus the Saviour,
for all the favours which You endlessly pour out upon us,
especially, that, in your meekness, You were gracious enough
to appear miraculously in Kibeho, just when our world needed it most.

Grant us always the light and the strength necessary to accept,
with all seriousness, Your call to us to be converted,
to repent, and to live according to your Son’s Gospel.
Teach us how to pray with sincerity,
and to love one another as He loved us,
so that, just as You have requested,
we may always be beautiful flowers
diffusing their pleasant fragrance everywhere and upon everyone.

Holy Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows,
teach us to understand the value of the cross in our lives,
so that whatever is still lacking to the sufferings of Christ
we may fill up in our own bodies for His mystical Body,
which is the Church.

And, when our pilgrimage on this earth comes to an end,
may we live eternally with You in the kingdom of Heaven.

Amen.

Guru or Jesus - Why Christians Should Not Get involved in Eastern Mysticisms

Mahalo to Father Luis for sharing the video which can be found here.

Christ the King

Picture source

To Jesus Christ, our Sov'reign King,
Who is the world's salvation,
All praise and homage do we bring,
And thanks and adoration.

Refrain:
Christ Jesus Victor, Christ Jesus Ruler!
Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!

2. Your reign extend, O King benign,
To every land and nation,
For in your kingdom, Lord divine,
Alone we find salvation.
(Refrain)

3. To you and to your Church, great King,
We pledge our hearts' oblation,
Until before your throne we sing,
In endless jubilation.
(Refrain)

. It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of "King," because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So he is said to reign "in the hearts of men," both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors. He is King of hearts, too, by reason of his "charity which exceedeth all knowledge." And his mercy and kindness[1] which draw all men to him, for never has it been known, nor will it ever be, that man be loved so much and so universally as Jesus Christ. But if we ponder this matter more deeply, we cannot but see that the title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to have received from the Father "power and glory and a kingdom,"[2] since the Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created...

You can read Pope Pius XI's entire encyclical Quas Primas here

Long live Christ the King!

Viva Cristo Rey! - Blessed Miguel Pro

Picture source

I have translated the following which is from the site where the above picture was found.

Miguel was a restless boy.  He liked to make mischief...  When he was 7 years old on March 19, 1898, he made his First Communion.  Father Mateo Correa, who gave little Miguel his First Communion was also a future martyr.  He was murdered on February 6, 1927.  Miguel's First Communion Day was an unforgettable day for Miguel and his family...

He was a very happy child, hardworking and optimistic.  However, he turned the household upside down!  One day he overheard his mother's anguished cry:  "Oh my God!  Convert this son of mine!"  And the youth who loved his good mother very much gave her a hug and said "Mother:  My middle name is Augustine, and Saint Augustine was a great convert.  You will see that I too will convert."  From that day on, there was a remarkable change in his conduct.

He had a predilection for music and poetry.   The elderly women who heard his student speeches which he would give in the evenings would say:  "This one would really should serve was a preaching priest."  He and his siblings would organize a small orchestra which would enliven the whole neighborhood.

For a while he studied far from Concepción but because of his illness he could not continue with his studies and had to return home to his family's home.  His father took Miguel to work with him at his place of business.  But he continued with his studies regularly.  He enjoyed chatting with the miners and in that way he became familiar with the problems of the poor village and became close to the those in need.

At the age of 20, the young man felt unsatisfied with his life.  He felt a great emptiness.  Fortunately for Miguel, the Jesuit fathers arrived and invited the youth of the village to a three day reflection living among the Jesuits.  It was there that Miguel found the peace and answers to his questions.

Miguel began to change during those days of prayer and living with the other young people his age and the wise guidance from the Jesuits.  The maternal intercession of the Blessed Mother also helped guide Miguel.  His foot got caught in the train tracks with a train fast approaching.  He prayed to the Blessed Mother for her intercession.  He was able to remove his foot just as the train passed by.  He promised the Blessed Mother that he would sacrifice in having no contact with young ladies for one year as his way of thanking her for her intercession.  He kept his promise.

He felt very empty and depressed when his two sisters Luz and Concepción entered the religious life.  Finally, he decided to become a Jesuit.  He too felt a great desire to enter a community.

In 1911 his father accompanied him to the Jesuit novitiate in El Llano,Michoacán, a village near Zamora.  For someone who was very restless, the silence and seriousness of the novitiate was very hard.  The novice master invited him to try it for at least six months.  So Miguel who did everything wholeheartedly, dedicated himself to prayer, meditation and spiritual readings and became a very happy and sympathetic novice.  He also was very pious and completed all his duties.

In 1913 Miguel took his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and is admitted as a Jesuit.  Around that time, a revolution broke out in Mexico and Miguel's father Agustin lost his business when it passed on to the hands of the guerrillas.  The Jesuit novice house was invaded and the religious had to leave wearing disguises.  Miguel traveled as a cowboy through the cornfields and mountains until he reached Guadalajara.  The superiors on realizing the danger that the novices faced sent them to the United States to continue their studies.  But the fact that Miguel does not understand English brought him much trouble and so he was sent to Spain, a neutral country during the First World War (1914-1918).

Taking advantage of his natural qualities, Miguel disguised himself as a clown, an actor, a cowboy, a tightrope walker and caricature artist.  In this manner he distracted his companions and superiors during those worldwide horrible and anguished years.  During that time, in 1917,  the Asian Flu arrived bringing with it miles and miles of graves of those killed by the flu.  Miguel went to the places where the many, many sick were and he entertained them with his comical ways.  The sick often requested that the young seminarian be send to them so that they could help pass the long and monotones time they had to spent sick in bed.

After finishing up his philosophy classes in Spain, he was sent to Granada, Nicaragua for two years of teaching, "The most difficult years." were Miguel Pro's own words.

He arrived at the Sacred Heart College of Central America which was only halfway constructed.  It did not have pavement and the offices and classrooms had dirt floors.  The tropical undergrowth reached the walls and the critters both large and small were everywhere. Sometimes they were scorpions. Other times they were mosquitoes, beside all that was the extreme tropical heat...

Sometimes he retired discretely to his room where he could suffer alone stomach pains.  He then returned to his happy and friendly self...

The Jesuits sent him to Belgium to see how the priests worked with the workers, and then to Paris to know the social ministries of the Church.

Since he continued with strong stomach pain, tests were performed and finally it was discovered that he had an ulcer and need surgery.  He was hospitalized several times because of the pain he suffered. He had three operations.

On February 8, 1926, his mother Josefa died.  Father Pro wrote:  "On day 10, I received a cable telling me that my mother had died on the 8th.  Providentially, I received a letter two days earlier, preparing me by telling me that she had stomach cancer which had spread to her liver and heart.  The doctors had lost all hope"...

Finally the day of his ordination arrived and he was ordained a priest in Enghien, Belgium in 1925.  Because of his poor health, his superiors considered sending him back to Mexico so he could die in his own country.  God had other plans for him. He would not die because of illness.

The persecution situation in Mexico raged.  President Elias Calles had proposed ending the Catholic religion and banned all public religious activity scrupulously enforcing anti-Catholic laws. Many priests had been deported. Father Pro, knowing the dangers that could arise on the journey from Europe to Mexico, came disguised as a merchant and farmer. Customs did not realize that he was a priest and let him go.

In Mexico the Catholics united to defend religious liberty and they founded "The National Defense League of Religious Liberty"...


One day Father Pro was in a taxi and realized that the police had been following. He told the driver: "Continue traveling slowly. But do not stop. I jumped out of  the moving car. "And went on the pavement, like a drunk walking side by side down the street. The police thought he was a drunk, went on saying: "That can not be a priest." Another day in a pharmacy upon realizing the police were coming after him, and with the consent of a young lady, took her arm, and like a pair of sweethearts went away from there without the police might suspect that it was the priest who were seeking...

He had a great devotion to the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit and the Blessed. Virgin. He celebrated Mass with great devotion, but always in secret because the government had banned Catholic celebrations. He would bring communion to Catholics who were prisoners, and gifts to the prison guards so that they would be treated better. ... As for the Blessed Virgin,  the affection he felt for her as a good son to the best of mothers and Mother of God saved him and saved his life many times...

He exercised his priesthood without any fear of government threats. He came to give communion to 1600 daily. Disguised, living in different houses, exploring the city by bicycle..., organized a livelihood for nearly 100 homeless families for political revenge and religious hatred of Plutarco Calles.  He preached  retreats, married, baptized, and converted communists, anarchists, gave hundreds of extreme unctions ... hesitant He sustained faltering vocations, organized a system of vouchers to redeem money between Catholics and to put more than thirty orphans among adoptive families.

Despite his boundless ingenuity to go unnoticed by the police, eventually he was arrested and accused of involvement in a bomb attack against General Obregon and  political godfather  and successor to "elected" Calles. Along with his brothers Humberto and Roberto they were in hiding, fearing to be accused in a fact that no one knew anything, ...

The charge of attempted tyrannicide, Luis Segura Vilches, surrendered under promise that the Pro brothers would be released, proclaiming their innocence in his statement. However, he, his accomplice and the Pro brothers were shot under the same charge. Roberto was released thanks to the good offices of the Argentine ambassador, who tried to save the three Pro, pressing the government of Plutarco Elias Calles, who had-no one knows for sure-promised release no intention of keeping. So Miguel and Humberto Pro were killed in hatred of the Faith.  Father Pro before being shot told to present his last wish: "I want you to leave me a few moments to pray and entrust to the Lord". And at the time they were going to shoot spread his arms wide and shouted: "Viva Cristo Rey!". It was on November 23, 1927.


Today the remains of the Jesuit martyr are in the parish of the Holy Family, where they rest, waiting for the day when the Pope declares him a saint.

Devotion to Father Pro is widespread.  The parish of the Holy Family, located in Colonia Roma Mexico City, has hundreds of devotees visiting daily and coming not only from that country but around the world, including Turkey, India, China, Canada and the United States.

The following was shared by Mary Jane:

A Novena in Honor of Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J.

Holy Mexican Martyr
Feast is November 23
Blessed martyr of Christ the King, Father Miguel Agustin Pro, you are a special patron of those who labor, those in illness, depression or despair. You are also a friend of musicians, the captives, and all who work toward social justice. Your beloved brothers, the Jesuits, revere you and count you among the ranks of their saints. You love your people of Mexico and all those loyal to the Church. I thank the Sacred Heart for loving you so dearly. I pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe whom you love so dear, to intercede for the cause of your canonization. I pray that you remember me in your eternal and well-deserved rejoicing, and also my needs: [state needs] Through your courageous life and martyrdom you have won the crown of life everlasting. Remember me, Blessed Miguel, for I remember you. Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

IMPRIMATUR: Most Reverend John F. Donoghue
Archbishop of Atlanta
December 21, 2004
Chaplet of Blessed Miguel Pro, SJ

This chaplet has the Imprimatur of Joseph A. Fiorenza, Bishop of Galveston - Houston, August 13, 1995.

Blessed Miguel, before your death, you told your friend to ask you for favors when you were in Heaven. I beg you to intercede for me and in union with Our Lady and all the angels and saints, to ask Our Lord to grant my petition, provided that it be God's Will. {mention the request}

We honor and adore the triune God. The Gloria.
We ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Come Holy Ghost.
We pray as Jesus taught us to pray. The Our Father.
We venerate with love the Virgin Mary. Hail Mary.
All you angels, bless you the Lord forever. Saint Joseph, Saint {name of your patron}, and all the saints, pray for us.
Blessed Miguel, high spirited youth, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, loving son and brother, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, patient novice, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, exile from your homeland, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, prayerful religious, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, sick and suffering, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, defender of workers, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, courageous priest in hiding, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, prisoner in jail, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, forgiver of persecutors, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.
Blessed Miguel, holy martyr, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

What to do on Bl. Miguel Pro's feastday:
http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/pro/pro_feast.html
read more on his life: http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/pro/pro_links.html
http://ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-voices/20th-century-ignatian-voices/blessed-miguel-pro-sj/

"The Real Truth about Purgatory"

Picture source

"..."Is it true that the sufferings of Purgatory are much greater than all the torments of earth and even of the martyrs?"

"Yes, my daughter, all this is very true."

Sister Serafina then asked if everyone who belongs to the Scapular Confraternity of Carmel (those who wear the scapular), is freed from Purgatory on the first Saturday after death:

"Yes," he answered, "but only if they are faithful to the Confraternity's obligations."

"Is it true that some souls must stay in Purgatory for as long as five hundred years?"

"Yes. Some are condemned until the end of the world. These souls are very guilty and entirely abandoned."

'Three main things draw God's malediction over men: failure to observe the Lord's Day through work, the very widespread vice of impurity, and blasphemy. Oh my daughter, how these blasphemies provoke the wrath of God!'..."

This article can be found in its entirety here

The Presentation of Mary

Picture source

The Mother of God was led up to God by her parents, not as a young girl, nor as a child, nor just slightly younger than that, but as a three-year old....But at that age she gave proof of discernment worthy of those capable of making sound decisions, for she was clearly seen to go forward with unspeakable joy..."

Saint Gregory Palamas, Meditation of the Day, Magnificat November 2012

Feast of Our Lady of Ostra Brama (Mother of Mercy)

Shared by Mary Jane.

The history of Our Lady of the Dawn, who is also known as Our Lady of Ostra Brama, begins in 1386. In that year prince Jagellon of Lithuania married the Polish princess Jadwiga. She was the first to introduce Catholic practices in the Russian Orthodox kingdom. Even though the Orthodox of Lithuania venerated the Virgin in their liturgy and prayers, they were unfamiliar with the intensity of the Polish love and devotion for Mary. However, when it was first introduced by princes Jadwiga, the people of Lithuania welcomed it with open arms. Early in the fifteenth century, the new city walls of Vilnius were built. Above each of the gates the people of the town placed an image of the Blessed Virgin. About a century later, Carmelites took over one of the parish churches in the vicinity of the southeastern gate of the town. In the Lithuanian language this gate was commonly known as 'Auros Vartai' (the gate of dawn). The Polish speaking population knew it as 'Ostra Brama' (the sharp gate). The Carmelites are known for their special dedication to the Mother of Jesus. They took special care of the image that was placed above the gate near their church. When the army of Moscow set fire to the city of Vilnius in 1655, most of the town was destroyed in a fire that lasted seventeen days. However, the image above the Ostra Brama gate survived without any damage. This strongly encouraged the people’s devotion toward it and attracted many pilgrims from outside. Early in the eighteenth century there was yet another fire in Wilna. When the image survived once again, the Carmelite fathers built a special shrine chapel for it above the gate in 1706. Since that year, people come to this chapel daily to recite the litany of Loreto before the image. There are several things about the Virgin of the Gate of Dawn worth noting. One of the most unusual aspects are the crossed hands. In similar icons where Mary is depicted without the Child Jesus, she is normally in an oran position, the attitude of prayer, with arms and hands extended upward or towards Christ. Unusual too are the relatively large robe and veil. Since early Byzantine times, the Virgin has been depicted covered by a flowing floor length robe with a veil showing her hands, face, neck, and sometimes a small part of one ear. In the Ostra Brama icon though, the robe is unusually large. It can be said that the iconography of the image of Our Lady of Ostra Brama is Western, but with strong Eastern Orthodox influences. This is quite common in the Eastern European region, where there is often no clear division between Catholic and Orthodox Christian art. In 1927, after the renovation of the painting and the chapel, a formal ceremony was held in front of the Cathedral of Vilnius in which the icon was crowned. By a special command of Pope Pius XI, it was also given the title 'Mater Misericordiae' (Mother of Mercy). The chapel was renovated in 1931-1932. Since 1936 the Carmelites have been taking care of the shrine chapel again. During the Second World War, the Archbishop of Vilnius decided that the miraculous picture should stay in the town. During the Russian communist occupation of Lithuania the chapel of Ostra Brama remained open. The Mother of Mercy was a powerful symbol in the struggle for Polish and Lithuanian independence. Our Lady of Ostra Brama (Vilnius), Pray for Us!

 

Pope John Paul II Links Fatima to the Divine Mercy
http://iheartworks.wordpress.com/resources/devotion-to-the-divine-mercy/pope-john-paul-ii-links-fatimadivine-mercy/From September 4th to the 10th, 1993, John Paul II took his apostolic mission to the three former Soviet Baltic republics, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. It was a miracle – a word not commonly heard in these countries – that the head of the Catholic Church stood among Lithuanians on that September day in Vilnius, and knelt together with them before the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Mercy of Ostra Brama. Only after his consecration of Russia in 1984, was the Pope able to go on pilgrimage to countries of the former atheist empire, pray the rosary for peace, undertake acts of entrustment, and preach the mercy of God.

 

Mother of Mercy, Ostra Brama
When John Paul II knelt in prayer at the feet of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, at her Sanctuary of Ostra Brama, his presence there in a remarkable way, linked the Message of Fatima with the Divine Mercy. He also thereby fulfilled both aspects of the words of the Angel to the children of Fatima in the second apparition in 1916: “The most holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy upon you.”
Just five months before his visit to Vilnius, on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 18, 1993, the Pope had declared Blessed the Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska, to whom Our Lord had revealed His Divine Mercy in the 1930s. When in September, 1993, the Holy Father knelt beneath the image of the Woman of the Apocalypse at Ostra Brama (and Our Lady’s intervention at Fatima is accepted by many authorities as a fulfillment of chapter 12 of the Apocalypse), he would certainly have recalled that the image of the Divine Mercy was painted in Vilnius, and was first exposed precisely in the shrine of the Mother of Mercy in Ostra Brama. Sister Faustina briefly describes this event on page 44 of her Diary.
The proclamation of God’s Mercy at the present time coincides distinctly with the proclamation of the Message of Fatima, for the Mother of God of Fatima is also the Mother of Mercy, Stella Orientis, the Patroness of the East. This became apparent at the meeting of John Paul II with two Polish priests of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. In February, 1994, Father Adam Boniecki, MIC, Superior General of the Marian Fathers, and Fr. John Nicholas Rokosz, MIC, Superior of the Polish Province, had a private audience with the Pope and presented him with two books, the Russian version of Blessed Faustina Kowalska’s Diary and the extended Polish version of Fatima, Russia and Pope John Paul II (from which we cite this material). The Pope was very pleased with this gift – holding them in his hands he said, “Good. Let the people read them. Let them know who brought them their freedom.”
On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 10, 1994, the editor-in-chief of the Marian Fathers’ publishing house in Warsaw, Fr. Kazimierz Pek, MIC, distributed the first Russian copies of the Diary in Moscow to the people gathered in the Immaculate Conception of Mary church. Here is part of what he said in his homily:
“The Divine Mercy begins to be proclaimed in Russia just from here, from the church dedicated to Our Holy Mother, immaculately conceived. It flows from the throne of a Woman, whose Heart was ever immaculate, filled with joy, because she experienced that “from age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence.” And she, who lives in his presence, is inviting all of us to do the same –by experiencing the Divine Mercy in our lives. Mary’s Immaculate Heart begins to triumph today because you can expect real miracles where the Divine Mercy is venerated and when people trust in the Divine Mercy (iHeartworks emphasis)…The statue of Our Lady of Fatima…is a sign. Our Lady seems to be saying: “Let them read. Let them know who brought them their freedom.” This is a way to fulfill all the promises and plans God has for Russia…”
The connection between Fatima and the Divine Mercy was further emphasized by Fr. Rokosz in the homily he delivered in Stockbridge, Massachusetts on the same day of Divine Mercy, April 10, 1994. Referring to his meeting with the Pope in February, Fr. Rokosz said in his sermon:
Brothers and Sisters! do you realize what the Pope said? It is the Divine Mercy that freed the Soviet nations from the chains of Communism! And the further fate of these nations and even of the entire world depends on it. The Pope points out that the message of Fatima and Divine Mercy meet again. The history of the world is entering a new phase. This epoch, at the dawn of which we are living, is the epoch of Divine Mercy.
And, for further evidence of the connection between Fatima and Divine Mercy, we have Our Lady’s words of Divine Mercy given at Fatima.
As noted above, a year prior to Our Lady’s apparitions in 1917, the Angel appeared to the three seers . During the second apparitions, the Angel said to them, “Pray! Pray very much! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you.”

In the third apparition, the Angel taught them the moving Trinitarian prayer of Eucharistic reparation (see below), which bears a noteworthy similarity to the prayer to the Eternal Father in the Divine Mercy chaplet (see Chaplet Prayers).
 
In July, 1917, Our Lady revealed God’s plan of mercy, to save the souls of poor sinners from going to hell by establishing in the world devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Participation in this merciful work of salvation is extended to all the faithful who comply with Our Lady’s requests for prayers, sacrifices and acts of reparation, and is one of the principle elements in the Fatima Message.
 
Finally, in the last apparition of Our Lady at Tuy on June 13, 1919, Sr. Lucia was granted a vision of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, in which “under the left arm of the cross, large letters, as if of crystal clear water ran down upon the altar, formed these words, “Grace and Mercy’. Our Lady then said to me: “The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father, in union with all the Bishops of the world, to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means.” (Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words, 9th edition, page 235).
View Sr. Lucia’s vision Now!
Sister Lucia, Our Lady’s chosen instrument for the communication of these divine mysteries, herself commented: “Who better than this Immaculate Heart could have revealed to us the secrets of Divine Mercy?” (ibid., page 19).

Trinitarian Prayer of Eucharistic Reparation (Fatima)
“Most Holy Trinity -Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.”            http://marian.org/mary/prayers/hailmary.php 

"Our Lady of Ostra Brama" (Our Lady of Mercy) is the patroness of the Marian Province in the United States.

.....................

When Bl. John Paul the Great visited Our Lady of Ostra Brama's image, he recited

this prayer: The Litany of Loreto

V. Lord, have mercy.
R. Christ have mercy.
V. Lord have mercy. Christ hear us.
R. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us. 
Holy Mother of God, pray for us. 
Holy Virgin of Virgins, [etc.]
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good Counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,
V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
R. Spare us, O Lord. 
V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
R. Graciously hear us, O Lord. 
V. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be freed from present sorrow, and rejoice in eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.