May 1st - The Holy Family Celebration

Well, let's see,  today is the first day of May.  Therefore:

1.  It is May Day.  In honor of this day in 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

2.  It is Lei Day in Hawaii.

3.  It is First Friday dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

4.  It is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary!

In honor of this month, why not plant a GARDEN in her honor or wear baby blue for the entire month.  And, don't forget to attend a May Crowning!

Help Save the United States of America, pray the Rosary!

My mom would like to do something to save our beloved country.  Her idea was to order these calling cards and to share them.  Hopefully, it will remind everyone to pray the rosary for the United States' intentions.

The Shroud of Turin

Father Daren Zehnle made a pilgrimage to see the Shroud of Turin and in today's blog post he writes a very interesting piece on the Shroud itself and the cloth that covered our dear Lord's face. It should be noted that Father has also been spreading the devotion of the Holy Face of Manoppello, making many pilgrimages himself. On the Shroud of Turin - Servant and Steward

Light vs. Darkness

God is good!  God is a loving Father.  He created us so that we may choose to love Him freely.  He watches over us. He sacrificed His only begotten Son so that our immortal souls would not perish but live eternally with Him in Paradise.  As Son, He is the light of the world.  He forgives us our innumerable sins.  His Divine Mercy has no limit!  As Holy Spirit, He guides the church, protects the church, inspires the church, teaches the church.  All that is good is God yet the world continues to choose darkness and all that is evil over Him.

The daily reporting of our brothers and sisters in Christ being martyred by the Islamic extremists should be awake call to each one of us that the time has come for us to either choose God and all that is good or to choose the evil one.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.  But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."   John 3:16-21.

The murdering and barbarically cruel followers of the devil, who kill Christians in God's name are committing these evil acts on God Himself.

It is beyond comprehension why these haters attract many people worldwide, including westerners from the United States and Europe.  One wonders what the allure is.  One wonders what lies the father of all lies has told them.  What are the empty promises he has made to have them join the ranks of his minions.  But even if they joined out of ignorance, it is still a betrayal to God Who is Love itself and inexcusable.

We, the followers of Christ must be prepared to die for Him in order that we do not betray Him, should the time come, because of fear of persecution.  We must pray that we be steadfast in our love and prepared to die with Jesus' name on our lips like our martyred brothers and sisters killed for the faith.

Partial Indulgence for Praying for Vocations

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who recite a prayer, approved by ecclesiastical Authority, for the intentions of praying for sacerdotal or religious vocations.  For those of you living in the Diocese of Honolulu, there is a prayer for vocations on the sidebar.

Source:  New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book

Misericordiae Vultus - BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

Our Holy Father is giving the world an incredible gift!  As you may have already read, he has proclaimed December 8th, 2015 as the start of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  I hope that we all take the time to read this most recent Papal Bull in its entirety.  Many graces will be available to us during that jubilee year and we should do everything in our power to ensure we don't waste or squander any of them.  Let us become apostles of mercy by spreading the word, by putting into practice the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy, by evangelizing not by our words, but by our actions.

Misericordiae Vultus

Divine Mercy Sunday

I just wanted to wish you all a very happy and blessed Divine Mercy Feast Day.  I thank God for our dear Saint Pope John Paul II for this day!  It is now part of the official liturgical calendar and every single Mass, in any part of the world will celebrate it!  Imagine how many souls will be saved!


DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

Message to Priests Regarding Divine Mercy

The following is from St. Faustina's diary, page 543 #1521.  This is a powerful message from Jesus Himself.  Please share with all the priests you know.

"...tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart.  To priests who proclaim and extol my Mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak. "

Happy Easter!

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

He is Risen!

Our Suffering Lord

Our Lord was brutally tortured beyond human comprehension.  He was was mocked, spit upon, struck repeatedly and He even had to endure the humiliation of having every piece of clothing stripped from His sacred body.  How anyone could have endured what He did is hard to fathom.

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My wounded Jesus, 

I contemplate the pain inflicted on Your innocent body

and I am filled with shame for ever having complained

over my little crosses.

How can You continue to love us so much?

I don't deserve Your love.

I don't deserve Your mercy.

 Instead, I deserve the pain and isolation You experienced in the agony in the garden for

the many times I betrayed You by choosing the

world's enticement over Your pure love.

I deserve the scourging You endured for the many

times the pleasures of the flesh, lured me away from You.

I deserve the crowning of the thorns for the many times I

dwelt on past hurts, judged others, thought of no one but myself.

My crosses that I bear are nothing compared to the cross you had

to carry to Calvary.  Each step for You was brutal and agonizing.

My crosses are light because You carry the brunt of the weight,

yet, I continue to complain.

Not even knowing what You went through to save my soul makes me stop my 

complaining.

I deserve the pain and humiliations those barbarians

inflicted on You.  

You did nothing wrong.  It is I who chose to do wrong.

Yet, You continue to love me.

You did for me as You died for each one of us.

May we never take Your love or sacrifice for granted.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Jesus, I love You.

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Picture source