The Pope has written to Archbishop Rino Fisichella To My Venerable Brother Archbishop Rino Fisichella President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization With the approach of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy I would like to focus on several points which I believe require attention to enable the celebration of the Holy Year to be for all believers a true moment of encounter with the mercy of God. It is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be a living experience of the closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almost tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to it be ever more effective.
by Vatican City, Sep 28, 2015 / 03:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).
Vatican City, Sep 28, 2015 / 03:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With World Youth Day coming up next year, Pope Francis has a question for young people: “Do you realize how precious you are to God, who has given you everything out of love?” “You, dear young man, dear young woman, have you ever felt the gaze of everlasting love upon you, a gaze that looks beyond your sins, limitations and failings, and continues to have faith in you and to look upon your life with hope?” the Pope asked Sept. 28. His Message for the 31st World Youth Day in Krakow 2016 invited young people to reflect on mercy and to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow. The next global Catholic youth gathering takes place July 25-31.
ST. FAUSTINA FEAST DAY OCTOBER 5 A novena is typically nine days of prayer in preparation of a celebration of a feast day. The Divine Mercy novena began as a private devotion which Our Lord revealed to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. The words of the prayers were dictated by Christ Himself to Saint Faustina and Saint Faustina recorded in her diary Our Lord’s instructions for each days prayers. For each of the nine days, our Lord gave Saint Faustina a different intention. "I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they have need of in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death" (Diary, 1209). We encourage everyone to begin the celebration for St. Faustina on Saturday, September 26, nine days prior to her feast day, October 5. Divine Mercy novena prayer pamphlets are available at the hospitality table for you to take home to pray each day’s prayers. Plan to arrive early to the Masses on October 3/4 to sing the Divine Mercy Chaplet together with fellow parishioners.
From Catholic Digest - By Fr. Dwight Longenecker On a February night in 1931, a simple nun in Poland received a mystical vision of Jesus in a white robe with red-and-white rays radiating from his heart. Sister Faustina Kowalska remembered the words Jesus said to her: “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’ I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.” In obedience to her vision, three years later she managed to get an artist to produce the now-famous Divine Mercy image.
(Vatican Radio) March 13, 2015 - Pope Francis presided over a penance service in St. Peter's Basilica on Friday afternoon, during which he announced an extraordinary Jubilee dedicated to Divine Mercy. Below, please find Vatican Radio's English translation of the Holy Father's homily, in which he made the announcement.