Prayer for Peace

Almighty and Eternal Father, God of wisdom and mercy, Whose power exceeds all force of arms and Whose protection is the strong defense of all who trust in You, enlighten and direct, we beseech You, those who bear the heavy responsibility of government throughout the world in these days of stress and trial.

Grant them the strength to stand firm for what is right and the skill to dispel the fears that foment discord; inspire them to be mindful of the horrors of war for victor and vanquished alike, to see conciliation in truth and patience, to see in every man a brother, that the people of all nations may, in our day, enjoy the blessings of a just and lasting peace.

Conscious of our own unworthiness, we implore Your mercy on a sinful world in the Name of Thy Divine Son, the Prince of Peace, and through the intercession of His Blessed Mother and all the saints.

Queen of All Saints, pray for us.
Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Amen.

St. Faustina's School of Trust

Trust and Hope

St. Faustina, in the midst of her fears and difficulties, found great consolation in her prayers to Jesus. The grace stemming from her prayer life was hope.

In every difficult situation St. Faustina turned to Jesus, Who in return gave her the strength to overcome her fears.

"When I am with You, Jesus, I fear nothing, for nothing can do me harm. O my Jesus, I fear nothing, neither hardships or sufferings." (Diary of St. Faustina 306, 517)

Jesus taught St. Faustina to never rely on her own skills or talents, nor to rely on other people, but to rely on God alone.

Sister Faustina prayed for God's good grace and never doubted that she would receive it.

"I do not doubt even for a moment that I will obtain the help of Your grace... Jesus, my only hope is in You." (Diary of St. Faustina)

In these very difficult times, may we pray for complete trust in Jesus, Who in return, will bring us hope in God's good grace.

St. Faustina...pray for us!

Jesus, I Trust in You,

Spreading God's Mercy

Tenth Anniversary of My Mother's Death

As I reflect on the 10th anniversary of my mother's passing, I thank God that He used her beautiful death to "open my eyes" to see God's mercy. In ten years, we have been able to reach so many people who needed the knowledge of God's love for them.

What a great gift this was for my entire family! To be witnesses to the greatness of God and His love for all His children.

This woman, even though she was small in stature, represented great strength throughout her entire lifetime.

She is sadly missed but her memory lives in all who where fortunate to know and love her.

As our Divine Mercy prayer group continues to take this prayer (The Chaplet of Divine Mercy) to the bedside of the sick and dying, we ask for your support through prayer. It is only by means of your prayers and God's good grace that we are able to continue this ministry.

Pray for those who will die today, especially those who have no one to pray for them, that God will be their merciful Saviour.

May God, Who is rich in mercy, continue to inspire all His children to be great apostles of Divine Mercy!

Jesus, I Trust in You!

"At the beginning of my religious life, suffering and adversities frightened and disheartened me. So I prayed continuously, asking Jesus to strengthen me and to grant me the power of His Holy Spirit that I might carry out His holy will in all things, because from the beginning I have been aware of my weakness. I know very well what I am of myself, because for this purpose Jesus has opened the eyes of my soul." ~ Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska

God bless you always,

We Can All Become Saints!

What is a saint? (Words of Pope Benedict XVI)

The saint is the person who is so fascinated by the beauty of God and by his perfect truth as to be progressively transformed by it.

Because of this beauty and truth, he is ready to renounce everything, even himself.

Love of God is enough for him, experienced in humble and disinterested service to one's neighbor, especially towards those who cannot give back in return.

Like the disciples of Emmaus, whose hearts were kindled by the words of the Risen One and enlightened by his living presence recognized in the breaking of the bread, who hurriedly returned to Jerusalem and became messengers of Christ's Resurrection, we too must take up the path again, enlivened by the fervent desire to witness to the mystery of this love that gives hope to the world.

Benedictus
Pope Benedict XVI

Prayer to Our Lady of Mercy

Prayer to Mary, Patroness of Our Land

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore Your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You.

Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage.

Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America.

Grant us peace.

Have mercy on our President and all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital, and industry and labor.

Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the innocence of our children. Grant the precious gift of many religious vocations.

Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners... on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you.

Protect us from every harm.

Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of Your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God.

Imprimatur: Patrick A. O'BoyleArchbishop of WashingtonMay 8, 1959

A Visit By Her Guardian Angel

An Excerpt Taken from Open My Eyes...

"As we all know, our Guardian Angels are powerful friends given to us by God to accompany us on our earthly journey. In the book of Exodus our Lord told Moses that He would send an angel to guard him.

In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter is freed from prison through the help of an angel.

God blessed my mother with an extraordinary gift, a vision of her own Guardian Angel.

One evening, a slight wind in her bedroom woke her from a sound sleep. She saw an angel who spoke not a word, only gazed so lovingly at my mother. This presence of an angel brought tremendous peace and tranquility to a suffering soul. Little did we know that through this angelic visit, God blessed my mother with courage and strength to withstand the stormy days that lay ahead."

Peace ~ Harmony ~ Calmness ~ Serenity ~ Tranquility

Angels bring this and so much more!

They are a gift from God.

Turn to them whenever you feel despair. They will bring you great peace.

God be with you,





(Kathleen M. Wabick is author of the book titled Open My Eyes...a story about her mother's amazing visions of Heaven at the time of her death. It may be purchased by visiting the website http://www.treasuresofgracellc.com/)

The Love of the Cross

A Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI:

The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the sign of the cross. It is a way of confessing Christ crucified with one's very body.

To seal oneself with the sign of the cross is a visible and public Yes to him who suffered for us; to him who in the body has made God's love visible, even to the utmost; to the God who reigns not by destruction but by the humility of suffering and love, which is stronger than all the power of the world and wiser than all the calculating intelligence of men.

The sign of the cross is a confession of faith:

I believe in him who suffered for me and rose again; in him who has transformed the sign of shame into a sign of hope and of the love of God that is present with us. The confession of faith is a confession of hope: I believe in him who in his weakness is the Almighty; in him who can and will save me even in apparent absence and impotence.

By signing ourselves with the cross, we place ourselves under the protection of the cross, hold it in front of us like a shield that will guard us in all the distress of daily life and give us the courage to go on.

We accept it as a signpost that we follow. The cross shows us the road of life - the imitation of Christ.

Whenever we make the sign of the cross, we accept our Baptism anew; Christ from the cross draws us, so to speak, to himself. We make the sign of the cross on ourselves and thus enter the power of the blessing of Jesus Christ. We make the sign over people to whom we wish a blessing.

Through the cross, we can become sources of blessing for one another.

Benedictus
Pope Benedict XVI

To Be Loved and to Love

A Reflection on Love From Pope Benedict XVI:

God brings Abraham out from among his family and sets him on certain path. When it comes down to it, everyone has to undergo his own exodus. He not only has to leave the place that nurtured him and become independent, but has to come out of his own reserved self.

He must leave himself behind, transcend his own limits; only then will he reach the Promised Land, so to speak - the sphere of freedom, in which he plays his part in creation.

We have come to recognize this fundamental law of transcendence as being the essence of...love.

And of course the act of one who loves me is an act of this type. He has to bring me out of the comfortable inclination to stay within myself. Isolation is contrary to man's inmost inclination. If isolation means not being loved, being abandoned, being alone on one's own, this situation is indeed the fear underlying all our fears.

Thus we can see again that man is constructed from within, in the image of God, to be loved and to love.

At this point I believe we have to refer to man's being in the image of God. God is love.

The essence of love portrays its own nature in the Trinity. Man is in God's image, and thereby he is a being whose innermost dynamic is likewise directed toward the receiving and the giving of love.

Benedictus
Pope Benedict XVI


Who is God asking me to show love to today?

Peace,

Trust Him

A Lesson on Trust

After my mother died, I found this prayer amongst her belongings and many times it brought me great comfort.

I wanted to share this prayer with you.

When trials come your way and the sea gets a little stormy, read this prayer and then place all your trust in God, the One Who knows all things.

God sends trials to those He loves.

He never tests us beyond our strength.

Theses trials purify our souls in order that our love for God and our neighbor may grow in strength. Here is the prayer. May it bring you comfort in times of trials.

Trust Him

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,

Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him, He is ever faithful;

Trust Him, for His will is best;

Trust Him, for the Heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

Trust Him, then, through doubts and sunshine,

All thy cares upon Him cast.

Till the storm of life is over

And the trusting days are past.

God bless you,

Be Merciful

"Be merciful, as your Father is also merciful."
Lk. 6,36


Jesus reveals this mystery of God's love for us in order that He may teach us to be merciful to others.

The more we contemplate God's mercy, the more we will be able to imitate it.

If we should feel annoyed with someone, we ought to attempt to dive into the inexhaustible mercy of God. This will help extinguish all resentment in ourselves.

Could we try to show others only a small image of God's mercy in our actions?

The world would certainly be a better place.

God has such a desire to shower His mercy upon all souls. And yet, we in return are so quick to act the opposite towards our neighbor.

"O Lord, You so easily pardon us of all our sins. May we also easily forgive those who trespass against us."

One act of mercy performed everyday makes God smile!

Have a very blessed week,

Jesus Visits Our Soul

Do you know how to recognize the moments in which Jesus visits your soul?

How do I know when our Lord visits my soul?

I am still trying to improve ways to recognize Jesus dwelling in my heart.

It may be through a word that I read or heard.

Sometimes when I am a reading Sacred Scripture or other spiritual books, I stumble across a word or phrase that touches my heart. And I know this is not by chance; I know this is Jesus.

It may be through an interior inspiration.

Once in a while, I will feel inspired to say or do something. After taking it to prayer, I wait to feel the peace of Christ. If the inspiration is still there, I know it is from God.

A new light which makes me see my faults.

God may reveal one or more of my faults in order that I may improve on removing them (or at least try to) from my life. He may make me totally aware of my sinfulness and through His grace, help me to be a better person.

Jesus can and will visit our soul if we are open to letting Him in. When He visits our soul, it is a grace. Time spent with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is a wonderful way to allow Jesus to enter your heart.

"My love, reign in the most secret recesses of my heart, there where my most secret thoughts are conceived, where You alone have free access, in this deepest sanctuary where human thought cannot penetrate. May You alone dwell there, and may everything I do exteriorly takes its origin in You. I ardently desire, and I am striving with all the strength of my soul, to make You, Lord, feel at home in this sanctuary." ~ St. Faustina ~ Diary 1721

Jesus, may You always feel at home when You visit my soul!

Could This Have Been An Angel?

My Angel of Mercy
(This story happened in September of 2007. I wanted to bring it back for the anniversary of Father Baker's death this July 29th.)

I had the opportunity to experience God's good grace.

As my day unfolded, I knew I wanted to stop and pray at the crypt of Father Nelson Baker, a saintly priest who founded Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity. He also built the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory which was consecrated in 1926. Father Baker died on July 29, 1936. His cause is up for sainthood and he is confirmed with the title of Servant of God.

As I walked into to the Basilica, I noticed several people praying at different areas of the church. I slowly and reverently approached Father Baker's crypt, which was located in the grotto within the Basilica.

I knelt down to pray. I closed my eyes and began to ask God for a healing of my grandson Jude. Suddenly, a calmness and stillness came over me. I truly felt God's presence.

With a slight awareness I could feel someone nearby. I began to hear soft taps on the kneeler next to me and sensed this person needed my help.

So I opened my eyes and slowly glanced over my shoulder.

A man, seated in a wheelchair, was trying to read the intercessory prayer that was printed and taped to the top of the kneeler. As he strained his eyes, I noticed his wheelchair kept him from getting a clear view of the prayer.

I asked him, "Would you like a copy of that prayer? It's on a prayer card and I can get one for you?" He shook his head in approval.

I quickly got off my knees, picked up a prayer card off the table to the left of me and gave it to him. He looked straight into my eyes and said, "Please, place this prayer card on Father Baker's tomb."

I followed his orders.

As he closed his eyes in prayer for a moment, I too bowed my head and offered my prayers for his private intentions. Then he opened his eyes and nodded to me; he was giving me consent to lift the card and hand it over to him. I willingly reached for the card and delivered it into the hands of this pious man.

I then proceeded to tell him I was here praying for my grandson who was very ill.

He said to me, "What is his name?"

"Baby Jude", I replied. "Can you please pray for him?"

With a wink of an eye and a smile on his face he responded, "I will pray for him."

"What is your name so I can also pray for you?", I requested.

"My name is John", he acknowledged.

I prayed for John that day and asked God to grant him the desires of his heart. My act of mercy may have been to lend a helping hand to John, but John may not have realized what an act of mercy he presented back to me. His willingness to pray for Baby Jude, amongst his own trials and tribulations, made a lasting impression on me. I will never forget the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye.

Could this have been an angel sent from God?

I saw something very special in the eyes of this humble man. Reverent, believing, angelic, pure in heart are all words that I could use to describe him.

This man came to the Basilica to possibly pray for a healing for himself or maybe a loved one, but in return he also prayed for the intentions of someone whose heart was searching for a healing. He said a prayer for a complete stranger.

As I walked away from the crypt I turned to look back at him. His head was bowed in prayer and I knew he was asking God to heal Baby Jude.

Was God sending me an angel not only to intercede for me, but to teach me something?

When nighttime fast approached, I placed my head upon my pillow and reflected on what happened to me that day at the Basilica. I thought about how wonderful it is that we can offer intercessory prayers of healing for each other. Even total strangers can pray for each other if we can only reach out and manifest God's mercy.

What lesson did God want me to learn from this?

Could this man have been an angel sent from God to teach me to pray as I ought?

Was God trying to show me His Mercy? Was He teaching me how to be merciful?

I like to think He was.

As Jesus told St. Faustina, "I unite Myself with you, take away your misery and give you My mercy. I perform works of mercy in every soul." (723)


May our God of mercy be with you today and always,







(Kathleen M. Wabick is author of a book titled Open My Eyes ~ you may purchase this book at http://www.treasuresofgracellc.com )

Our Lady of the Angels

Our Lady of the Angels

The ancient church of the Portiuncula in Assisi, Italy is dedicated to Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Angels of which Feast Day we celebrate on August 2nd.

From the Franciscan Book of Prayer:

(The following is an excerpt from the Major Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure.)

" The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned . Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the Angels often visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ.

He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here he began his religious life in a very small way; it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.

This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.

As he was living there by the church of Our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy and he brought it to fruition.

He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars."

Prayer to Our Lady of the Angels:

You are fair, O Mary,
And the stain of original sin is not in you.You are the glory of Jerusalem;
You are the joy of Israel;
You are the honor of our people;
You are the advocate of sinners, O Mary Our Lady of the Angels,Virgin most prudent,Mother Most loving,
Pray for us,Intercede for us with Jesus Christ our Lord.(mention your request)

AMEN.

Prayer for Faith, Grace and the Intercession of Our Lady of the Angels:

Heavenly Father, you filled the heart of St. Francis with a special love for the Mother of Your Son, Jesus,and for the Portiuncula.

In this hallowed place you nourished his spiritual life and inspired him to found the Franciscan Order.

Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Angels may we be steadfast in our faith and remain true to You.

Grant us the faith and grace always to do Your will. Grant this through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Through the Mercy of God, may we all be embraced by Our Lady and the Blessed Angels!

A Prayer for the Sick and Dying

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

What a truly powerful prayer!

When I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for my mother, never did I realize the graces she would soon receive.

Never did I realize the graces I would receive!

How blessed we are to have an awesome God Who loves us unconditionally.

His mercy is unfathomable!

Pray for those who may die today, especially those who have no one to pray for them; that God will show them His mercy and His peace.

Jesus, I Trust in You!

Now is the Time for God's Mercy

God's Mercy and The Chaplet

God wants to see fruits in our lives. He wants us to make it known to all those we love that His mercy is endless!

At the time of my mother's death, I was not totally aware of the mercy of God and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

A friend introduced the chaplet to me and I prayed it at my dying mother's bedside. She opened her eyes and shared with us her amazing visions of Heaven.

My mother's death opened my eyes to the reality that Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us.

Heaven is real and God wants all of us to live with Him for all eternity!

But God needs our help.

We can be great apostles of His mercy by:

A) Performing acts of mercy everyday through deeds of kindness to others
B) Spreading the Mercy of God to our family and friends through word
C) Praying for God's Mercy for ourselves and the whole world

By doing this, God can and will work miracles!

Now is the time.

God needs us to help Him embrace our world with His mercy.

May we all delight ourselves in the healing rays of God's mercy!

God's blessings,

At Time of Death, God's Mercy is Greater!

The Gift of God's Mercy

A friend of mine's husband passed away very suddenly a few days ago and she said to me...

"Kathy, I am worried. I don't know where his soul is? Is he in Purgatory? Is he suffering terribly?"

My answer to her was this, "God's mercy is greater!"

We do not know for sure, where our loved one's soul is upon their death, but we should be rest assured of one thing...God's mercy is unfathomable!

God's mercy is beyond our comprehension!

If we completely trust in God's love for us, then when we die His mercy will be endless!

God knows all things. He see's all of our prayers for all of time!

Pray for those who have gone before you.

Pray for your parents.

Pray for your spouses or children.

Pray for your friends or relatives who may have gone before you.

When you are united to them again, they will thank you!

Ask God to have mercy on their souls.

God wants all of us with Him in Heaven.

Pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for those souls who may die suddenly today...that God may be their Merciful Savior.

Then trust in His mercy, for it is great!

God bless you always,

A Reflection on My Mother's Death

"I am not afraid to die..."

The greatest gifts my mother gave to me were her visions of Heaven at the time of her death as well as her deep faith in God. Through all her trials and tribulations, this omnipotent and merciful God was her strength.

As Mother's Day quickly approaches, I cannot help but remember some of her last words to me before she died.

"Kathy, remember I told you I was afraid to die?", she said.

"Yes Mom, I do.", was my reply.

"Well, I'm not afraid to die!", she expressed after revealing her visions of Heaven.

I was so happy for my mother... her greatest fear was no longer a reality!

Through His mercy, God had granted my mother the grace of a peaceful death.

My prayer is that God in His mercy will bring a peaceful death to all of those you love.

If you seek His will and ask for this amazing grace, God will shower His Divine Mercy upon you.

You need only ask... and you will receive.

God bless you always,

God and His Mercy!

Mercy is a Grace...

God, in His unfathomable mercy, has allowed us to be witnesses to His mercy.

My mother, at the time of her death, was able to verbally tell us of her visions of Heaven. It was an amazing story that had to be told.

This great gift from God is now spread to all areas of the world. Whoever is willing to be open to hear of God's goodness, will experience His mercy.

May you be enriched with God's love and may you be blessed with many treasures of His grace!

God be with you,

A Mother's Gift

A Mother's Gift to Her Children

"My mother was a witness to the realism of Heaven. It is a beautiful place prepared for us by our merciful God who loves us unconditionally. Moreover, it is a place that, at the time of our death, we will hopefully yearn for; a place where we will again greet loved ones who have gone before us and a place we will call our eternal home with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

"We will not be afraid, for Jesus promises that we will never be alone on this journey home. My mother was living proof of this. He remained with her, as well as everyone else who was in her room the night she died."

"Heaven is real, and God wants all of us with Him in eternity. However scarlet our sins may be, He stands before us with open arms, waiting to grant us forgiveness. May we all delight ourselves in the healing rays of Gods omnipotent mercy!" (Taken from Open My Eyes)

My mother left us a beautiful gift...the realization of Heaven through her visions, thanks be to God's mercy!

March 30th is Divine Mercy Sunday. Please take advantage of all the graces God is willing to give you. The graces come through receiving the Eucharist worthily on this day, meaning, you need to be in a state of grace (no mortal or venial sin on your soul).

Jesus loves you so much. May His rays of mercy shower many graces upon you!

Jesus, I Trust in You!

Kathy

Answering God's Call

What are you calling me to do Lord?

In St. Faustina's diary she refers to a group of people living outside the convent and monasteries who will pray and perform at least one act of mercy each day.

"Anyone in the world may belong to this group," St. Faustina said, "without any obligation of taking vows," they "will have a share in all the merits and privileges of the whole congregation." (Diary 1157)

If you implore God's mercy every day, perform acts of mercy and pray for the whole world, then you are an apostle of God's mercy. Being an apostle of Divine Mercy means giving witness in our lives as to how we trust in God and show mercy towards our neighbors.

The world is in desperate need of your prayers for peace and healing through the mercy of God.

May you continue to answer God's call to spread His Divine Mercy!


God be with you,