First Saturday Parish Rosary at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 2/7/2015

New Divine Mercy statue
(click to view larger)

I did something a little different at this month's First Saturday Rosary at St. Anthony of Padua Church; I didn't bring my Rosa Mystica statue, or any other of my Marian statues. Instead, I brought a statue of our Lord - a large Divine Mercy image - which I recently acquired.  It needed to be blessed by a priest so I thought I'd use it as the devotional focal point for our prayer service since I was bringing it to the church anyway... and it actually worked-out very well. 

With Lent coming up within a couple of weeks, the Divine Mercy Message (as revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska) was an ideal reflection in preparation for this solemn time of spiritual cleansing and atonement in the Church.  I emphasized to the parishioners present that Lent is an especially powerful time each year to reflect on the Lord's immeasurable gift of Mercy to the world; to seek His Mercy for our transgressions; and to practice Mercy towards others in our day-to-day lives.

"I have opened my Heart as a living

fountain of mercy.  Let all souls draw

life from it.  Let them approach this sea

of mercy with great trust."

~  Words of Jesus to

St. Faustina Kowalska

Bl. Maria Domenica
Mantovani

Our February Saint of the Month who I introduced to the people was Bl. Maria Domenica Mantovani (d. 1934).  She was the co-founder (along with Bl. Giuseppe Nascimbeni) of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family that ministered to the sick and the elderly, as part of its mission.  As with many other Saints and Blesseds in the Church, this holy woman's life-work was a perfect exemplification and compliment to our current theme of Mercy, despite the fact that she died before the Divine Mercy Message was popularly widespread.  A bodily relic of Bl. Maria Domenica, as well as my ministry's relic of the True Cross, were also present in the Day Chapel to encourage and inspire greater devotion.

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your

Father also is merciful."

~ Luke 6:36

So we prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary and it was particularly meaningful in the presence of the Divine Mercy statue and the relics on the display altar.  Again, it felt as though we were in a "bubble" for the 25 minutes, or so, that we were engaged in the Rosary; caught up in the tangible presence of "something" definitely holy and temporarily disconnected from the outside world.  When we finished, several people went up to the front of the chapel to pay their respects to the relics and to pray for their personal intentions before going to the Mass.  A combination of Faith, Hope, Consolation, and Wonder were reflected on their faces.

Parishioners gather around the statue

and relics in prayer and veneration after

the completion of the Holy Rosary.

The next First Saturday Rosary for Peace at St. Anthony of Padua Church will be prayed on Saturday, March 7th, beginning at 4:25pm.  Come and be blessed - all are welcomed!

“Let souls who are striving for perfection

particularly adore My mercy, because

the abundance of graces which I grant

them flows from My mercy.”

~ Words of Jesus to

St. Faustina Kowalska