Posted on April 11, 2021 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!
Today we celebrate the First Solemn Mass of Fr. Brent. It is undoubtedly something every priest looks forward to, and every parish celebrates with great joy. Please be sure to always pray for him as he prepares to begin his formal priestly ministry in a few weeks!
Today we also celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. In the 1930s, Our Lord appeared to a Polish nun named Faustina Kowalska (now a Saint). In it, He asked for the Church to remember the great mercy that the Lord seeks to extend to us, especially in light of His passion and death. This is not mercy that simply overlooks our sins, as God demands humility on our part, but it is a mercy that is willing to forgive all of those who humbly ask and seek to amend their lives.
God does not will the death of the sinner, but rather that He lives. If a sinner suffers eternal death, it is because he chose not to repent, and his soul could not live with the Divine Mercy and Justice. This is certainly important to remember that the only sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit, that can not be forgiven is the one in which we do not ask for forgiveness. The one that we do not believe can be forgiven because we doubt the mercy of God.
Today, to those who approach the Divine Mercy, two things are available to us. First of all, the Church concedes a Plenary Indulgence to all those who either partake in devotions held in a Church to the Divine Mercy, or who in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament recite the Creed, Our Father, and adding a devote prayer to the merciful Lord (such as Merciful Jesus, I trust in you). This is all done under the usual conditions, namely reception of Holy Communion, Sacramental Confession within 20 days, detachment from all sin, and prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions. Secondly, per Our Lord’s promise, all those who confess and receive Holy Communion on this day are granted the full remission of our sins and the temporal punishment due to them.
So do not pass up these opportunities granted on this Low Sunday, this White Sunday, this Sunday within the Octave of Easter. The Lord died that we may have life. He has given us all the tools we need to do so. May we make use of them so that we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
Please join us this afternoon at Old St. Mary’s for confession from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Three priests will hear confession. There will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 2:00 p.m. until Benediction after the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3:00 p.m.
Have a blessed week ahead, and next week we will have the First Solemn Mass of Fr. Henry.