Catholic Fire

Thanks for joining me in praying for Alex. Here is a thank you e-mail from his mom. Alex recovered by the afternoon of the day I sent out the prayer request. He had his First Communion today. My dad, a deacon, got to give it to him, and this Mass had both forms (which doesn't often happen in our parish). Alex was so excited and proud, and it was a wonderful, faith-filled celebration. Even better, a friend brought the traveling Mary to our house today, so the day was further blessed by the presence of Our Blessed Mother. The only down side was that his godmother (whose kids got sick on the way here) couldn't make it--she's recovering at my mother-in-law's house with two who are still ill. Her older two children came to Mass and were able to share in the celebration. It was a beautiful day and we really did feel your prayers with us. Thanks again. Karina

Via The Curt Jester: Odd thought of the day The real reason Ron Howard took on The Da Vinci Code was that he thought Opus Dei was Latin for Opie Die.

As the controversy around the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie grows, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign announced plans to hold 1,000 peaceful prayer vigils outside theaters nationwide beginning May 19. “These public acts of reparation will literally blanket the country. From Alaska to Alabama, from California to Connecticut, dedicated volunteers are banding together for protest prayer vigils in front of movie theaters showing the blasphemous Da Vinci Code movie,” said America Needs Fatima director Robert Ritchie. “Wrapped in Gnostic heresy, The Da Vinci Code is a broadside attack against the Divinity of Christ, the Papacy, and the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church,” continued Ritchie. “Together with the so-called gospel of Judas, The Da Vinci Code is outright blasphemy. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the highest ideal of moral perfection; any detraction from this moral perfection takes on a defamatory c

In the book, Dan Brown leaves the historicity of The Da Vinci Code ambiguous. Although the book is termed a “novel” on the cover, the first page informs readers that: “ All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” However, Dan Brown is not nearly so restrained in later interviews. When appearing on “The Today Show,” host Matt Lauer asked him, “How much of this is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred?” Dan Brown responded: “Absolutely all of it. Obviously, there are - Robert Langdon is fictional, but all of the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies, all of that is historical fact.” Similarly, in an interview with “Good Morning America” when asked: “if you were writing it as a nonfiction book, how would it have been different?” Dan Brown responded: “I don’t think it would have. I began the research for The Da Vinci Code as a skeptic. I entirely expected, as I researched the book, to disprove this

Help Andrea Clark - Contact List Topics: Frustrated about what is happening to Andrea Clark? Beth at MVRWC has complied a list of individuals who should be notified about her case and who can help. (Remember to contact St. Luke's Episopal Hospital: 832-355-1000 as well). I'm going to reproduce her entire list below and hope that you will do the same - this needs to spread far and wide : Senator John Cornyn http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=contact&lid=1 (scroll down, there's a form) Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison: http://hutchison.senate.gov/e-mail.htm (scroll down) They got involved with the Terri Schiavo case, after all. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee: EMAIL Washington Office (202) 225-3816 (202) 225-3317 Fax Houston Office 1919 Smith StreetSuite 1180 Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 655-0050 (713) 655-1612 Fax Heights Office 420 West 19th Street Houston, Texas 77008 (713) 861-4070 Acres Home Office 6719 West MontgomerySuite 204 Houston, Texas 77091 (713) 691-4882 State/loc

Today I am praying for... life for Andrea Clark. special graces for those who are working to help save her life. a successful bone marrow match for Mark, who has an aggressive form of leukemia. safe travel and successful apostolates for the Brothers of St. John, especially for this coming week. Patty, in her work as a sidewalk counselor , that she will serve as God's instrument in saving babies and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion. a respect for human life from the moment of conception to the final moment of natural death. an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Father T.

“I, CATHERINE, … write to strengthen you in the precious blood of the Son of God, desiring to see you consumed in the fire of his charity….” That is the way Catherine of Siena, the fiery young lay Dominican of the mid-14th century, might well have chosen to introduce herself to today's 21st century readers. It was typical of this Dominican saint always to think and speak of herself only in connection with Christ and to present herself that way to others. She was a mystic (who had visions beginning at the age of seven) and a doctor of the Church -- a gifted, powerful and highly influential woman of her time. We celebrate Catherine of Siena as an international political figure and a feminist hero. We think of her as Eleanor Roosevelt with a halo. We envision her dressed in a 14th century tailored suit, traversing Europe to tell popes and emperors how to conduct their business. This portrayal contains a germ of truth. But only a germ. Catherine did work mightily to reconcile warring p

Via Pro-life Blogs : Update: Please pray that everything continues to go forward... I'll keep you informed as information is received. Update 2 (5:18pm est): Andrea's family has run into a significant problem. There is apparently a question as to whether the level of care needed by Andrea can be provided by the IL facility. Please ask St. Luke's [832-355-1000 - more contact info ] to give assurances that life-sustaining treatments will be provided to Andrea pending a transfer. Update 3: The transfer fell apart - click here for the latest .

Melanie Childers wrote a thoughtful letter to you, all those who fought and prayed for the life of her sister, Andrea Clark: My family has made the decision to move our sister to the hospital in Chicago. Thank God there is someone willing to take her. And, really, it is best to get her out of Texas, because of the futile care law here. St. Luke's played hardball with us on this issue. We were told that we could make the decision today and they would pay the entire amount of $14 thousand to move her, but if we made the decision tomorrow, they would only pay half of it, and if it were the day after tomorrow, they would pay nothing. As you know, I'm a Democrat, but one that is against abortion. I agree with the Republicans on that issue, at least. After this experience, though, I have to tell you: I am in absolute awe of the power that the right to life people generate. I, of course, first posted on Democratic Underground, and I have to give them some credit: they let my post sta

Today I am praying for... the life of Andrea Clark. Praise God! She is moving to Chicago. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Mary. the repose of the soul of Leonard K., who died of lung cancer and for peace and comofort for his family. Maria, who recently had emergency surgery for cancer. Her prognosis is poor. the Bishop of Belleville, IL, for the Holy Spirit's guidance, wisdom and strength for him. the success of the Diocese of Belleville's first Vocations Day event May 6 -- for the men who hear a calling and attend. an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. respect for all life from the moment of conception to the moment of death. Alex, who is supposed to make his First Holy Communion this weekend but has come down with a stomach virus. Brother Andrew, as he prepares for his investiture on June 4th. Praise God and His Holy Mother! my new apostolate which has been postponed until next week. the repose of the soul of for the soul of Megan L. Boever. Please

Today is the feast day of one of my favorite saints -- St. Louis Marie de Montfort. He lived in the same area of France that my ancestors did and had a beautiful devotion to Our Mother. LITANY OF SAINT LOUIS DE MONTFORT (for private use) Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Hail Mary, pray for us. Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort, pray for us. Ardent disciple of Jesus Christ the Incarnate Wisdom, pray for us. Eloquent preacher of the Cross, pray for us. Singer of the praises of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. Loving slave of Jesus in Mary, pray for us. Faithful son of the handmaid of the Lord, pray for us. Apostle of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. Preacher of the Mother of the Redeemer, pray for us. Servant of the poor and the afflict

Louis's life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the church. Totus tuus (completely yours) was Louis's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained as a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion (not the custom then!) and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's will for her life. Louis founded the Missionaries

What It Takes to Be a Writer by Mary Kochan, Senior Editor of Catholic Exchange , contains some interesting tips and insights. I particularly liked this observation: Of course, if your goal is to become specifically a Catholic writer, then a solid education in your faith is needed and so is living your faith. The point of being a Catholic writer is not necessarily to write things that are identifiably Catholic, but to bring our sacramental understanding of the world to your writing, to do all things for the glory of God, and to be grounded in your commitment to the truth about things. Before I became Catholic — while I was still quite anti-Catholic actually — I made a peculiar observation. It seemed that almost every time I read something and found intelligence just shining from the page, I would find out that it was written by a Catholic. This even bugged me a little because it flew in the face of my prejudices about the Catholic faith. Just doing a thing well can be a witness in itse

"God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Your honor and glory." ~St. Augustine Via Sr. Patricia Proctor.

The family learned of a facility in Illinois that is willing to accept Andrea and offer her the opportunity to live, an expensive move that would require Andrea to be far removed from her family. However, placing corporate greed ahead of all patient interests and the interests and wishes of the family, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has just notified the family that they are willing to pay the almost $17,000 to move Andrea to Illinois if they will immediately - that's TODAY, move Andrea out of St. Luke's to the Illinois facility. If the family waits until tomorrow to decide, St. Luke's will only pay half. And if the family can't make a decision by tomorrow, the hospital may consider to pay absolutely nothing. In other words, the hospital is attempting to force Andrea out of the hospital in order to stop the financial drain of the cost of her care. St Luke's website has the caption "Live More " on their banner and has the following description: St. Luke&

In her new book To Hell With All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife, Flanagan tears down the feminist banner that says children are better served by having fulfilled mothers in the work place, over available mothers in the home. Flanagan challenges women to admit their secret attraction to the job of housewife, saying men who don’t care about housework as much as women are not the real problem to work-load conflicts. “The only solution is…to say, “I’m a woman and I really care about these things and the reason I’m so angry at him is traditional homemaking might be something that I want to do.’ And if that’s true, they should unleash their inner housewife.” Read the full National Post article.

"The law of God does not mitigate or eliminate human freedom, on the contrary, it guarantees and promotes it. ... Moral law, established by God at the creation and confirmed in the Revelation of the Old Testament, finds its fullness and greatness in Christ. Jesus Christ is the way of perfection, the living and personal synthesis of perfect freedom in His total obedience to the will of God." ~ Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, April 27, 2006

JESUS DEFILED IN STUDENT NEWSPAPER William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, wrote a letter yesterday to every member of the Oregon legislature, the governor, the state’s three Catholic bishops, the president of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and the chancellor of the Oregon University System. The subject was an attack on Christianity that was published in a student newspaper at the University of Oregon. Here are his remarks: “The March edition of the Insurgent, a University of Oregon student newspaper, was one of the most obscene assaults on Christianity I have ever seen. To make sure that the persons I wrote to understand how vile this attack was, I sent a photocopy of the two most offensive graphics: one was a depiction of a naked Jesus on the Cross with an erection; the other, titled ‘Resurrection,’ showed a naked Jesus kissing another naked man, both sporting erections. “The pictures are only one small part of the March edition. Indeed, the entire

Abortion is no longer primarily an act of teenage desperation; instead, more and more it is the calculated choice of adults unwilling to accept responsibility for their behavior. Abortion is becoming more “rare” among the nation’s teens, but a larger percentage of women in their mid to late 20s –– women who are supposed to be responsible, mature and informed –– are, to put it bluntly, using abortion as a form of birth control. Sensible people are glad to see that teen abortions are declining dramatically and that the total number of abortions is also declining. The abstinence message is getting through to teens, and sonogram technology is making possible increased awareness of the humanity of those babies in the womb. It is also good news that between 1994 and 1998, the number of abortion clinics in the United States decreased by more than 40 percent simply because not enough doctors are willing to provide the abortions and fewer women are asking for them. In addition, more and more do

Saint Zita is the patron saint of domestic servants. She is also called upon to assist in helping to find lost keys. She was born in Tuscany, Italy in the village of Monsagrati. Zita came from a poor, but deeply devotional family. To help support the family, she became a maid of a wealthy family, Fatinelli, in the nearby Tuscan city of Lucca, serving them loyally for 48 years. Zita considered her work as an employment assigned to her by God and obeyed her master and mistress in all things as being placed over her by God. She always rose several hours before the rest of the family and spent time in prayer while they slept. She started each day with Holy Mass before she began performing her duties. Zita visited the sick and those in prison, giving them hope and spreading the gospel message. She became well known in the Lucca area for all her works of charity and her sweet, joyful disposition. Zita had a great love for the poor and donated her own food or that of her master to the poor. A

"I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the Cross than in serving the world and its pleasures." ~ St. John Vianney Prayer for Priests O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priests.Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of their priestly life.In their loneliness, comfort them. In their sorrows, strengthen them.In their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified and show them that they are needed by the Church; they are needed by souls; they are needed for the work of redemption. O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your sons who are close to you because of their priestly ordination and because of the power which they have received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs them so much. Be their comfort; be their joy; be their strength; and especially help them to live and defend the id

Today I am praying for ... life for Andrea Clark. Chris, who is dying from tuberculosis. He and his wife are recent converts to the faith. He is so in love with Jesus and his newfound Catholic faith. I am praying that he will be truly aware of God's Infinite Mercy these last days of his life and that Mother Mary will wrap him ever so gently in her loving protective mantle. M., a woman with malignant cancer in her ear canal who is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. I am praying for a successful surgery and recovery and for peace to fill her heart as she places her trust in the merciful heart of Jesus. continued healing for Maria, 17 months, who has been suffering from an unknown illness which has causing been causing high fevers. Praise the Lord! She was dismissed from the hospital! The cause of her fevers has not been determined, but some things have been ruled out. the repose of the soul of Marie and strength, guidance, comfort and peace for her husband and family. H

What should we set as our ultimate goal in this life? The answer: the most perfect worshipers of God we can possibly be.... I sought no more than how to be God's and God's alone. My goal made me resolve to give my all for the All.... Always I worshiped Him as often as I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence. When I wandered I brought Him back to my mind.... At all times, every hour, every minute, even at the busiest times. I drove away from my mind everything capable of spoiling the sense of the presence of God.... I just make it my business to persevere in His holy presence... My soul has had an habitual, silent, secret conversation with God. ~Brother Lawrence Via Sr. Patricia Proctor.

Ok, I know this hasn't been approved by the Church yet and I tend to be very skeptical about apparations, but why is it that Our Blessed Mother keeps turning up all over the world crying? This is more than a mere coincidence. When she turns up here in Bogota the people feel that it is due to lack of a priest in their village. I am sure that Our Holy Mother is very sad about the shortage of priests and the unholy behavior of some clergy. People who live in these areas where priests are scarce do indeed suffer a "white" martyrdom, being denied Holy Mass and the sacraments. My heart and prayers go out to them. Our priests are the only ones who can offer Mass and give us Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that is the first place the evil one attacks. I am also sure there are many things that she is very unhappy about in our pleasure-seeking, self-centered culture of death today. Immodesty in dress, sins of the flesh, our lack of charity towards one another, the killing of the unb

On the Feast of Saint Mark, the Evangelist, April 25 1467, the people of Genazzano, Italy witnessed a marvelous sight. A cloud descended upon an ancient church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, an image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus was revealed which had not been there before. The image, on a paper-thin sheet, was suspended miraculously. Soon after the image's appearance many miracles were attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Because of this, Pope Paul II ordered an investigation and the results have been preserved. It was later discovered that the very same image had been seen in a church dedicated to the Annunciation in Scutari, Albania. The image in this church was said to have arrived there in a miraculous manner. Now, the image had been transported from Albania miraculously to avoid sacrilege from Moslem invasion. A commission of inquiry determined that a portrait from the church was indeed missing. An empty space the

Today, I am praying for... WI Catholic and healing for her mom , who is to be admitted to the hospital. the life of Andrea Clark. Denise, who entered the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Portsmouth, Ohio, on the feast of Divine Mercy. Theresa, for physical and emotional healing. Harry, who is suffering from lung and stomach cancer and is scheduled for a biopsy. Janet and her special intentions. a special intention for Bill. an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. respect for life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. the Community of St. John will establish a monastery in my diocese. discernment for Peggy's vocation. healing for Mike. Please feel free to share your needs with me and I will be happy to pray with you and for you. Thanks for praying for these special intentions with me. God bless you!

I enjoyed this one from American Papist via The Curt Jester . Yes, somebody had to do it ... sooner or later. This is just what the doctor ordered -- I am in need of a good laugh today.

Professor David Fergusson (AgapePress) - A self-described pro-choice atheist and rationalist set out to prove that abortion does not have any psychological consequences. He found the opposite, and the results were so profound that they cannot be ignored in the scientific field or the political arena. Professor David Fergusson, New Zealand researcher at Christchurch School of Medicine and Health, said, "[F]rom a personal point of view, I would have rather seen the results come out the other way -- but they didn't. And as a scientist you have to report the facts, not what you'd like to report." Fergusson and his colleagues were surprised by the study that followed 500 women from birth to age 25 and revealed that abortive women were one-and-a-half times more likely to suffer mental illness. "Those having an abortion had elevated rates of subsequent mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors and su

The second Gospel was written by St. Mark, who, in the New Testament, is also called John Mark. St. Mark and his mother, Mary, were highly regarded in the early Church, and his mother's house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for Christians there. It was to her house that St. Peter fled following his miraculous escape from prison. St. Mark is believed to be the young man who ran away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52), and the "John whose other name was Mark" (Acts 12:25). St. Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, accompanied Saint Paul on his first missionary journey and later went with him to Rome. He was a disciple of Saint Peter whose teaching was the basis for Mark's gospel. Mark is said to be the founder of the church of Alexandria. St. Mark is the patron saint of attorneys and notaries. "Go out into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." ~Mark 16:15 Prayer Lord, help me to follow in the footsteps of St. Mark and to fall in love wi

An ill woman in Houston could die within days because a hospital ethics committee has voted to take her off life support – this despite the fact the 54-year-old is not in a coma, is not brain dead and wants to go on living, her family says. On April 30, Andrea Clark is scheduled to be on the receiving end of a Texas law that allows a hospital ethics committee to terminate care with 10 days' notice, giving the patient's family that length of time to find a different facility. "They just say, 'Well she's miserable.' Well, to me that's a quality of life decision that is up to her and her family," Lanore Dixon told KHOU-TV. "That is not a medical decision." Dixon recently protested at the St. Luke's Hospital on behalf of Clark, her sister, who has been hospitalized there since November. In January, Clark underwent open-heart surgery and later developed bleeding on the brain. A ventilator, which the committee voted to remove Sunday, helps her

Later this week and next week, EWTN has some exciting specials coming up. The times given here are Eastern. LIVES OF THE SAINTS: ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA (30:00) Please join us for this special program about the beloved St. Catherine of Siena. Saturday April 29, 2006 2:30 PM JESUS LIVING IN MARY: THE LIFE OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT (90:00) An exciting documentary examining the life of this humble man. St. Louis traveled around France giving parish missions and teaching true devotion to Jesus through Mary. Montfort's life was a quest for sanctity and service. His spirituality has profoundly influenced Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and the Church of these times in general. The Saint is a model for anyone seeking to truly live as a member of Christ's mystical body, as one of the people of God. Saturday April 29, 2006 8:00 PM Sunday April 30, 2006 2:00 AM Thursday May 4, 2006 1:00 PM BERNADETTE (2 hours)This quality, feature film production is the story of St. Bernadette and the app

Today I am praying for... Our Holy Father, our Cardinals, Bishops, deacons, sisters, and Catholic clergy, that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit and that they will receive strength and perseverance to enable them to do God's holy will. Maria, 17 months, who has had a high fever for a number of days. I am praying for healing as well as wisdom and discernment for the medical personnel in determining the cause of the fevers and in treating it effectively. healing for Harry, who has lung and stomach cancer. all pro-life bloggers, for an out pouring of God's abundant graces to give them the strength and the holy boldness they need to do his will. the special intentions of my friend, Chris, who is preparing to make her temporary promises as a lay Discalced Carmelite. Moneybags in thanksgiving for a successful meeting with the diocese's vocation director and continued prayer for his priestly vocation. a special intention for Dan Lacey at Faithmouse. an outpouring of God'

A significant number of prominent leaders in the Roman Catholic Church have thrown their weight behind a petition supporting a constitutional amendment that would block same-sex marriage. The coalition of Catholic officials that includes seven cardinals, about six archbishops and sixteen bishops has come together with influential evangelical Protestants, rabbis and other religious leaders to encourage public support for protecting traditional marriage. The Catholic leadership participation is a new and welcome development, said organizers of the petition. Although the Catholic Church opposes homosexual activity and same-sex unions as being gravely disordered and immoral, and has spoken out clearly in defence of traditional families, previous efforts to bring in a constitutional amendment in the U.S. have been largely driven by the Protestant community. “The personal involvement of bishops and cardinals is significantly greater this time than in 2004,” Patrick Korten, spokesman for the

No, it's not just a piece of tissue. It is a gift from God.

Despite the fact that this was a busy weekend for us (We were involved in the Exemplification for the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus as well as Divine Mercy Sunday in our parish.), we managed to watch the final episode of God or the Girl on A & E. I don't usually watch reality shows on TV (The few I have watched seem to be anything but real, but instead appear to be "staged") I really enjoyed this program. It was a respectful and sincere portrayal of Catholicism. I was especially touched when Steve anounced his decision to be a priest. The tears began to well up in my eyes. I could tell the Lord was moving him in that direction. Each of the young men seemed authentic in discerning their vocation. I hope they re-air it, as I would love to view it from the beginning. Some endorsements by the faith community can be found here .

Known as Mark Rey and the "Poor Man's Lawyer," Fidelis was born in 1577 at Sigmaringen, Prussia. His studies took him to the University of Freiburg and eventually to the position of tutor for Wilhelm von Stotzingen. Fidelis traveled with Wilhelm extensively throughout France and Italy before returning to Freiburg and earning a doctorate in canon and civil law. He became a prominent lawyer. However, he felt that this career endangered the salvation of his soul and he abandoned law. He joined the Capuchin Friars Minor, changed his name to Fidelis, and gave away his worldly wealth to the poor. As a Franciscan priest, he served his friary as guardian, and worked in epidemics, especially healing soldiers. He had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Trusting in her intercession, he often begged God for the grace of sacrificing his life in vindication of the Catholic faith. Fidelis was tireless in his efforts to convert heretics and wrote several pamphlets against Calva

" From now on, the Second Sunday of Easter will be called Divine Mercy Sunday." ~Pope John Paul II, 2000 This is the Divine Image that appeared to Sister (now Saint) Faustina: "In the evening in my cell, I saw Jesus clothed in white, one hand raised in blessing the other resting on His breast. From His garment came rays of light, one red and the other pale in colour. Jesus said to me", "Paint an image according to the vision 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. The two beams of light shining forth from My Heart, are the symbols of blood and water that poured from My side on the day of my sacrifice on Calvary. The pale beam represents the water that purifies souls, the red, the blood that gives life to souls." " Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever." ~ Psalm 118 This feast emerged from the very depths o