I felt moved today to post this reminder to reach out to fallen-away Catholics and invite them back to the practice of their faith. Jesus desires to pardon us sinners and be restored in His friendship. All we need to do is to accept His gift of mercy, repent of our sins, and put our trust in Him completely. If you are living in Metro Manila and nearby areas, I highly recommend going to the Archdiocesan Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Maysilo Circle, Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City because the Sacrament of Reconciliation is made available the whole day of Divine Mercy Sunday.
Calling all Catholics to the Feast of Mercy on the Sunday after Easter, April 15th. Did you know that the Lord said that this feast would one day be the “last hope of salvation”? Have you considered what would happen to you if you suddenly died in the state of mortal sin?
Did you know that in the 1930’s Our Lord Jesus requested through Saint Faustina that a very special Feast of Divine Mercy be established and then solemnly celebrated in His Church on the First Sunday after Easter every year?
In the year 2000 after many years of study by the Catholic Church, The now Blessed Pope John Paul II fulfilled the will of Christ and officially established this special Feast of Divine Mercy and named it Divine Mercy Sunday.
What is so special about this new Feast of Divine Mercy you might be asking yourself? It is the promise of the total forgiveness of all sins and punishment for any soul that would go to Confession and then receive Jesus in Holy Communion on that very special Feast of Divine Mercy!
Why would Jesus offer us something so great right now? Jesus told St. Faustina that she was to prepare the world for His Second Coming and that He would be pouring out His Mercy in great abundance before He comes again as the Just Judge and as the very last hope of salvation.
If you have been away from the practice of your Catholic faith and if you would like to come back into the one true Catholic Church, then this is the most perfect opportunity for you, if you are prepared to repent of all your sins.
Many former fallen-away Catholics have taken advantage of this great Feast of Mercy to get a brand new start in life and to be totally prepared to stand before the Lord. Don’t miss out on this incredible gift of mercy that is available in every Catholic Church on Sunday, April 15th of this year!
If you have been away from the Catholic faith and if you have any questions about coming back home, then come in and talk to a priest at any Catholic Church. The beauty of the Catholic Church is that its teachings and procedures are the same at all parishes.
You may have concerns, such as: marriage outside of the Church; un-confessed abortions; or other issues that could be preventing you from receiving Holy Communion or you may have questions about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, often referred to as making a good Confession to a priest.
Don’t consider yourself as without hope. Our Lord Jesus wants to pardon completely even the worst sinners possible. Remember, Jesus has come for sinners, not the righteous.
Jesus said that even if our sins were as numerous as the grains of sand, they would be lost in His Ocean of Mercy.
If you are truly repentant of your sins and are well prepared to confess your sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you will experience a tremendous peace. You will experience a great weight lifted from you. And a brand new start in life!
When you have confessed your sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation then you must continue to practice your faith as a good Catholic. This involves attending Mass every Sunday, on Holy Days of Obligation, supporting your local parish, and confessing your serious sins on a yearly basis.
Don’t expect to receive the forgiveness of sins and punishment if you don’t intend to continue to practice your faith.
Jesus is in the Confessional
One of the most reassuring things Our Lord Jesus revealed to us through Saint Faustina includes the several times when He indicated to her that He is really there in the Confessional when we are making our individual Confessions to the priests. Jesus said that every time we enter the Confessional that He Himself is there waiting for us, and that He is only hidden by the priest. Jesus said never to analyze what sort of a priest that He is making use of, but for us to reveal our souls to Him and that He will fill us with His peace and light.
Some have wondered why Jesus would want us to confess our sins to a priest, but the answer is in the very first instruction that Jesus gave to His Apostles directly after His Resurrection from the dead. On the evening of the Resurrection, Jesus walked through the door of the Cenacle where the Apostles were hiding and said to them “Receive the Holy Spirit, what sins you forgive are forgiven them, what sins you retain are retained”. This was the very beginning of the Sacrament of Confession. For sure that command was not only for the Apostles, and then to be forgotten, but for that power to be passed on to the ordained priests of today in the Catholic Church.
Jesus said that the greater the sinner, the greater the right they have to His mercy! Doesn’t this sound like a very Merciful Savior?
To celebrate properly the Feast of Divine Mercy and to receive the forgiveness of all sins and punishment, you must go to Confession to a Catholic priest within 20 days before or after Divine Mercy Sunday. Or if you are in the state of very serious or mortal sin, you must always confess them before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion or you will also commit a sacrilege which is also a very serious sin. If you haven’t been going to Sunday Mass without any good reason, you may be in a state of serious sin and you must confess before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion.
For more information about the Feast of Divine Mercy and a Confession Guide, go to: www.DivineMercySunday.com
In A Nutshell—To Prepare for the Feast and Receive These Promises:
1. Celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter;2. Sincerely repent of all our sins;
3. Place our complete trust in Jesus;
4. Go to sacramental Confession, preferably before that Sunday; preferably during the Lenten season.
5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;
6. Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy;
7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words, and prayers on their behalf.
(Sources: divinemercysunday.com & rcspiritualdirection.com)
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