When I need prayer I call a few dedicated prayer warriors to come alongside me, and many times I ask the intercession of saints to help my cause. There is a misconception about Catholics that we pray to saints; we do not. What we do is ask for their intercession. St. Faustina is one of my favorite saints. I would like to share  her story, and will do my best to open your hearts to this holy saint. St. Faustina was canonized on April 30, 2000 in Rome, and she  is to the history of the Catholic Church most influential in the teaching of Divine Mercy; this was her calling.

We were in Rome and were privileged to witness St. Fautina’s canonization. Our team arrived in Turin to visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, at that time there was an exposition of the Holy Shroud of Turin. Mike (my husband) was meeting us there. From there we went to Rome, and the ride took almost the entire day but the view was scenic and bountiful to my eyes. I wanted to stop and stroll the streets of Genoa, but it was not to be, we had an assignment in Rome.

We settled in Rome at our usual hotel, Mike and I and the rest of the team had tickets to the audience with Pope John Paul II the following day. We had no idea that a canonization was to take place that day. I knew very little of  St. Faustina and was elated to be part of this great celebration. As we sat, a huge picture of St. Faustina was rolled down above St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. This was not a planned occurrence but rather God ordained, I knew then that I would have a special attachment with this humble servant of God.

Rome was bustling with these nuns with usually big headpieces, which resembled the ones used on the Flying Nun (old television program).These nuns were from Poland, and belong to The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, St. Faustina’s order. They were there to celebrate the canonization as well. We took our seats and witnessed this event; I was more curious and wanted to learn more about St. Faustina. It would be two years later that we made a pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland.

St. Faustina had regular visitations from Jesus. Her encounters were filled with intimate conversation and instruction as Jesus chose her to be his spokesperson to spread his Divine Mercy. St. Faustina was given a vision of our Lord and was asked to have a picture of Jesus painted. This was not any ordinary painting but one of Divine Mercy. From her diary, these are the words Jesus spoke to her: “Paint an image according to the pattern 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. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory.” Along with this image came the prayer to the Divine Mercy, which is to be prayed at the 3:00 hour. The 3:00 hour is the hour at which our Lord died on the cross. There are many graces that come with this prayer; in Jesus’s words: “I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; at  that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world- mercy triumphed over justice.” This simple prayer is to be prayed on Rosary beads. The prayer is to appease the wrath of God and goes as follows: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.” This prayer is needed more than ever today; imagine that our Lord teaching this to St. Faustina with the intention of the whole world understanding his Divine Mercy.

In 2002 we visited Poland on a pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy. We were given great favor at one of the services held in the Chapel. Our team was invited to sit at the altar, where we sang the Divine Mercy song to the congregation. I remember the feeling of disbelief  to be part of  a choir and for it to take place where Jesus spoke to the young saint. To the left side of the altar hanging was the original painting that Jesus commissioned St. Faustina to paint. I could not believe that I was there and participating in that manner, and a sense of humility filled my heart.

The first Sunday after Easter is dedicated  to celebrate Divine Mercy. We were there to celebrate with the locals of Krakow. To accommodate the  thousands of people, an outdoor Mass was held. I was with a group of eight  friends but because the mayhem of people, we were quickly separated to only four. When it came to communion time it appeared that the villagers were going to trample us. As the crowd tightened toward the priest giving communion, I felt hard pushing and there was no room for escape. My foot had been run over by a stroller which held a red faced baby with chubby cheeks. When we received the Eucharist, we were in danger of a stampede by the villagers. In a panic I pretended to throw up. Holding one hand to my mouth, I made a distinguished universal barf sound, and just like God parted the Red Sea for Moses, he did it for us as we ran out of harm’s way.

I am just giving a small abstract about the life of this holy saint, who has made a huge difference in my prayer life. I pray that you will experience drawing closer to our Lord with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Do not allow the enemy to rob you of this prayer because you do not believe in saints, but rather understand that Jesus used St. Faustina to bring the message of Divine Mercy to the world. Remember many are called but few are chosen (Mt 22:14).

Dear Friends the Lord is warning us to come together as a country and pray. On September 7, 2017, Mexico was hit with a 8.1- magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast, and this quake is the largest recorded earthquake in that area in a century.

Hurricane Harvey, which devoured a large part of southeastern Texas and continued eastward, destroyed billions of dollars of property and took the lives over 70 people.  Now we are faced with Irma, She is coming with a vengeance to scare us straight. The meaning of name Harvey is “battle worthy” but the name Irma means “whole, universe, war goddess.” How are these names picked? The names are determined by the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva (WMO). There are six separate list of names for Atlantic Ocean storms which are rotated annually. I believe that God has a big hand on these names. We need to pay attention to the signs and stop all the bickering and get on our knees as a nation and pray. These storms are nonpartisan, and do not respect property or human life. They are diabolical with an assignment to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10:10). This is apocalyptic, and we need to pay attention to what is happening around us. This is how God speaks to a stubborn nation- do not harden your hearts, He is in control!

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked way; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

This past week has brought me across three states, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. Mike had business in Atlanta so I joined him. While Mike was in meetings I drove to Irondale, Alabama, to visit my dear friend in Christ, Father Leonard.  Driving to Irondale from Atlanta was a good 2-1/2 hour drive, the roads were open, and once I got out of Atlanta it was pretty much a straight stretch, mostly with two lanes. I left early to allow time just in case I got lost, and you can’t get lost going straight. I texted Father Leonard to let him know that I had arrived. I visited the gift store and met Pat, a kind sales clerk. From there I walked over to the Chapel, and with the exception of a few people, it was pretty much empty. Much to my excitement, as I walked in, I noticed the Exposition of the Holy Eucharist (to Catholics this represents the presence of Christ). I prayed and found myself in such peace, a different type of peace, one with no thought or care, just quiet fulfillment. Father Leonard walked in and greeted me, and told me that he would concelebrate  the noon Mass. As it got closer to 12 o’clock the pews quickly filled, making standing room only. This was odd, and I rubbernecked to see many people standing.

After Mass, Father Leonard and Father Anthony and I went to lunch at a local eatery. I was double blessed to be in the company of such fun holy men. Once we returned to EWTN, Father Leonard took me on a private tour of the Global network. As we were going through the tour I kept seeing the same people that attended Mass earlier that day. It is not a requirement for the employees of EWTN to attend Mass, but many of the 300 employees were there.

This year has been a crazy year with politics and the women’s movement, but to me there is distinct difference in how a woman driven by the Holy Spirit can change the world for the better compared with those who are doing it for self gain.

In 1962 Mother Angelica started a monastery in Irondale, Alabama. This area is Baptist country with only 2% Catholics. Mother Angelica never got caught up in the demographics of this movement, but  just continued to move as God led her. Soon many Protestant  churches were inviting her to speak because her ecumenical gifts touched many.  Mother Angelica started writing small booklets that were printed by the nuns and distributed then for free. Mother Angelica made series programs at the CBS affiliate studio for CBC and PTL. She was at the station when she discovered that CBS was about to air a heretical story on the life of Jesus. This did not sit well with Mother Angelica and she complained to the station managers, telling them that if they were going to air this program,  she would no longer be part of the station. She went as far as telling the executives that she would start her own station. The executives laughed at her and told her she would never succeed. Mother Angelica transformed the garage of Our Lady of Angels Monastery into a television station. On August 15, 1981, the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the station was up and running. At first it was just 4 hours per day, until 1985, when it grew to 8 hours, and by 1987 the broadcast was 24 hours per day of domestic air time. Nothing could stop this God-driven lady from completing what she started, and she never took no for an answer, being tuned to the voice of God. Her steadfast way of thinking was all in conjunction with instruction from God, and no man could stop this force.

In 1987 Mother Angelica founded the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, a holy order of Franciscan Priests and Brothers. Both Father Leonard and Father Anthony belong to this order. They wear the brown habits with a long white cord with three knots. These knots are a visual reminder of the vows that they took for their order. The knots represent poverty, chastity, and obedience, and they share in the mission of living the Gospel and serving the poor. Every Catholic Church in the Holy Land is controlled by the Franciscans.

God has called many people to come along Mother’s side, including Father Joseph, who was an engineer for General Electric. Father Joseph wanted to volunteer, but Mother Angelica would not hear of this because she believed that a paid employee would be more dedicated. Before long Father Joseph answered the calling to become a priest, and has been with that order since it first started. Today, because of Mother Angelica’s perseverance, over 500 radio affiliates in 145 countries air programs all over the world. Eight years ago EWTN acquired the National Catholic Register, a news agency that operates in the old fashioned way of telling the facts and reporting real news. EWTN is the largest and most viewed Christian station in the world; this was never Mother’s goal but it was a gift from God for all her dedication.

In 2001 Mother Angelica suffered two strokes and no longer had an active role with EWTN. It was during these years that EWTN grew to what it is today. Mother Angelica never stopped praying; even in her declining  state of health she prayed, her intercession being a testament of what a full life should be. EWTN’s growth is largely due to her constant prayers. Mother Angelica offered all of her suffering for the spread of the Gospel through EWTN, calling her suffering purification. I always tell my children please do not end my life if I become disabled or incapacitated because if I have breath, I am praying.

Please let me know if you are reading this Blog with either a thumbs up or comment on the space provided.