We are all called to be saints, whatever our station in life. Saints always suffer… are we ready to do that, with grace and love and joy? THREAD: https://x.com/Chris_SmithsJ/status/1780164564392251750 Thank you for reading An Observer’s Substack. This post is public so feel free to share it.
I recall that you visited Lourdes. There is a Lourdes grotto simulation in Maryland near the shrine to St Elizabeth Seton. Perhaps you have seen it?
Another Marian apparition, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the subject of an important novena ongoing since March and culminates in December. Perhaps you are participating in this initiative?
No, I've not been to the Maryland Lourdes shrine! Perhaps one day when I visit the East Coast again.
I have been out of touch with much of the current Church goings-on and did not join the Cardinal Burke initiative, but thank you for the tip. Right now, am focusing more on just making a habit of daily prayer--at least the rosary. I may add the Divine Mercy chaplet at some point.
(A very kind and devout friend and classmate taught that chaplet to me soon after my reversion, and she has been continually supportive ever since, always including me and my family in her prayers during her frequent Eucharistic Adoration, sending me exorcised salt and water, etc.. By the way--would you like some exorcised salt to make Holy Water? Do please email me if so!)
You are always so generous: thank you, but I am well provided for in terms of exorcised holy water from Holy Saturday baptisms…
While I personally count on Divine mercy, the fruits of the JPII initiative are both good and bad, with many people deceiving themselves that they do not need sacraments (confession, communion), to say nothing of priests
or mass… In silent protest to what I perceive to be a Protestant ethos taking hold of the Catholic church, I do not take part in recitation of the chapelet.
The chaplet from the valid apparition to St Faustina Kowalska considered "Protestant"? That's new to me. Anyway, such devotions are optional for Catholics to pray.
Irrespective of the validity of the apparition, in judging the tree from its fruit, one needs to consider that the Divine Mercy initiative has left many Catholics with the false and consoling notion that all is pardoned. I appreciate that the Pope is charged with growing the church, and that the plan may have intended to cast a net to those adrift. But the flock has not grown and confidence in the clergy has diminished. Who needs an interlocutor-priest, when one has his own loving relationship with God? The prayer ought come with a disclaimer: "this does not take the place of confession", or something along those lines.. haha (but, seriously...) Empathy plays upon our heartstrings but can be the source of evil; case in point: euthanasia.
I'm not sure I ever got that notion from the Divine Mercy chaplet (of not needing a priest or Confession). I just see it as yet another devotional, another novena. My friend who taught it to me has been a devout and practising Catholic far longer than me. To be sure, one could look at all the novenas as such- but they are all just supplementals and those who know their faith do recognize the need for Confession, too. All devotionals before Divine Mercy can lead anyone to think that was all they needed, too. But I personally never saw them in this way.
Teresa, I apologize for behaving like a dog with a bone here.... I do not doubt the devotion of your friend or anyone enamored of Divine Mercy. But to consider it commensurate to other novenas and chaplets is to understate it. The Divine Mercy is an international and national shrine, a feast day, a documentary film, a podcast, television series.... People consecrate themselves to the Divine Mercy.
I was generally disposed to think well of the Marian Fathers who promote this evangelistic initiative in the USA but as I visit their website I see disparaging admonitions to beware of "radical traditionalists" who criticize the Divine Mercy. They go so far as to allege (erroneously) that the Society of St. Pius X is "schismatic".
I hesitate to review their materials on Divine Mercy and Bioethics (of which there are several videos and conferences). Frankly, I hope that they are explaining the virtue of suffering and not endorsing euthanasia. I sense my tepid reservations about this evangelical mission being raised to a level of alarm. Thank you, once again.
That was beautiful. There’s a sweet film on Netflix, “The Miracle Club”, about a group of Irish ladies who make a pilgrimage to Lourdes with their local Catholic church. Stars Laura Linney, Kathy Bates and Maggie Smith. 💓🙏🏻
I have yet to watch this channel, but it features movies on the saints and may be of interest: Formed https://formed.org/
Ooh, I browsed that once before, but never lingered (can't recall why)-- but it looks promising, based on one video I began watching! Thank you!
I recall that you visited Lourdes. There is a Lourdes grotto simulation in Maryland near the shrine to St Elizabeth Seton. Perhaps you have seen it?
Another Marian apparition, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the subject of an important novena ongoing since March and culminates in December. Perhaps you are participating in this initiative?
https://novena.cardinalburke.com/novena/reflection-three-april-12-2024#reflection-one
No, I've not been to the Maryland Lourdes shrine! Perhaps one day when I visit the East Coast again.
I have been out of touch with much of the current Church goings-on and did not join the Cardinal Burke initiative, but thank you for the tip. Right now, am focusing more on just making a habit of daily prayer--at least the rosary. I may add the Divine Mercy chaplet at some point.
(A very kind and devout friend and classmate taught that chaplet to me soon after my reversion, and she has been continually supportive ever since, always including me and my family in her prayers during her frequent Eucharistic Adoration, sending me exorcised salt and water, etc.. By the way--would you like some exorcised salt to make Holy Water? Do please email me if so!)
You are always so generous: thank you, but I am well provided for in terms of exorcised holy water from Holy Saturday baptisms…
While I personally count on Divine mercy, the fruits of the JPII initiative are both good and bad, with many people deceiving themselves that they do not need sacraments (confession, communion), to say nothing of priests
or mass… In silent protest to what I perceive to be a Protestant ethos taking hold of the Catholic church, I do not take part in recitation of the chapelet.
The chaplet from the valid apparition to St Faustina Kowalska considered "Protestant"? That's new to me. Anyway, such devotions are optional for Catholics to pray.
Irrespective of the validity of the apparition, in judging the tree from its fruit, one needs to consider that the Divine Mercy initiative has left many Catholics with the false and consoling notion that all is pardoned. I appreciate that the Pope is charged with growing the church, and that the plan may have intended to cast a net to those adrift. But the flock has not grown and confidence in the clergy has diminished. Who needs an interlocutor-priest, when one has his own loving relationship with God? The prayer ought come with a disclaimer: "this does not take the place of confession", or something along those lines.. haha (but, seriously...) Empathy plays upon our heartstrings but can be the source of evil; case in point: euthanasia.
I'm not sure I ever got that notion from the Divine Mercy chaplet (of not needing a priest or Confession). I just see it as yet another devotional, another novena. My friend who taught it to me has been a devout and practising Catholic far longer than me. To be sure, one could look at all the novenas as such- but they are all just supplementals and those who know their faith do recognize the need for Confession, too. All devotionals before Divine Mercy can lead anyone to think that was all they needed, too. But I personally never saw them in this way.
Teresa, I apologize for behaving like a dog with a bone here.... I do not doubt the devotion of your friend or anyone enamored of Divine Mercy. But to consider it commensurate to other novenas and chaplets is to understate it. The Divine Mercy is an international and national shrine, a feast day, a documentary film, a podcast, television series.... People consecrate themselves to the Divine Mercy.
I was generally disposed to think well of the Marian Fathers who promote this evangelistic initiative in the USA but as I visit their website I see disparaging admonitions to beware of "radical traditionalists" who criticize the Divine Mercy. They go so far as to allege (erroneously) that the Society of St. Pius X is "schismatic".
I hesitate to review their materials on Divine Mercy and Bioethics (of which there are several videos and conferences). Frankly, I hope that they are explaining the virtue of suffering and not endorsing euthanasia. I sense my tepid reservations about this evangelical mission being raised to a level of alarm. Thank you, once again.
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/
That was beautiful. There’s a sweet film on Netflix, “The Miracle Club”, about a group of Irish ladies who make a pilgrimage to Lourdes with their local Catholic church. Stars Laura Linney, Kathy Bates and Maggie Smith. 💓🙏🏻
Oh, I've got to see that! Thank you for the tip! Hope it's on Amazon Prime, cause I dropped Netflix years and years ago.
https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/themiracleclub
Perhaps you can pay to watch it on Prime?
Oh, for sure! Will look for it! Thank you!
I don’t know if it’s on Prime..kind doubt it.