Divine Mercy Sunday

What is Divine Mercy?

If you are a cradle Catholic like me, you have probably heard a lot of Catholic prayers, but you may not know where they came from. When I first heard of the Divine Mercy, I was at Vacation Bible School and my aunt, who was the Vacation Bible School Director, was telling us kids about the prayer. She may have gone over the origin story, but all I can remember was that the Divine Mercy prayer was said on the rosary beads and only took five minutes to say. The shortness of the ritualistic prayer was the thing that drew me into the prayer, and I have been saying it ever since.

But I think before we go over how to say the prayer it is important to know how the prayer came about. Here is a very brief summary of the prayer.

In 1931 Sister Faustina, a Congregational Sister of Our Lady of Mercy with the education of a third grader, was visited by God in prayer. He appeared to her in a white garment with pale and red rays coming from His heart. Jesus asked her to paint this image with the words “Jesus, I trust in You” beneath it. Sister Faustina did not know how to paint. In 1934 she got Eugene Kazimierowski to paint the image we see today.

In 1935 Sister Faustina was praying for mercy and God gave her the words to pray, “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. (Diary, 475).”

The next time she was in prayer she heard God tell her to add the words “and on the whole world” after have mercy on us. God continuously revealed to her in prayer how He wanted the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy to be prayed. In Sister Faustina’s dairy she wrote that the purpose of the Divine Mercy chaplet was threefold: to obtain mercy, to trust in Christ’s mercy, and to show mercy to others.

On April 30, 2000 Pope John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina and established Divine Mercy Sunday as the Sunday after Easter.

Parish Divine Mercy Zoom Call

We know it is hard to not be together for a special Sunday in our liturgical year. If you wish, you can join a parish zoom call to participate in the Divine Mercy this Sunday at 3pm with Stephen Williams. To receive the link of the zoom call please email Stephen at relegioused@sacredheartob.org

Divine Mercy Plenary Indulgence

First let us define a plenary indulgence. Definition of a Plenary:

A plenary indulgence that can remove all the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin. Only God knows for certain when a plenary indulgence is actually gained, because only He knows whether a person’s dispositions are adequate. One norm for such dispositions is that “all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.” If these dispositions are in any way less than complete, the indulgence will only be partial. The same provision applies to the three external conditions necessary to gain a plenary indulgence: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope. If these conditions are not satisfied, an otherwise plenary indulgence becomes only partial. These conditions may be satisfied several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work, though preferably Communion should be received, and the prayers offered for the Pope on the same day as the indulgenced work. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. (https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=35607)

Here is a link to find out about the Divine Mercy Plenary Indulgence from Pope Francis. Please look at this note, because the requirements to receive this plenary indulgence has changed thus year based on the current world situation.
 

Links to receive more information on the Divine Mercy

For more information on the Divine Mercy visit this site: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/

For more information on Sister Faustina watch this video:
To purchase St. Faustina’s Diary here is an amazon link:
For more information on the Divine Mercy watch this video:
A guide on how to pray the Divine Mercy
One way to pray the Divine Mercy is to say the words, but you can also sing the Divine Mercy. Here are two different videos of the Divine mercy being sung.
Religious Education Coordinator
Easter Lights

We are joining a movement with various churches and would like you to join in, and encourage you to spread the word.

Let’s hang white lights on the house and the trees. Turn them on at 8:00 pm this Saturday April 11th – the start of the Easter Vigil – and light them every night through Easter until Pentecost, May 31st.

We are putting lights on the front of the church building too.

Let’s bring the Light of Christ to this pandemic darkness!
Peace to you, and shine your light!
Video… “Jesus Is” Episode 2

Sacred Heart Youth Minister Pat Gunning shares a new message and methods for coping during this time in quarantine. Pat takes a passage from Isaiah 53 that is read every Good Friday and goes into how Jesus is the Lamb of God who fulfills the Old Testament with the New Covenant of his blood.

Direct Link to the Video
Sacred Heart You Tube Channel
Sunday Morning Sacred Heart will
Distribute Blessed Palm Branches…
That Can be Put on our Doors & Windows at Home

On Palm Sunday let us all put a palm or branch on the door or window of our home to celebrate Palm Sunday. Sacred Heart will distribute blessed Palm branches in as safe a manner as we can.

You can pick up a palm branch for each member of your family at the Church, tomorrow (Sunday) morning from 9:00 AM -12:00 noon in the alley between Saratoga and Cape May. Parishioners can get your palms by driving in your cars through the alley starting at Sunset Cliffs, going North. Roll down your passenger side window and tell June or Gregg Sprosty the number of palms requested (one per family member.) They will pass the required number of palm branches through the passenger side window and put them on the car seat so they can maintain a safe distance. Then drive through the alley to Ebers Street and depart. There will be NO parking problems and people can be safe. If you are walking, June or Gregg will have branches available to pick up in a safe manner.

Since some of us will be unable to receive our beloved palms, those that don’t have palms can put a branch on the door or window of our home to celebrate Palm Sunday.

While we must be apart this Palm Sunday, we remain the Catholic community of Sacred Heart of Ocean Beach. No amount of social distancing and restrictions from public gatherings will change that here!

Through this green branch on our door, we remember each other and Jesus’s sacrifice for us as we enter into the holiest week of the Christian calendar.

And as we use this remaining time in Lent to reflect, so that we may celebrate Easter Sunday joyously, remember we do so not as isolated individuals but spiritually connected in our faith!

Palm Sunday Mass Online
There are two ways to view the video. The first way to view the video is through our parish YouTube account tomorrow (Sunday) morning. You can find the link here

Fr. Emmanuel will also make available the link to the video and text of this Sunday’s homily along with previous and future ones on his blog. You can find the link to his blog here http://frochigbo.blogspot.com/

You can also find the Mass that the Diocese of San Diego has on its website https://www.sdcatholic.org/find-a-parish/on-line-sunday-mass/.

Thank you to everyone who makes this incredible outreach possible.

May God be with you in these trying times!
Mass Online
This weekend for Palm Sunday we will again be recording Mass in our church and posting it to the Parish YouTube channel for Sunday morning viewing. You can view Mass here.
Stephen Williams has helpful information below to make the most from Mass at home. You can download the document here.

Fr. Tom’s surgery has been postponed. The doctor chose not to take any chances with Fr. Tom’s health due the rise of the Covid-19 cases, which has increased at the local hospitals. He is hoping to have the surgery within the next month.

Please continue to pray for Fr. Tom’s health.

April 1, 2020

Dear Sacred Heart Family,

I have been WAITING these last several weeks for surgery, and I have had much time for prayer and reflection. As we approach Palm Sunday this coming weekend, I am reminded of the crowds of people who had been WAITING so long for the Messiah. Upon Jesus’ arrival how they welcomed Him with such jubilation and shouts of hope. Perhaps He would be the one that would free them from the bonds of oppression and the difficult times they were living in. Yet only a short time later, these same crowds would be shouting, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” We to are WAITING, with hope and anticipation, that we will be free from this present pandemic and try to return to the life we were living before this difficult time befell us.

I await my surgery so I can get back into the swing of things and move on. Yet in this waiting I began to wonder if I do want to get back to where I was and to where we all were. Were we really taking Lent seriously? Were we living with gratitude for all the gifts in our lives? Were we truly grateful for each other? Was God the center in our lives or continually taking a back seat to sports, technology, entertainment, comforts, all the distractions the world offers!? Can we say, when this pass, and it will pass, that as we are rebuilding are wounded economy, our country, our individual lives, that we are different than before? Are we better? Have we prayed as a family in this time and even just had quality sharing and presence with each other?

I think of the many who attend Weekend Masses but never volunteer or involve themselves in the activities, ministries and events the parish offers. Yet, this is a parish made up of so many people who care so deeply. What wonderful things we could accomplish by just getting more involved in the life of our Church community. How we could set the world on fire!! I think we can, and more, I believe we will!!

An invisible force might have brought us to a halt, but a visible force has Risen from the dead! Jesus Christ is real! He is with us! He is the same yesterday, today and always. Through Him we will rise from this brighter, kinder, more selfless, merciful and loving. As we wait know He is awaiting with open arms to lift us to those higher places, if we let Him.

PRAY, HOPE AND TRUST FOR WE ARE AN EASTER PEOPLE AND HALLELUJAH IS OUR NAME!!!!

Thank you all for your support and prayers for me. I am so blessed and so grateful. Know I continue to pray for each of you!!!!

Fr. Tom

Prayers for Father Tom
Fr. Tom’s heart surgery is this coming Monday, April 6th. Please keep him in your prayers for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!  Please pray also for the surgeon and his team throughout the surgery. May God guide them and be with them. Let us also pray for the hospital staff caring for Fr. Tom and other patients. Keep them all safe from the Coronavirus!!
This Weekend it will be Palm Sunday
Sacred Heart will Distribute Blessed Palm Branches

On Palm Sunday this weekend Sacred Heart will distribute blessed Palm branches in as safe a manner as we can.

Parishioners can get your palms by driving in your cars through the alley starting at Sunset Cliffs, going North. Roll down your passenger side window/s and tell June or Gregg Sprosty the number of palms requested (one per family member.) They will pass the required number of palm branches through the passenger side window and put them on the car seat so they can maintain a safe distance. Then drive through the alley to Ebers Street and depart. There will be NO parking problems and people can be safe. If you are walking, June or Gregg will have branches available to pick up in a safe manner. Palms will be available in the alley from 9 am till 12 noon, Sunday morning. Have a safe Holy week.
You can download the calendar here.