Sunday in Penance

Pic from MEK's Pencil in the Hole

Last night was one of the worst nights I've had in a long time.  We were babysitting overnight.  My granddaughter woke up crying too many times to count.  I felt that I had no choice but to get into her bed and sleep with her.  Well, I didn't sleep.  I kept my ears open for my alarm to ring at 6:00 because I was scheduled to Lector the first Mass for the Second Sunday in Easter.  I certainly didn't want to wake her up so early.

I had a lack of sleep headache most of the day. I was back from Mass and she was still asleep--lucky!

She was gone by noon, so I went to the Divine Mercy services.  I was so tired.  I planned to go to Confession and come home.  A nap was in my future.

The lines for Confession were long.  I almost fell asleep waiting.  My confessor was good and I liked him, but the penance he gave me made my jaw drop.

My penance was to stay for ALL the Divine Mercy services:

Exposition/Adoration of the Eucharist
Confession
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy
and the relic of St. Sr. Faustina
and Mass  (I said I had already been and he told me I could go again and receive Communion again, since this was a special occasion.)

Today was a very special occasion.  Today was:
Divine Mercy Sunday
Canonization of two popes--John Paul II, and John XXIII
Second Sunday of Easter
Thomas Sunday
Quasimodo Sunday  (read Fr. Gerald Souza's blog for explanation)

For doing all this, I received a plenary indulgence.  I can use all the indulgences I can get.  I feel I really earned it today.

I was so tired that I'll admit that I dozed off during Adoration.  But the Mass and everything else Fr. Romanus Onyekuru, SMA presided over, woke me up.  He is an excellent homilist.  In fact, I didn't want his homily to end.  He saw things in John 20: 19-31 that I never saw before.  He also had a wonderful voice.

One of the themes he mentioned, that resonated with me, was "community."  He talked about how important community is:

where two or three are gathered  Matt 18: 20
living in community Acts 2: 44-47
be united 1Cor 1:10

And there's many, many more references in the Bible.  Well Father Romanus said the reason Thomas doubted, was because he was alone.  If he had been with the others, he would have felt what had moved them.  Community offers support.

Also, Thomas is known as Didymus, meaning the "twin."  Who's his twin?

You and me.  We have doubts, too.  Anyone who has ever doubted is Thomas' twin.

Of course, Jesus treats Thomas mercifully and that theme was expanded on too, since today is Mercy Sunday.

For a penance, I admit I enjoyed myself.  And I got a plenary indulgence, too.

At the Hour of Death

Father Nick had a question and answer session after Mass. One of his explanations really hit home with me. He was talking about death, and how Satan waits to attack you then--when you are at your physical weakest. "Wait that happened to me!" See my poem on Cronkhite Canada Syndrome.

Fr. Nic continued: "That's why it's so important for the Salve Squad to come in. The Salve Squad consists of my Dominican brothers and sisters being with you, when you are close to death. They pray with you and sing the Salve Regina."

Immediately I thought of the Hail Mary. At the end, don't we pray "...and at the hour of our death?"

There's also the Divine Mercy Chaplet that should be prayed when one is dying. Sister Faustina's diary says, "At the hour of their death, I defend every soul that will say this chaplet as I do My own glory (...). When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated and his unfathomable mercy envelops the soul" (Diary, 811).

Even in wikipoedia I learned: In Roman Catholic teachings, Saint Michael is one of the angels who are assumed present at the hour of a person's death. In his role as the patron of holy souls, Michael reaches to souls near death and saves them, hence frustrating Satan. Traditionally, he is charged to assist the dying and accompany their souls to their private judgment, bring them to purgatory and afterwards, present them to God at their entrance to heaven.

Even when I was wasting away, I had enough sense to ask for Saint Michael's help. I didn't have the strength of any sort of mental acuity to pray the Rosary or remember anything else. But I remembered Michael the Archangel, in my "valley of tears."

When my death comes around, I pray that I have my family around, and that we are all praying a Rosary, so Mary will guide me home. Just imagine, our souls being united in prayer. As St. Catherine of Siena said, "the way to heaven is heaven..."

Divine Mercy

National Day of Prayer

Hubby and I attended the National Day of Prayer in Pittsfield, MA. It was nice to pray with others for our country. It was a real "rush" to pray with strangers, yet be united in prayer. It was very patriotic and an exercise in Freedom to Worship and Freedom of Speech.

God bless America!

And to think that political partisans argue over this. A Day of Prayer!

Wikipedia gives a history of the Day of prayer dating back to the Continental Congress. Nowadays those that are anti-Obama say he cancelled the Day of Prayer. Many things Obama may be, but he is not politically stupid. Snopes will give you the story, which is not only did the Pres not cancel the Day of Prayer, but he is the defendant in a lawsuit challenging the government's proclamation of a Day of Prayer. Appeals are still ongoing.

Today's service was meaningful. I don't know who the priest was that represented the Catholics, but he was perfect: not too long, clear, concise, articulate, and prayerful. In fact, he concluded with the prayer in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy:

Holy God,
Holy Mighty One,
Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us
and on the whole world.
Amen.