April 16, 2010
Our Readers
Trust in God’s mercy, there is a Divine Plan
By ZOE CANNON (Vincennes)
The Sunday after Easter our Church celebrated another beautiful devotion in the Feast of the Divine Mercy. We celebrate this feast called for by Pope John Paul II, on April 30, 2000, at the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska. In the 1930’s, Sister Faustina, from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, received a message from the Lord to reemphasize his plan of mercy for the world. Through Saint Faustina, Jesus also revealed special ways to live out the response to His mercy in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as both a novena and a prayer for the three o’clock hour, the hour of his death. The words “Jesus, I trust in You” are written on the image given to Sister Faustina. It is a brilliant picture with rays of colored light emanating from the heart of Jesus. This message of hope can be applied to all the needs in our lives.
Another great opportunity for reemphasizing one of God’s plans for the world was offered on Saturday, April 10, 2010. My husband Dick and I attended the convocation on marriage and family life organized by Emily Snipes, from the office of Catholic Charities. Held in Evansville at Good Shepherd Parish, it was sponsored by the Diocese of Evansville in partnership with the Diocese of Owensboro and in conjunction with the Diocese of Belleville. The keynote speakers were Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville and Dr. Jim Healy, director of the Center for Family Ministry for the Diocese of Joliet. The focus throughout the day was to improve and energize marriage and family life. Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger began the day with morning prayer and during the afternoon there were sessions available with speakers from our diocese on various topics promoting marriage as part of God’s Divine Plan. This scripture passage is written at the beginning of a Pastoral Letter of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as an introduction of the blessing and gift of marriage. “Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.” (Eph. 1:3) Again, we can pray, “Jesus I trust in you,” because there is work to be done in our culture with the attitude about the institution of marriage and family. For newly engaged couples and anyone interested in preserving the sanctity of marriage, I would encourage you to check out this website . . . www.ourcatholicmarriage.org.
Trust is a key word in all relationships. But to truly trust God there must be a foundation of faith that continues to grow deeper each and every day. This message is important in every vocation of life. Do you look upon married life as a vocation? When I prayed for vocations, I thought more in terms of religious life or priesthood. Understanding that we are each called to a specific vocation, I respectfully pray for those called to single life and marriage, as well as religious life and priesthood. I believe those who are married are called to this vocation by God, therefore the commitment is more than a vow made to one another; it is a sacred contract with him. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). This great scripture passage is preceded by the often memorized verse of Romans 8:28, “all things work together for the good.” But is either verse one we really believe? We have God working on our behalf at all times. In return are we doing our part to encourage the goodness, especially when we live out our marriage vows? It is all made easier when our “gift,” our vocation, is accepted with trust. Without prayer and this foundation of faith, every vocation is vulnerable to failure, and his gift of mercy and love is not utilized. We read and hear this message in scripture, in the homilies from our priests, and from God through our hearts, if we listen. We are blessed with a great bishop, great priests and people in our diocese who help nourish these beliefs, but we must be willing to participate in the blessings offered.
When God is present in our lives, no matter where we are called, we can make the most of our opportunities by saying each day, “Jesus I trust in you!” Our expression of faith is all that God needs to manifest his power. It is the key that unlocks the storehouse of his resources. What a difference you will make in his kingdom, if your faith can be witnessed by others. Each vocation working together for the good is exactly what God intended and how beautiful that is. When we fail his mercy is available to each of us. This message of hope is something we all need. The more we practice our faith, the more peace we find in our lives. More information about the Divine Mercy Devotion can be accessed online at www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm