Christ is risen! Alleluia! Truly He is risen!
Today is Easter Saturday, the ninth day of the Divine Mercy Novena. I would invite you to join me in praying this powerful novena for Aaron, Jose Barba, Juan Vaca, Bonum's buddy in the hospital, and all other victims of LC/RC sexual abuse. If you did not make the first day, don't worry about it. Join in anyway. God will honor your prayers for this intention.
Here is the prayer for Day 9 of the Divine Mercy Novena:
Ninth Day"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."
Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.
(The praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet is encouraged, but optional.)
Yet the victims of abuse are not the only folks who require prayer. There are many LC and RC still in the system, who feel trapped as they struggle to confront and overcome the methodology of Maciel. Likewise others who have left formally but still feel trapped internally. Let us offer a novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe for their spiritual welfare, that God may free them from the wicked methodology that binds them.
Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe
O Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "greater love than this no man has that a man lay down his life for his friends," through the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe whose life illustrated such love, we beseech you to grant us our petitions . . . (Please safeguard, strengthen and enlighten those souls who seek sincerely to serve you, but who are trapped by Maciel's methodology).Through the Militia Immaculata movement, which Maximilian founded, he spread a fervent devotion to Our Lady throughout the world. He gave up his life for a total stranger and loved his persecutors, giving us an example of unselfish love for all men - a love that was inspired by true devotion to Mary.
Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we too may give ourselves entirely without reserve to the love and service of our Heavenly Queen in order to better love and serve our fellowman in imitation of your humble servant, Maximilian. Amen.
(Say 3 Hail Marys and a Glory Be)
And finally there are the priests, seminarians and lay people who abetted the Maciel scandal. Either by participating in the coverup, perpetuating Maciel's methodology, promoting the myth of Maciel's sanctity, raising their cross above that of Our Lord Jesus Christ, engaging in whisper campaigns and detraction against Maciel's victims and others who raised legitimate concerns, or by ignoring the cries of functional widows and orphans - all in the name of preserving false Christian charity. Let us offer for the co-conspirators a novena of Divine Praises in atonement for the sins committed against Our Lord, the victims and true Christian charity:
The Divine Praises
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
We are praying this Novena of Divine Mercy for the intention as per your request.
A blessed Easter to you, Pete, and to all your readers from this little "dovecot" of our Lord.
My prayers and blessing. Fr JM
Is saying the Rosary Prayer important to you? If so, please take part in this anonymous online research study to provide more understanding about the place of the Rosary Prayer in Catholics' lives. This doctoral research is intended to provide information that can help mental health professionals to better serve their Catholic clients. Thank you for your help. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/rosaryprayer
Dear Rosary Student,
The rosary is important to me. Have you ever asked anyone to pray for you? I ask my Blessed Mother to pray for me on a daily basis. She is a pretty good prayer warrior. Thank you so much for your intereste to help mental health professionals. My suggestion: if anyone is interested in understanding the rosary - simply pray it -daily perhaps. They will gain a clear and spiritual understanding of Catholics and their faith. I will spare you a weblink for praying the rosary since they are ubiquitous. God bless you and your concern and live for Catholics.
Thank you for posting this, Pete. It's been a helpful reminder.