By Julia Rose
jrose@Marian.org
Sun's out (finally!); tents up! With just two weeks until Divine Mercy Weekend, Eden Hill is abuzz with activity, preparing for the expected 15,000 pilgrims arriving April 11 and 12. Will you be among them? Here's how.
Tents, benches, fences, signs, and cones are all popping up around the grounds of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, thanks to the help of many mighty crews, including our wonderful Maintenance department. Check out (below) Zach and Alejandro, the newest member of the team, proud of the fences they just finished assembling!
And the front entrance to the Shrine is open again, with refurbishment of the doors complete. They look great!
Holy Week begins
Now that we're in Passiontide, all of the statues and the crucifix in the Shrine are covered with purple cloth. Palm Sunday is upon us, and with it the beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred time of the year. The crucifix will be unveiled on Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ Passion, while the remaining statues will be unveiled after the Easter Vigil.
"Holy Week is really the time to open our hearts and return to receive God's mercy,” notes Fr. Matthew Tomeny, MIC, Shrine Rector. “It’s time to really reflect on God’s love for us through His suffering, and how He opens up His Heart to pour out His mercy on us."
Father Matt quoted Jesus' words to St. Faustina: "There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy " (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 369).
All are welcome to join the Marian Fathers for the celebration of Palm Sunday and the Sacred Easter Triduum, either in person or online: here on TheDivineMercy.org, on YouTube at our channel Divine Mercy (Official), and on our Facebook page Divine Mercy (Official).
Don't miss the new, in-person talk by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, tomorrow at 11 a.m. (ET) on "The Last Supper" Join us here in person or online on YouTube at our channel Divine Mercy (Official) or DivineMercyPlus.org.
Every Day is a Miracle
Meditation on the Passion is a daily part of this beautiful couple’s life. Emy and Tony from St. Mark Church in Stratford, Connecticut have been devoted to praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for more than 20 years.
Emy naturally wakes up at 3 a.m. to pray her first Chaplet of the day (I find that amazing!). By 4 a.m., she is back fast asleep! During the 3 p.m. Hour of Mercy, the couple often attend Adoration in their parish’s 24/7 Chapel of Divine Mercy, where praying the Chaplet has brought them tremendous peace.
Emy and Tony make an annual pilgrimage to Eden Hill. Last January, they even made a pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Shrine in the Philippines, run by the Marian Fathers in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental. Pilgrims ascend the 50-foot statue of the Merciful Jesus to pray at the chapel in its center, Jesus' Sacred Heart. Having watched our Marian video below, I am in awe and have to admit visiting this is now on my bucket list!
"It's incredible," Tony says. “The Filipino Shrine, just like here, feels like a holy place."
Three years ago, Tony needed a new kidney. Many people wait years for a donor. After five months of prayer and even making a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, the good news arrived. “Kind of divine intervention," Tony says. I'll say!
“We have lots of graces," Emy concludes. "That’s why every day is a miracle. God is always with us, even when we’re in bad shape or in difficult situations. If God’s in your heart, everything will be fine.”
Trusting in God
It's time to meet our last, but by no means least, Marian Postulant serving here on Eden Hill: Eric from Central Illinois.
Trusting in God has been central to Eric's journey to the Marians. Ever since he was a little boy, playing Mass and drawing his church and the bishop, Eric dreamed of becoming a priest. After becoming an altar server at 8 years old, he was eager to serve at every Mass!
Raised in a devout Catholic family, Eric grew up praying the Rosary every day, regardless of where he was. Sometimes this meant praying before dinner, while other times in the car while traveling.
A few years after graduating high school, Eric began researching seminaries and religious orders. It was his mother who actually introduced him to the Marians! “I thought, ‘I couldn’t ask for a better religious order,'" he says. "This seems to be kind of lining up.’”
A year prior, he had begun praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet as a personal devotion. “Divine Mercy was kind of the hook that brought me in," he admits.
Since becoming part of the community, Eric’s appreciation for the Divine Mercy message has only grown.
“Something that’s kind of special to me now since I’ve been here has been a gradual journey of seeing how Divine Mercy is in Scripture from beginning to end," he says. "What it means to me is God’s ultimate love. It’s not as hard to understand how He’s been merciful to me when I look at the big picture of how His mercy is enveloping really all of time and into eternity.”
Performing many of the same duties as other postulants daily, such as serving at daily Masses, Eric also assists Br. Ken Galisa, MIC, in preparing the house for guests.
“I’m looking forward to Divine Mercy Sunday," Eric adds, "and just living each day as God wants me to.”
Have a blessed Holy Week, everyone!
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