A New Friend of Mercy Introduces Himself

By David Hill

I became aware of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina, and the Marian Fathers several years ago and became a Marian Helper. It has been a most fulfilling experience. Now, to join with Friends of Mercy in spreading the message of Divine Mercy and serving our Lord is the next progressive step and an honor for me.

I can attest to the power of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I serve as an extraordinary minister of the Holy Eucharist at our local hospital one day a week. I've seen the Chaplet bring peace to those who suffer physically and emotionally.

One woman, named Kathy, suffered with terminal cancer. She was a most beautiful soul, very much at peace and in acceptance of God's will. I saw her for several weeks, and each week I made her my last stop so that we could talk leisurely about life and religion and also pray together. These moments were priceless.

One Saturday I just could not get her off of my mind. I had a sense that something had changed for her. The following week, I learned she had died that Saturday. She taught me so much.

I consider myself a bit of a Divine Mercy miracle. Often while driving, I listen to the CD of the Divine Mercy Chaplet recorded at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. One day while driving and listening to the Chaplet, my car was hit by a tractor trailer. I walked away from the accident without a single scratch.

On another occasion I was not feeling well and went to my family doctor. The results of an EKG revealed several abnormalities indicating a possible heart attack. I then prayed the Chaplet, asking for intervention from the Divine Mercy. Upon a referral to a cardiologist and a second EKG, all abnormalities had disappeared.

Here's another story: Out of the blue, I asked a woman if she was Catholic. She told me she was raised Catholic but had not practiced the faith for years. So I spoke with her about the Chaplet, explaining how you can pray it using regular Rosary beads. I always carry prayer cards that include instructions on how to pray the Chaplet, and I handed her one. She was so grateful. Through tears, she told me that she had her mother's Rosary and promised to pray the Chaplet and return to church.

This following incident is what really got the ball rolling for me: I found a handmade Rosary in the parking lot of my church. On one side of the medal was the image of Padre Pio, and on the other was the Divine Mercy Image. Because of how important Divine Mercy is for me, I figured this Rosary must have been important to its owner.

Several weeks had gone by. One Sunday, I decided to just hang the Rosary near the entrance to the church, hoping the owner would see it. As I approached the church I saw a woman in the parking lot and, just on a whim, asked her if this was her Rosary. When I presented the Rosary, she exclaimed, "This is my Rosary! I've been looking for it for weeks."

We were both in disbelief.

Fast-forward several weeks. A cousin of mine and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and were receiving a blessing from our parish priest during Mass. I noticed that sitting beside my cousin and his wife was the woman whose Rosary I had found. Turns out she is a good friend of my cousin. She has since become my "spiritual auntie."

God definitely works in mysterious ways. Miracles are happening within our lives. We just need to learn how to be on the lookout for them. I gladly count myself among the Friends of Mercy.

David Hill lives in Sarasota, Florida.

BCBB

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