Today let us examine
how to honor the Three O’clock Hour of Mercy.
Scripture for
meditation: Luke 23:44-48It was now around midday, and the darkness came over the whole land until midafternoon with an eclipse of the sun. The curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two. Jesus uttered a loud cry and said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” After he said this, he expired. The centurion, upon seeing what had happened, gave glory to God by saying, “Surely this was an innocent man.” When the crowd which had assembled for this spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts.
Christ tells us
through St. Faustina: At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners;
and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in
My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the
whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I
will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My
passion (1320). I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock
strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My Mercy, adoring and
glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for
poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this
hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it
was the hour of grace for the whole world – mercy triumphed over justice. My
daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour,
provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the
Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and
adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should
you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where
you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant (1572).
Father Michael
Gaitley, MIC, gives us these suggestions: …”for an instant”… simply call to
mind an image of Jesus on the Cross or look at a crucifix or a picture of
Jesus. We can also pray the “Three O’clock Hour Prayer from the Diary of St.
Faustina: You expired, Jesus, but the source
of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole
world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and
empty Yourself out upon us … O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the
Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You (186, 1319). Here’s
an idea for those who want to make the stations but don’t have time because of
other duties. First, pick one of the fourteen stations and keep it at the back
of your mind as you work during the three o’clock hour, thinking about it from
time to time. Then meditate on the next station during the next day in the same
way, and so on…. Second way: we can confidently present our petitions to the
Father by virtue of His Son’s Passion. In particular, we can invoke God’s mercy
on the whole world, and especially on unrepentant sinners. The Lord’s promise
that He would grant everything we ask for ourselves and for others during the
three o’clock hour should help us to pray during it with great boldness and
confidence…. It’s a perfect time to pray for others and a great idea to do so
through the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which only takes about seven minutes.
While we can surely pray for ourselves and for our family and friends during
the Hour of Great Mercy, let’s not for get to pray also for those who need it
most: unrepentant sinners and the dying. Third way: We can visit Jesus, truly
present in the Blessed Sacrament…if, while running errands we pass by a
Catholic Church, we just might want to pay Jesus a visit. (Consoling the Heart of Jesus, Father Michael Gaitley, MIC, Marian
Press, 2011)
Prayer of St.
Faustina: Jesus, I beg You, by the inconceivable power of Your mercy, that
all the souls that will die today escape the fire of hell, even if they have
been the greatest sinners. Today is Friday, the memorial of Your bitter agony
on the Cross; because Your mercy is inconceivable, the Angels will not be
surprised at this (873).
My thoughts: St.
Faustina was a simple soul. A poor Polish peasant, she had only received three
semesters of formal education. Sick with tuberculosis and unable to do many
tasks, her life revolved around being the gate-keeper at her convent and
working in the kitchen; yet God chose her to deliver to the world the
incredible message of His infinite Divine Mercy. The words which flowed from
her pen are truly God’s, as she could not have possibly even used the
vocabulary present in the messages without His guidance. Here we have the
definitive way to help save the world. Along with devotion to the Holy
Eucharist and the dedication of our lives to Mary, praying the Chaplet and
keeping the Three O’clock Hour of Mercy prayer time are the ways Jesus has
asked us to obtain the salvation of the world. Is this too simple to believe? Is
it not hard enough or demanding enough on hardened, unrepentant sinners? Hmmm…
I think that it why it is called “Divine Mercy.” God loves each and every one
of us, hard as it sometimes is to believe, with the same amount of love. Like a
good Father, He wants us to help our struggling brothers and sisters by praying
for them, sacrificing for them, and lending them a hand to get to heaven. Pray
the Chaplet, contemplate Christ’s passion, and spread the message of Divine
Mercy. I have it on good authority that your reward will be great in heaven!
The Eighth Day of
the Divine Mercy Novena:
"Today bring
to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the
abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching
flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to
My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences
from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only
knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of
the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."
Most Merciful Jesus, You
Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your
Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to
You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of
Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of
Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen (say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy).
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen (say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy).
No comments:
Post a Comment