Divine Mercy & 40 Hours Devotion . . .

We have just completed our Divine Mercy Devotions in the parish with a very good attendance. It's very encouraging to see so many people praising Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

It was wonderful to hear people praying with fervour and trust in the Divine Mercy.  I'm sure there will be many graces for those who participated and for our parish. 

I was kept busy the whole time hearing Confessions - Thanks be to God.  In fact I had to schedule  a brief interlude out of the Confessional to confer Benediction.  I have a feeling that if we didn't have an evening Mass to prepare for, I would have been hearing Confessions for even longer.  

Jesus, we trust in you.

And, didn't you sing and pray beautifully!

It's time to think ahead a little now to our 40 Hours Devotion which will take place from Tuesday 19th May to Thursday 21st May. All are welcome of course.  

Do come and spend a little time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar if you can.  Be it just a few minutes or a few hours, I assure you it will be a grace-filled experience.

To whet your appetite here are a few photos from last year's 40 Hours Devotion . . .

Stabat Mater Dolorosa . . .

Lent helps us prepare to consider the events of the Passion and Death of Our Lord. On the Fridays particularly we recall in a special way that first Good Friday when Jesus consummated the Redemption of Mankind.

As we move from Station to Station we contemplate the Sacred Humanity of Christ, who shows Himself to us suffering in human flesh as a man and yet never losing the majesty of God.

St Josemaria advises: 'Here indeed you have a sturdy and faithful devotion. Spend a few moments each Friday going over these fourteen points of Our Lord's Passion and Death. I assure you that you will gain strength for the whole of the week.' (St Josemaria - The Way)

I hope that many will join us for the Stations of the Cross here at St Ann's on the Mondays of Lent at 6.45 pm.

First Saturdays Devotion to Our Lady

A little while ago I posted an item on the First Fridays devotion. As tomorrow is the first Saturday in August I thought I'd write a few lines about First Saturdays. There are so many very good Catholic web sites that explain the devotion so well that I've taken a few lines from a couple of them:

'During her July apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said to Lucia, “I shall come to ask... that on the First Saturday of every month, Communions of reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world.” '

Why Five Saturdays?

'Christians have always honoured the Blessed Virgin on Saturday because of her constant faith in Jesus on that first Holy Saturday before the Resurrection.

Five first Saturdays of reparation were requested to atone for the five ways in which people offend the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. Attacks upon Mary's Immaculate Conception

2. Attacks against her Perpetual Virginity

3. Attacks upon her Divine Maternity and the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all mankind

4. For those who try to publicly implant in children's hearts indifference, contempt and even hatred of this Immaculate Mother

5. For those who insult her directly in her sacred images.'

If you would like to learn more about this devotion you will find an excellent explanation here.

Meanwhile, I do hope some of you may feel that you would like to begin practising this devotion and I look forward to seeing you at Mass tomorrow.

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Tomorrow we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Here are a few comments on the Feast and the Devotion to the Sacred Heart taken from the excellent website, 'Fisheaters'. Please click on the link if you would like to go into the subject in more detail.

The heart has always been seen as the "centre" or essence of a person and the wellspring of our emotional lives and love. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is devotion to Jesus Christ Himself, but in the particular ways of meditating on his interior life and on His threefold love -- His divine love, His burning love that fed His human will, and His sensible love that affects His interior life.

Feast of the Sacred Heart

The Friday that follows the Second Sunday in Time After Pentecost is the Feast of the Sacred Heart which brings to mind all the attributes of His Divine Heart mentioned above. Many Catholics prepare for this Feast by beginning a Novena to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is the Thursday of the week before. On the Feast of the Sacred Heart itself, we can gain a plenary indulgence by making an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart.