The Catholic Life and Me

Tag: God

  • Love and Mercy

    Yesterday the 27th April was Divine Mercy Sunday. This is the day where we as Catholics are reminded that there is no sin so great God cannot forgive. This day is an opportunity and invitation for us to put all our troubles before God.

    The Divine Mercy novena which begins on Good Friday and concludes 9 days later just before Divine Mercy Sunday helps to prepare us for this great Feast day.

    This popular devotion was shared with the world by St. Faustina Kowalska ( 1905-1938). St Faustina was a nun from Poland chosen by Our Lord to be an apostle and secretary of this mercy.

    Jesus tells St Faustina ( as detailed in her Diary – the Diary of St Faustina) that we can depend on his love and mercy if only we turn to him, repent of our sins and trust in him’ Jesus says ‘Sooner would Heaven and Earth turn into nothingness than would my mercy not embrace a trusting soul’.

    The Divine Mercy Chaplet which is recited by many Catholics daily was also entrusted to St Faustina by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Its it wonderful that if we truly trust in God and his mercy no sin is too great to be forgiven.

    O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us , I trust in You.

  • Pope Francis.. A great Man, a wonderful Shepherd

    Today, many across the globe will be mourning not just a great shepherd of the Catholic Church, but also a wonderful human being, with a kind and gentle spirit. ‘The world has lost a great Man’. I hear this phrase used a lot when actors and other famous people die. This perhaps, is the first time I have used this phrase, its not a phrase I use lightly but one that our blessed Pope Francis truly deserves.

    Pope Francis blessing Children

    Pilgrims of Hope

    I don’t often mourn someone that I haven’t had a personal encounter with. Strangely enough, I feel as though I had a personal encounter with Pope Francis even though I only ever watched him through the TV screen, or heard him on the radio. He was a man that resonated so much love and peace. An advocate of the marginalised, migrants and the vulnerable. His theme for this Jubilee Year is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. As Catholics and pilgrims on our faith journey we need to bring hope to those Pope Francis spoke so fondly of, our brothers and sisters in Christ, the marginalised, migrants, the vulnerable and all those that feel shut off from this world.

    The Little Way

    St. Therese Lisieux is known as the ‘Little Way’ because of her simple approach to life and in particular her spiritual life – (I’ll be doing a blog on St.Lisieux one of my favourite saints later). Her approach and example shows us we don’t necessarily have to be a Pope, a Saint or even a religious to do something of significance in our life of faith. We could start by carrying on the torch of Pope Francis by doing something to help the poor, migrants in our community and country and the vulnerable.

    A link below to the life of a wonderful man. May his soul rest in perfect peace

    An intimate look inside Pope Francis’ life at the Vatican