Saint Faustina had hermoments of doubtand interior struggle,

and yet her deep trust inGod allowed her to riseabove the despair and gloomof the world. She wrote, “Iput my trust in the ocean ofYour mercy, and I know thatmy hope will not bedeceived” (Diary, 69). Herdeep trust is obvious as shewrites, “O My Jesus, despitethe deep night that is aroundme and the dark cloudswhich hide the horizon, Iknow that the sun never goesout” (Diary, 73). Manytimes in our struggles andtrials, we battle despair andhopelessness, but it is atthese times that we musttrust all the more. It is atthese difficult moments thatwe must cling to His garment, trusting inHis unfathomable mercy.

And, because of the closeness of hersoul to God, she knew her frailties. It is agrace to be aware of our imperfectionsand impurities. Many of us go throughlife so critical of others that we neverhave a clue about how many times ourwords and actions have hurt others, orhow many times our sharp tongue haspierced the heart of a loved one.

When the bright sun shines throughthe windows in our home in Florida, onecan occasionally see the dust floating inthe air. This is caused by the refraction,or bending of light as it hits the particlesof dust. Saint Faustina compared ourimperfections to dust when she wrote,“O Divine Sun, in Your rays the soul seesthe tiniest specks of dust which displeaseYou” (Diary, 71). Just as every home hasdust, every soul has imperfections. Andyet we look at others’ dust as if to say, “I

am glad I am not like them, and that myspiritual house doesn’t have any dust!”We read in Matthew 7:3, “Why do yousee the speck that is in your brother’s eye,but do not notice the log that is in yourown eye?” Spiritual progress occurs whenwe are able to recognize our weaknessesand strive for perfection, understandingthat we are all human and that God’smercy is greater than our greatest sin.

We believe that although humans fre-quently deny mercy to each other andeven themselves, God will not deny Hismercy to anyone. Heaven and earth maychange, but God’s mercy is constant.Even in periods of darkness, suffering,pain, rejection, and humiliation, St.Faustina had only one goal. She wrote,“If it is Your will, Lord, that I live alwaysin such darkness, may You be blessed. Iask You only one thing, Jesus: do notallow me to offend You in any way”(Diary, 73).

Saint Faustina had herown periods of spiritual dryness and wrote, “Mymind became dimmed in astrange way; no truthseemed clear to me. Whenpeople spoke to me aboutGod, my heart was like arock. I could not draw fromit a single sentiment of lovefor Him. When I tried, byan act of the will, to remainclose to Him, I experiencedgreat torments, and itseemed to me that I wasonly provoking God to aneven greater anger. It wasabsolutely impossible for meto meditate as I had beenaccustomed to do in thepast. I felt in my soul a greatvoid, and there was nothingwith which I could fill it. Ibegan to suffer from a greathunger and yearning forGod, but I saw my utter

powerlessness. I tried to read slowly, sentence by sentence and to meditate inthis way, but this also was of no avail. Iunderstood nothing of what I had read”(Diary, 77).

Each one of us has periods in our lifewhere we wonder, “Where are YouGod?” or “Do You really exist?” It is thesedry spells that allow us to grow in holi-ness, and allow our spiritual roots togrow deeper and closer to Him.

If you are one who is struggling tofind God and speak intimately withHim, go to a quiet place, that is, thequiet recesses of your heart, and speak toHim. Imagine yourself as like a littlechild, sitting on the lap of a lovingFather, and tell Him your needs and con-cerns. And above all, know that God is aGod of love and mercy. Humble yourselfand come back to Him, as He is waitingwith open arms.

RAYS OF MERCIFUL LOVEwww.thedivinemercy.org

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Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy Newsletter Spring 2011

By Dr. Bryan Thatcher

Our daily trials and God’s mercy

Saint Faustina’s deep trust allowed her to rise above the despairof the world. “I put my trust in the ocean of Your mercy, and Iknow that my hope will not be deceived” (Diary, 69).

The whole journeybegan 10 years agowhen I was first asked

by the Marian Fathers to compose a contemporarymelody for the chaplet. DivineMercy had brought me back to the Catholic faith. So, Ibegged God for a melody thatwould reach people who werelost, something that was veryreverent and memorable.Heaven answered that prayer.“The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song” airs onEWTN, is prayed all over theworld, and has become aninternational bestseller.

One important focus ofGenerations Unite in Prayer isto strengthen families and tohelp them understand thepower of praying together and living Divine Mercy. Alongwith the Rosary, the chaplet isan undeniable force against the culture of death. When I wasfirst introduced to the Chapletof Divine Mercy by a friend, Iwas suffering from the sin ofabortion. I felt I could not beforgiven. Kneeling by my bedand praying the chaplet for thevery first time, I understoodthat Christ’s sacrifice was complete. Immediately, I wentto confession, received absolu-tion, and knew that Christ wascalling me to tell others aboutHis great gift of mercy.

The DVD also includes theworks of mercy, includinghelping the poor, praying forthe dying, teens singing thechaplet outside an abortion clinic and interceding for the unborn. These arethe scenes and the faces you will see on theGenerations Unite In Prayer DVD.

Among those featured was Dr. Albert Kraft, aterminally ill Divine Mercy devotee who sought

to do one more thing for Jesus before he died. He was filmed in his bed surrounded by familymembers singing the chaplet. He died shortlyafter the filming. His daughter Susan says hisprayers were answered. He wanted to make it toDivine Mercy Sunday to pray to Jesus and thank

Him because he knew “thisfilm would bring souls toChrist — the lost, the sinners,they would come to Christ.”

Through the eye of thecamera, you meet teens like16-year-old Chris, who isgrowing up in a fatherlesshome in the poor urban neighborhoods of Baltimore.His mom taught him to put his trust in Jesus. InGenerations, you see Chris issitting on the front stoop of his home and you hear theenormous depth of pain as hesings the chaplet. Bearing theweight of being the only malein the household, Chris worriesabout his mom working in adangerous and violent inner-city. He leans hard on themercy of Jesus, not becauseanyone told him to, butbecause it is clearly how he is surviving.

As a producer/director, Iworked closely with my husband, (the cameraman) on choosing the scenes thatappear. We want Generations toshow the powerful truth of themessage of Divine Mercy. Wedon’t want Divine Mercy experienced only as a powerfuldevotion prayed in the closestplace to heaven on earth — abeautiful church before Jesusin the Blessed Sacrament.But also, to experience DivineMercy through those who clingto it when they are battling theforces of evil.

So many today are suffer-ing from deep spiritual andmaterial poverty. Chris’s voice

is just one of the stories in Generations thatembodies the hope and light that shinesthrough the darkness. The hope that millionsare finding in the message of the Divine Mercyof Jesus Christ.

by Trish Short

‘Experience Divine Mercy through those who cling to it’

The Generations Unite In Prayer DVD ($19.95) includes a powerful 20-minutebonus feature video, “A Child Shall Lead Them,” which follows the singing of thechaplet. This video includes compelling testimonies of and miraculous witnessesof healing, along with outstanding interviews with the Marians, including Fr. JoeRoesch, MIC, and Fr. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC, and Dr. Bryan Thatcher, who sharetheir expertise and insight on praying and living Divine Mercy.To order: Call: 1-800-462-7426 or go online to marian.org/catalog. Product code: ES1-GEND

Next issue: You’ll learn more about the EADM project to create a medical clinic in the Philippines and the new Formation Guide on the Blessed Virgin Mary!

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NEW MILFORD, Conn.Tom Fogarty wrote and told us:

Our Divine Mercy cenacle started on June 14, 2007. Eleven members were inducted on October 5, 2008, (St. Faustina’s feast day)as part of the Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in NewMilford, Conn. Our associate pastor, Fr. Thomas Washburn, presidedat our induction ceremony. Sadly, we have lost one of our stalwart members, Gilda Martin, who passed away in December, 2008, after abattle with cancer.

We are fortunate to be only 90 minutes away from the NationalShrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., and members visitthe Shrine regularly.

Our cenacle assists in preparation of the celebration of DivineMercy Sunday and sets up a table with informational literature. Wemake ourselves available that day to answer questions and promotethe message in any way that we can.

Our weekly meetings and faith-sharing are always lively, and we allare spiritually fed by the input of fellow members. Individual andgroup acts of mercy are too numerous to list in their entirety butinclude: transporting people to Mass, assisting homebound in electionvoting, financial assistance to a school in India, praying for churchmember intentions, laundering altar linens at the church, teachingreligious education classes, being an advocate for the mentally ill, providing food items for the soup kitchen, and consoling the bereavedby attending wakes and funeral services.

WEST HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.Dawn Wyrick wrote and told us:

I first began a monthly Divine Mercy Holy Hour in September2007, at my church, St. Thomas the Apostle in West Hempstead, N.Y.It was difficult getting started because I was not known in the church,but I knew this was something God was wanting me to do. He definitely led the way by helping me find beautiful musicians and greatspeakers. The Holy Hour includes music, readings from the Diary andScripture, guest speakers, The Divine Mercy Chaplet in song,Eucharistic Adoration and veneration. It is a beautiful night for thosewho come, and I am so proud God chose me for this mission ofspreading Divine Mercy. Our average attendance is about 30 people.

In May, 2010, I started a Divine Mercy cenacle. Our group rangesbetween four to 10 people attending; each month is a little different asthere are new members interested in the reading and studying of St.Faustina’s Diary. It is also a great opportunity to make new friends andalso to create a support system when we are going through difficulttimes and need prayers or words of comfort.

For St. Faustina’s feast day last year, we went on a trip to theNational Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass. Everyonethoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope to make it an annual event.

Last Christmas, we started “Adopt a Family” as a group work of mercy.Giving to others is the greatest gift. We will also be planning a volunteerinitiative, as it is something we can do as a group to help others.

There is something very special and rewarding about Divine Mercy.God has sent us many genuinely kind people. We really have a veryspecial and giving group.

My goal is to continue to spread the message of Divine Mercy onLong Island by reaching out to other parishes and helping them start acenacle of their own. We couldn't have done this without the EADMguidance in Tampa, and we send a big thank you for all you do!

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.Anna Couturier wrote and told us:

Ten years ago we started, with our bishop’s permission, to go to ourlocal parish and give an hour presentation on Divine Mercy. My friendJean and I did this mission for the first few years. I then read about thelay work and formation of EADM, and we proceeded to start a DivineMercy cenacle about five years ago. Since then, we have grown to fourcenacles: St. Mary of Hannah in Kingsley, Mich, St. Mary in Manistee,and Immaculate Conception and St. Patrick in Traverse City.

I am the facilitator for the cenacle at Immaculate ConceptionChurch. We meet bimonthly, and our group ranges between four toeight people at each meeting. We rent a billboard each Feast of DivineMercy to celebrate this great day. This year, we are renting six digitalbillboards that will be throughout the city. We are praying that ourmerciful Lord will inspire us to write on each billboard what He wantsthe people to hear.

We all have grown so much in reading the Diary of St. Faustina. Weshare what the message means in our life, and then share the same mercyto others, as God has been showing to us. Each of us have an hour ofEucharistic adoration. Many are involved in bringing Communion to

C E N A C L E S ’ U P D A T E

The West Hempstead, N.Y., cenacle visited the National Shrine ofThe Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass.

Members of the Divine Mercy Cenacle at St. Francis XavierChurch in New Milford, Conn.

the sick, or work locally feeding and clothing the poor. Jean has been especially inspired to build up a Respect Life apostolate,

and now we have a newsletter to educate on aspects of protecting life atall stages of development.

Divine Mercy is my passion, and when I talk to people about it, Ibecome so engulfed by His love that my zeal gushes forth. It might bebecause I’m Italian, and I guess it is all or nothing! Our Lord is awe-some and so good!

SCHERTZ, TexasThe cenacle group wrote and told us:

On December 4, 2010, the cenacle of Good Shepherd Church andOur Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) the neighboring church in Selma,Texas, came together for the Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercyinduction ceremony. It was a most memorable evening with our Lord. Itwas a highlight in our spiritual journey.

We began more than two years ago meeting once a month. Throughour Lord’s grace and guidance, we now meet once a week, three times amonth for formation study, followed by a Divine Mercy Chaplet in theAdoration chapel. Once a month, we have a Divine Mercy Service forSuffering Souls in the Adoration chapel.

We started with 12 members, and through time, our Lord increased our group to 19. We had a loss of one member who is now the OLPHcenacle facilitator for a group of 11 members.

With persistence, suffering, and prayers we have been able to accom-plish God’s will by starting a Divine Mercy Sunday celebration, Our Ladyof Fatima First Saturday Rosary, and First Friday Divine Mercy HolyHour and Benediction.

On the First Saturday of December, 2010, our Lord broughttogether our labors and provided us with a most beautiful feast. Inattendance at the First Saturday Rosary for Our Lady of Fatima weremore than 200 people, the most we have ever had. Following theRosary, in the homily of the Vigil Mass, the celebrant incorporatedSt. Faustina’s message, “For the Grace to Be Merciful to Others” as a

way to prepare for Advent. After Mass came our Lord’s final blessings in the EADM induction ceremony.

We are so very thankful, and we stand ready to continue our spiritual journey, stopping along the way to do God’s will.

HARARE, Zimbabwe Lawrence Chapungu wrote and told us:

We organize three-day Divine Mercy spiritual retreats accompaniedby Holy Mass. These are always well attended. The group meets as afamily (men, women, and children) at 3:00 p.m. every Sunday (aftermorning Mass) to do the following: receive the names of the sick andsuffering into the Divine Mercy Journal, do an Hour of Mercy, andpray Way of the Cross. We learn each of the elements of the DivineMercy message and discuss the essential elements of The Divine Mercy message using the EADM materials. Further, we do an Act ofEntrustment to The Divine Mercy, and pray the chaplet, the litany ofSt. Faustina and the praises to The Divine Mercy. Then we end withan invocation of trust for the whole world.

Every year, we make a pilgrimage and charity visit to MutemwaLeprosy Centre in Mtoko. It is 120 kilometers from Harare. We alsovisit the nearby orphanage called Mother of Peace. Last year, we sharedChristmas gifts with the children. There are 131 orphans there, and wehave a very strong bond with them through The Divine Mercy. Wealso visit the sick and pray the chaplet. We managed four visits to bothplaces last year!

Our spiritual works are an invaluable asset to our group, and wehave realized that even with very limited physical resources, we canaccomplish a lot through prayer just like St. Faustina.

Each year, we eagerly await the Pope’s message on Divine MercySunday to know and pray for the Pope’s intentions. This year, weintend to celebrate the 10th anniversary of St. Faustina’s canonizationafter Divine Mercy Sunday. God bless!

C E N A C L E S ’ U P D A T E

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Questions about starting a cenacle? Call the EADM officetoll-free at 1-877-380-0727, and we’ll send you a freeinformational packet with a DVD on the ministry andhow to start a Divine Mercy cenacle.

The cenacle group of Good Shepherd Church in Schertz, Texas,meets once a week, three times a month.

The EADM group in Harare, Zimbabwe, organizes three-dayDivine Mercy spiritual retreats.

Every “Cenacle Update” will now focus onone of the specific themes or aspects of cenacle life. For our summer issue, tell usabout your cenacle’s favorite lesson. Sendyour e-mail to Bryaneadm@sprynet.com by April 30.

TELL US: YOUR FAVORITE LESSON

5 © 2011 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. 06510046

(Part One)

The 10 evangelical virtues of Our Lady arebased in the Gospel writings and havebeen part of the Marian Fathers’ Rule of

Life since the founding of the Congregation in1673. One of the greatest of the early MarianFathers, Fr. Casimir Wyszynski, said, “Whoeverwants to glorify the Blessed Virgin Mary and wishes to stay under her protection, should loveand respect her — but above all, should exercisethe evangelical virtues and, through this, shall follow Mary’s example.” The symbol used by theMarians for these 10 virtues is a 10-pointed star,with each point or ray representing one of thevirtues. The original is located on the ceiling of an18th century Marian Church in Gozlin, Poland.

There is also the Chaplet of the TenEvangelical Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary;this is a wonderful way to integrate these 10virtues into your life. The Venerable Servant ofGod Fr. Casimir understood and expressed bestthe spiritual significance of this powerful prayer;he wrote in the introduction of The Morning Star,“Although our most beloved Lady was shiningwith innumerable virtues, all but 10 were difficultnot only to imitate, but even to understand,because, through them, Our Lady surpassed theangels themselves, let alone the holiest of men.The Holy Spirit desired that the Gospels recountfor us only those 10 virtues since they can beacquired not by Mary alone, but by all of us.”

It makes perfect sense, then, that, as a rule oflife, the Congregation of Marian Fathers of theImmaculate Conception accepted the Rule of theTen Virtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Thisrule has its roots in a religious order dedicated toOur Lady. In 1502, an order of women religiouswas founded and named the Order of the BlessedVirgin Mary. Members of this order were, and stillare today, called Annunciades. The co-founders ofthe Order were St. Joanne de Valois (1464-1505)and Blessed Gilbert Nicolas, OFM, also known asGabriel Maria (1460-1532).

Blessed Gilbert wrote the Rule of the TenVirtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. He reasoned that since Mary was the model for theSisters, her virtues — as named in the Gospels —should form the basis of their rule of life.According to the Sisters’ history, the “Chaplet ofthe Ten Evangelical Virtues of the Most BlessedVirgin Mary” was then composed by St. Joanne,who was canonized in 1950 by Pius XII. Thisprayer is based on the Church’s rich rosary tradi-tion and reflection on Our Lady’s virtues For theSisters, the chaplet served as a daily reminder oftheir rule of life and Marian foundation.

The Congregation of Marian Fathers werethe first and remain the only community of menreligious based upon the Rule of the Ten Virtuesof the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. They receivedthis rule in 1699, and up to 1909, Marianpriests and brothers professed their solemn vowsbased on the Rule of the Ten Virtues.

We should pray this chaplet, as we should all ofour prayers, with all our heart and reflect on OurLady’s virtues. Pray it as you would the rosary;begin with the Sign of the Cross. Then, with eachdecade, the Our Father is prayed, followed by 10Hail Marys and a Glory Be. With each Hail Mary,after you recite “Holy Mary, Mother of God,” onevirtue is offered in prayer, proceeding in the orderin which they are presented, from “Most Pure” to“Most Sorrowful.” Then close with “pray for ussinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Purity is the first of the ten evangelicalvirtues. Our Blessed Mother had a pure heartwith pure intentions, and with this she was ableto stay in God’s will. She had total trust in Godand saw His hand in everything. “Blessed are thepure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).Walking with God in her joys and sorrows gaveher comfort in times of trial, as well as greatinner peace. She praised God in all things, asseen in the words of the Magnificat, “My soulmagnifies the Lord, and my soul rejoices in Godmy savior” (Lk 1:46-47).

Mary had complete trust in God. Look at theAnnunciation and all the events as they unfoldedin her life. When the Archangel Gabriel toldher that she was to give birth to the Son of Godand Messiah, her reply was, “Behold, I am thehandmaid of the Lord; let it be to me accordingto your word” (Lk 1:39). Mary was the vesselthrough which God worked. She is the perfect

role model for us struggling pilgrims as we traverse this valley of tears.

Like the Blessed Mother and the saints thatfollowed, we must keep our focus on God. This isbest done through prayer; our entire day shouldbe a continuous prayer to God. We should attendMass and receive Holy Communion as often asour station in life permits. Prayer may be recitinga Rosary and meditating on the mysteries, pray-ing a Divine Mercy Chaplet, sitting in front ofJesus during Eucharistic Adoration and basking inHis rays of mercy, or just opening your heart andtalking to God.

Purity of heart requires a disposition to doGod’s will in all things. We should not do deeds of mercy to draw attention to ourselves. This ispurity of intention. Purity of the heart requirestaking a moral high ground and having purethoughts and actions. Pornography is the antithesis of chastity. When purity is absent, theresult is a lack of chastity. In today’s society, we seea decaying of the moral fiber. It encourages a lackof respect for the human body. The Catechism ofthe Catholic Church describes chastity as “the integration of sexuality within a person” and the“achieving of self-mastery” (2337, 2339).

Purity is often symbolized in artistic works ofthe saints as flowers. For example, St. Joseph andSt. Anthony are usually seen holding a bouquetof lilies, and St. Therese is shown holding roses.Purity is difficult to obtain and master. Itrequires training and discipline. If we continueto make the effort and develop a strong prayerlife, we can become more pure each day. As wetraverse the road of life, let us try to obtain thevirtue of purity so that our hearts will beat morein union with Jesus’ Merciful Heart, so thatpurity and holiness will exude from us.

by Dr. Bryan Thatcher

The 10 evangelical virtues of Our Lady

The Congregation of Marian Fathers were thefirst and remain the only community of menreligious based upon the Rule of the TenVirtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.

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Pausing to Pray features brief excerpts from the Diary of St. Faustina and movingmeditations by 7 Marian priests including: Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC; Fr. JosephRoesch, MIC; Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC; and Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC.

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UPCOMING DIVINE MERCY EVENTSDivine Mercy Leadership Training SeminarJuly 10 -16, 2011 Serra Retreat Center, Malibu, Calif.To register: Call 800-462-7426 or visitwww.thedivinemercy.org/dmem. All mealsand lodging are included.For more information: Contact Angelito orEstrelle Mijares (DMEM) at 562-694-2580Speakers and presenters include: Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC; Fr.Michael Gaitley, MIC, Dr. RobertStackpole, and Angelito and EstrelleMijares. Additional presentations byDonna Lee and Sarah Chichester.

6th Annual Divine Mercy ConferenceMarch 26, 2011Cardinal Spellman High School Bronx, N.Y.To register: Call 800-462-7426 or visitwww.thedivinemercy.org/Bronx Emcee: Robert Stackpole, STD. Speakers: Fr. Benedict Groechel, CFR; Fr. FrankPavone, MEV; Mngr. James Lisante; Fr. JoeRoesch, MIC; Lila Rose; Fr. Bernard Murphy, CFR.

7th Annual Medicine, Bioethics, and Spirituality ConferenceMay 4 and 5, 2011Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass.Contact: 1-800-462-7426 or visit thedivinemercy.org/healthcareSpeakers: Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski;Bishop Robert McManus; Fr. SeraphimMichalenko, MIC; Scot Bateman, MD;John S. Howland, MD; Bryan Thatcher,MD; and M. Scott Nelson, RN.

Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, shown with MarieRomagnano, RN, will be the keynote speaker at the 2011 healthcare conference.