A Truly Happy New Year

It's hard to believe we are about to begin a New Year. The year 2009 went by in a flash, filled with blessings and sorrows alike. As for myself, the blessings of this year are countless, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention (the one I am most grateful for) the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen (ok, I suppose I'm a bit partial). That is an obvious blessing, but we should also remember the "little" blessings, which sometimes end up being bigger than we realize.

Even our hardships can end up being blessings if we trust in God, which brings me to the sorrows of this year: Loved ones passed away, jobs were lost and illnesses were born, to name a few. As we reflect on this year, we remember words of consolation, kindnesses given and prayers offered, all of which were inspired by God. It is He who comforts us in our sorrow, reaches out His hand and holds us in His arms as though we were His only child.

As we begin 2010, let this be the year of true happiness. Let this be the year we give our heart fully to God, who waits patiently for us to come back to Him.

His Mercy Endures Forever!

I know I've written in a previous post that no sin is greater than God's mercy. However, I know by experience that we often need a reminder. This coming Sunday we have the chance to receive not only full forgiveness of all our sins, but also the removal of all temporal punishment due to the sins. In other words, while we truly receive pardon from Christ through the priest in the confessional for our sins, we still need to repent for each sin no matter how small. That repentance can be done in this earthly life, but if this has not taken place, God, in his mercy, allows us to repent and be purified in Purgatory. (If you happen not to believe in Purgatory, offer a prayer for a holy soul and ask them to come to your aide in return. You just may be amazed.)


Divine Mercy Sunday - the Sunday after Easter - is a gift that ought to be embraced and taken complete advantage of. This gift is a promise given to us from Jesus that He will make our souls as pure as they were the day we were baptized as His children, provided we do what He asks. We, of course, need to be in a state of grace and receive communion worthily on the Divine Mercy Feast, therefore, the Sacrament of confession is necessary. At the moment we receive Jesus in holy communion, we must give Him our utmost trust that He can and will graciously purify us as He did the moment we were baptized. We also must love Him with our whole heart, mind, body and spirit and trust in His immense love for us. Jesus also asked that His image be venerated on this day. (The image is found on this blog on the top right)

Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime to attain eternal happiness in heaven with our loving, merciful Father. Jesus, I trust in you!