I was at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy week end to speak about Saint Faustina and to do book signings of my book 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercy. That week end close to 20,000 pilgrims dealt with challenging weather to be there to receive great graces. It snowed, it rained, the wind was howling, and there was a lot of mud too! But, it did not deter the wonderful pilgrims. In the photo above, I am wearing several layers of clothing as well as big winter boots to fight the cold. Moments before stepping up to the podium, I had to use hand warmers to take the edge off of the bitter cold that was numbing my hands.
You can listen to my short talk here.
Or below…
As well, you can see the Shrine’s field show that was filmed by EWTN right here. It was a great show and I hope that you get a chance to watch it.
In it, my book 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina is very nicely promoted. You can purchase an autographed copy from this website. As well you can go to Marian Press website and shop here!
I hope that you take a look at the National Shrine’s field show that was filmed by EWTN right here. It’s a great show!
In case you haven’t seen it, this is the Foreword for 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina written by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC:
Can I make a bet with you? I bet that if you take up this book and spend 52 weeks with St. Faustina, these weekly meditations will change your life.
Why am I so confident about that? Because Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, a great Marian Helper, popular author, and EWTN show host, has created about as faithful and as thorough a presentation on the spirituality and the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), the Secretary and Apostle of Divine Mercy, as I’ve ever read. It’s a deep dive into the life and writings of one of the greatest mystics in the history of the Church, a religious sister who was given to us by God specifically for the times we are living in today.
After all, St. Faustina died just before World War II; not in the Middle Ages; not in the time of the apostles; nothing like that. She’s a modern saint whose teachings are timeless, and who has helped bring about more miracles than most other saints. How? She shared the Divine Mercy message and devotion with the world.
I’ve been preaching and practicing the Divine Mercy message and devotion for more than a decade now, especially since I joined the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Con- ception. I’ve met people whose lives have been transformed by their encounter with St. Faustina in her work the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul, and with the Divine Mercy message and devotion. I’ve heard stories of miracles such as people being healed of incurable illnesses. I’ve been told about stubborn lapsed Catholics and resistant non-Christians finding their way to church, coming to the regular practice of the Sacraments, and changing their lives forever. I’ve seen how powerful it is to preach the Divine
Mercy, touching hearts that all the fire and brimstone in the world could not change.
So again, I challenge you to spend a year — 52 weeks — with St. Faustina. And I make this promise: If you spend time every week for the next 52 weeks doing the reading, meditating on what you learn, praying the weekly prayer, and performing the weekly works of mercy, your life will be touched by grace in ways you can’t even imagine right now.
Saint Faustina changes lives. The Divine Mercy message and devotion that she was given by Jesus, a reminder and a prophetic restatement of the classic Gospel teaching on the mercy of God, changes lives.
And when you’ve completed spending your year with St. Faustina, I hope you do two things. First, I hope you plan to make another 52 weeks with St. Faustina again someday. Second, I hope that you share this book with someone who you think would find it a blessing. After all, Jesus said to St. Faustina, “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior” (Diary, 1075).
Donna-Marie has certainly earned that promise from Jesus, the Divine Mercy, by writing this book. You can, too, by sharing what you read with your family, friends, and neighbors.
Come spend 52 weeks with St. Faustina. Let your life, your mind, and your heart be renewed. Come meet St. Faustina, and let her lead you to a deeper relationship with Jesus, the Divine Mercy; Mary, the Mother of Mercy; and the whole Communion of Saints.
May Jesus, the Divine Mercy, bless you, and may Mary, the Mother of Mercy, always keep you safely under her mantle.
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
“Fr. Joseph, MIC” Director, Association of Marian Helpers October 5, 2018 Feast of St. Faustina
