Divine Mercy Sunday
Maria Hayes • April 27, 2025
Christ has Risen, as He said He would, Alleluia!!!
The theological experience of Divine Mercy was at the core of Jesus’ Passion, Death, & Resurrection. Yet, in more recent years, Christ’s Message of Mercy has in a particular way been conveyed through the mystical visitations of our Lord to St Faustina Kowalska recorded in her Diary. Below are some excerpts worth praying with collated by Sara & Justin Kraft.
- “Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy.” (No. 301)
- “Have fear of nothing; I am always with you” (No. 431)
- “The Lord said to me, ‘The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered.’” (No. 1397)
- “Jesus: ‘My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for my kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from the fountain of life – for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such as are distrustful of My goodness.’” (No. 1488)
- “All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person’s sins were as dark as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary; that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest.” (No. 1507)
- “Today the Lord said to me, ‘Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls.’” (No. 1602)
- “Oh how much I am hurt by a soul’s distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils believe in My Justice, but do not glorify My Goodness. My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.'” (No. 300)
- “I realize more and more how much every soul needs God’s mercy throughout life and particularly at the hour of death. This chaplet [of Divine Mercy] mitigates God’s anger, as He Himself told me.” (No. 1036)
- “Then I heard the words, ‘I am glad you behaved like My true [child]. Be always merciful as I am merciful. Love everyone out of love for Me, even your greatest enemies, so that My mercy may be fully reflected in your heart.’” (No. 1695)
- “When once I asked the Lord Jesus how He could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not punish them, the Lord answered me, ‘I have an eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize the time of My visitation.’” (No. 1160)
This Sunday, April 27, the entire New Albany Deanery will have a joint Divine Mercy Service. There will be several priests hearing confessions (including me) starting at 2p. At 3p there will be a Holy Hour with recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This will fulfill the plenary indulgence requirements.
Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.
Holy Family, Living Resurrection Mercy, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries
How Do You Share the Gospel? This weekend, the Holy Family Evangelization Team hosted an Evangelization Crash Course for the leaders of the ministries of our parish. This morning of training and learning was an awesome opportunity to remind our leaders of the Gospel mandate: “Go and make disciples of all nations…” And that mandate is not just for those who lead or volunteer for our ministries here at Holy Family. The Great Commission applies to each of us. As baptized Christians, we have taken on the role of sharing the Gospel with the world, just as Jesus commanded His disciples in Matthew 28 before He ascended into Heaven. For many of us, that command is overwhelming. Our minds may jump to the fear of what it means to share the Gospel with another. Perhaps we think that we must memorize Scripture or understand the Catechism and all of the Church’s teachings before we can evangelize. Allow me to remind you that is not the case. While we must immerse ourselves in Scripture and Tradition, these are meant to aid us in our discipleship, not to be prerequisites for it. The simplest way to evangelize? Live! The Catechism of the Catholic Church sheds light on this reality: “Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, ‘that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life .’ For lay people, ‘this evangelization…assumes a specific character and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world’” (CCC 905.) The Church herself tells us that while the mandate to share the Gospel is an incredible and necessary responsibility, its efficacy is dependent on the ordinary. This makes the task much less daunting! How do you live the “ordinary”? How do your day-to-day activities and responsibilities represent the Gospel? How can you make the Gospel more present in your daily life? This week I hope you will think of each moment–your drive to work, your grocery store run, your office, your coffee date with a friend, dinner with your family–as an opportunity to share the Gospel. No quotations of Scripture or a lesson on morality needed. Instead, LIVE the Gospel. Mother Mary, the first evangelist, pray for us. In His Joy, Abbi Harbeson, Director of Mission and Outreach
Joseph Isadore Marguet, 94, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2026, at The Villages at Silvercrest in New Albany, Indiana . Born February of 1932, in New Albany, Indiana , Joe was the eldest child of Joseph and Esther Marguet, followed by his beloved siblings, Frank ("Frankie") Marguet and Miriam (Mimi) Paris. New Albany was home for most of his life and remained the community he loved deeply. Please join us at 11 a.m. on August 8, 2026, to celebrate Joe's long and full life with a Catholic mass at Holy Family Church, 129 W Daisy Ln, New Albany, IN 47150. Doors open at 10 a.m.
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As Catholics, we often get asked questions about why we believe what we believe. People are searching for the truth, and sometimes this comes out as an argumentative question. As Catholic Christians, it is important that we know our faith, not only so we can defend it but also so that we can put it into practice in our daily lives. Join us on the second Tuesday of each month after Mass for Apologetics in the Cafeteria. We will dive into a “common questions” topic, looking at Scripture and the Catechism. Join us for our first Apologetics Session on Tuesday, August 11, from 6:45 to 7:45 pm in the Cafeteria . Our topic is the Three A's: Which one's which? (the Annunciation, the Ascension, and the Assumption). No RSVP is required . Contact Kristina Seipel at the parish office or kseipel@holyfamilynewalbany.org with questions. August 11 - Three A's: Which one's which? (the Annunciation, the Ascension, and the Assumption)- presented by Ryan Albers September 8 - LGBTQIA+: What the Church Teaches - presented by Fr. Jeremy October 13 - The Lord's Messengers: The Role of Angels - presented by Julie Benning November - "Have You Been Saved?": A Catholic Response - presented by Abbi Harbeson No need to sign up; join us for the presentation and discussion!
Grow Your Appreciation of the Mass Have you ever wanted a deeper understanding of the Mass? Why do we do what we do at the Mass? Join us for a six-session exploration of the Liturgy with Bishop Robert Barron. Together we will uncover why we pray and act as we do at Mass, how the liturgy lifts us from the brokenness of the world into the worship of Heaven, and how God’s call meets our response in every moment of the celebration. Together, we will also gain a clearer understanding of the Eucharist as our intimate union with the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. This series will equip you to participate more fully, consciously, and actively in the “source and summit” of the Christian life Join us on Wednesday nights, 6:30-7:30 p.m. from August 19 through September 23, 2026 , in the Day Activity Center to fall more in love with The Mass. Sign up online by August 9 . Please complete one registration per person. There is no fee. Contact Kristina Seipel with questions at kseipel@holyfamilynewalbany.org or 812-944-8283, ext. 4.
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