Pentecost
St. Rita de Cascia (Feast: May 22)
St. Rita (1381-1457) was an Italian woman who was married at a young age to an immoral, brutal man. Through humility, patience, and love, she converted him, but he had already made many enemies. When they murdered him, she publicly forgave his murderers.
After the death of her husband and sons, she entered the convent. She had a great devotion to the Passion of Christ, meditating on it frequently. One day, she asked Jesus to let her participate in his suffering. At this, a thorn from His crown pierced her forehead, making a wound that would not heal for the last fifteen years of her life and which caused her great suffering.
On her deathbed, she asked a visitor to retrieve a rose bloom from the garden of her old home. The visitor despaired, as it was January, and roses weren’t in bloom. Still, he found a single, perfect blossom miraculously blooming in the garden, and he brought it to her. St. Rita is one of the incorruptible saints, and her body is on display. St. Rita is considered one of the saints to petition for impossible cases.
St. Joseph the Worker
Divine Mercy Sunday
History of the Divine Mercy image and devotion
How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
Step 1 – Using a regular set of Rosary beads, you begin at the cross by doing the sign of the cross.
(Optional Opening Prayer)
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
(Repeat three times)
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Step 2 – On the three beads of the rosary pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Apostles Creed.
Step 3 – You begin each decade with the Our Father beads by praying this prayer:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
Step 4 – Complete the decade on the 10 Hail Mary beads by praying this prayer:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for each decade on the rosary beads
Step 5 – Once you have prayed all 5 decades, you finish the Chaplet by praying the following prayer 3 times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
(Optional Closing Prayer)
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.
Catholic Bricks 