Selections from Section 2
Not all are called to be artists
In the specific sense of the term.
Yet, as Genesis has it,
All men and women
Are entrusted with the task
Of crafting their own life:
In a certain sense,
They are to make of it
A work of art,
A masterpiece.
In order to communicate
The message
Entrusted to her by Christ,
The Church needs art.
Art must make perceptible,
And as far as possible attractive,
The world of the spirit,
Of the invisible,
Of God.
SUNDAY -- INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS
MONDAY -- THE JOY OF THE DIVINE MERCY
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. Heroic Patience at the Inn of Bethlehem
4. The Nativity
5. Adoration of the Shepherds
6. Adoration of the Magi
7. The Flight to Egypt
8. The Journey to Nazareth
9. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
10. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
TUESDAY -- THE LIGHT OF THE DIVINE MERCY
1. The Baptism of Jesus
2. The Wedding Feast at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
4. Compassion towards the Samaritan Woman
5. Cure at Bethesda
6. The Multiplication of the Loaves
7. The Walking on the Sea
8. Compassion towards the Adulteress
9. The Transfiguration
10. The Institution of the Eucharist
WEDNESDAY -- THE SUFFERING OF THE DIVINE MERCY
1. The Agony in the Garden
2.The Betrayal of Judas
3. The Denials of Peter
4. The Treachery of Caiaphas
5. The Trial before Pontius Pilate
6. The Scourging at the Pillar
7. The Crowning with Thorns
8. The Carrying of the Cross
9. The Crucifixion
10. The Pietà
THURSDAY -- THE GLORY OF THE DIVINE MERCY
1. The Resurrection
2. Jesus’ Appearance on the Road to Emmaus
3. Jesus’ Appearance to Mary Magdalene
4. Jesus’ Appearance to the Apostles
5. The Ascension
6. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
7. Jesus’ Appearance to Paul on the Road to Damascus
8. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
9. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin
10. The Last Judgment
FRIDAY -- CONTEMPLATION OF THE DIVINE MERCY
1. Contemplation of the holy face of the Divine Mercy
2. Contemplation of the holy face of the Divine Mercy
3. Contemplation of the holy head of the Divine Mercy
4. Contemplation of the holy head of the Divine Mercy
5. Contemplation of the holy hands of the Divine Mercy
6. Contemplation of the holy hands of the Divine Mercy
7. Contemplation of the holy feet of the Divine Mercy
8. Contemplation of the holy feet of the Divine Mercy
9. Contemplation of the holy side of the Divine Mercy
10. Contemplation of the holy side of the Divine Mercy
SATURDAY -- CONCLUDING PRAYERS
At the Annunciation,
St. Gabriel the Archangel
makes this beautiful and
inspiring statement to
Our Lady of Love:
“…for nothing
will be impossible
for God”
A Selection from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
Jesus’ words
to St. Faustina:
I desire to grant
unimaginable graces
to those souls
who trust in My mercy.
A litany inspired by saints who are particularly cheerful and encouraging
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
O Sancta Maria, Domina Nostra Amoris, ora pro nobis!
O Sancte Iosephe Angelice, ora pro nobis!
O Sancte Barnaba, Apostole, ora pro nobis!
O San Francesco di Assisi, prega per noi!
O Beato Angelico, prega per noi!
O San Filippo Neri, prega per noi!
O St. Mother Teresa, pray for us!
O St. John Paul II, pray for us!
O Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Amen.
Based on a prayer that an angel taught in 1916 to São Francisco Marto, Santa Jacinta Marto, & Venerable Lucia Dos Santos
O Most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
I adore you profoundly.
I offer you this Holy Communion
in reparation for the outrages,
sacrileges, and indifferences
by which He is offended.
By the infinite merits
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Maria,
I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
Amen.
THE HOLY APOSTLES
O St. Peter the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Andrew the Apostle pray for us!
O St. James the Greater, the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. John the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. James the Just, the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Bartholomew the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Matthew the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Jude Thaddeus the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Simon the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Philip the Apostle, pray for us!
O St. Matthias the Apostle, pray for us!
THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH
O St. Clement of Rome, pray for us!
O St. Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us!
O St. Polycarp of Smyrna, pray for us!
O St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!
O St. Irenaeus of Lyons, pray for us!
O St. Cyprian of Carthage, pray for us!
O St. Clement of Alexandria, pray for us!
O St. Athanasius, pray for us!
O St. Basil the Great, pray for us!
O St. Gregory of Nazianzus, pray for us!
O St. Gregory of Nyssa, pray for us!
O St. Cyril of Jerusalem, pray for us!
O St. Ambrose of Milano, pray for us!
O St. Augustine of Hippo, pray for us!
O St. Jerome, pray for us!
O St. John Chrysostom, pray for us!
O St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
O St. Benedict of Nursia, pray for us!
O St. Gregory the Great, pray for us!
O St. John of Damascus, pray for us!
Amen.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand
of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
A Selection from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
I saw the Mother of God,
unspeakably beautiful.
She said to me,
….what I demand from you
is prayer, prayer, and
once again prayer,
for the world
and especially for your country.
…always and everywhere,
at all times and places,
day or night,
whenever you wake up,
pray in the spirit.
In the spirit, one can always
remain in prayer.
To be prayed mentally in the morning while still resting in bed
Prayer Tempo: Allegro
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Prayer Tempo: Adagio
O Madonnina d’Amore,
Prega per noi!
O San Giuseppe,
Cavaliere della Santa Famiglia,
Prega per noi!
O San Francesco di Assisi,
Prega per noi!
O Santa Chiara di Assisi,
Prega per noi!
O Sant’Agnese di Assisi,
Prega per noi!
O Beato Angelico,
Prega per noi!
Prayer Tempo: Allegro
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Amen.
A meditation based on the prayer that Jesus, The Divine Mercy, taught to St. Faustina (Diary 475-476)
Meditation on The Nativity
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
Have mercy on us, and on the whole world!
Meditation on The Passion
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
Have mercy on us, and on the whole world!
Meditation on The Divine Mercy
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
Have mercy on us, and on the whole world!
Amen.
Jesus, The Divine Mercy, taught St. Faustina to pray this prayer for conversion (Diary 186-187)
O Blood and Water
Which gushed forth
From the Heart of Jesus,
As a fount of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!
Amen.
O Babe of Divine Mercy,
I offer you the myrrh
Of my bitter suffering:
Jesus, I trust in you!
Amen.
To be prayed mentally in the morning while still resting in bed
Prologue: The Nativity
O Iesu Infante, te amo!
Ô Enfant Jésus, je vous adore!
Jezu ufam Tobie!
First Movement: The Fruit of the Spirit
O Sancta Maria, Domina Nostra Amoris, ora pro nobis!
O Sancte Iosephe Angelice, ora pro nobis!
Pray that we may be filled with the fruit of the Spirit!
Second Movement: The Holy Spirit
Ô Saint François de Sales, priez pour nous!
Ô Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort, priez pour nous!
Pray that we may follow the Spirit’s lead!
Third Movement: The Divine Mercy
O Święta Faustyna Kowalska, módl się za nami!
O Święty Papież Jan Paweł Drugi, módl się za nami!
Pray that we may have great trust in the Divine Mercy!
Fourth Movement: The Divine Sense of Humor
O Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
O San Giovanni Paolo II, prega per noi!
Pray that we may have the divine sense of humor!
Fifth Movement: The Spiritual Battle
O Due Santi, San Pietro e San Paolo, pregate per noi!
O San Francesco di Assisi, prega per noi!
Pray that we may wisely wield the sword of the Spirit!
Epilogue: The Nativity
O Baby Jesus, I love you!
O Gesù Bambino, ti adoro!
Jezu ufam Tobie!
Amen.
To be prayed after Holy Communion (time permitting)
Most sweet Lord Jesus,
pierce my inmost heart
with the most dear
and most bracing
wound of your love.
Pierce it with true, sincere,
apostolic and most holy charity,
that my soul may ever yearn
And melt with love for you,
and the desire to possess you.
May my soul be drawn toward
you and overwhelmed with
the hope of entering your courts.
May it long to be dissolved
and to be with you.
Grant that my soul may hunger
for you, the Bread of Angels
and the food of holy souls,
our supersubstantial Bread,
Having in itself every sweetness
and good taste, having the
delightfulness of all that
charms my heart.
May my heart always long for you,
and find its nourishment in you,
on whom the angels long to gaze,
and may my inmost heart be filled
with the sweetness of your savor.
May my heart thirst for you, the
fountain of life and of wisdom
and of knowledge and of
eternal life, the torrent of pleasure,
and the richness of the house of God.
May my heart always draw near
to you, seek you, catch sight of you,
be drawn to you, and arrive
at your presence.
May my heart think of you,
speak of you, and do all that it does
for the glory of your name,
with humility and care and affection
and delight, with eagerness, and with
deep feeling, and with perseverance
to the end.
Thus may you alone always be my hope,
All my confidence, my joy, my rest
and my tranquility, my peace, all that
charms me; my fragrance, my sweetness,
my food, my nourishment, my refuge,
my help, my wisdom, my portion,
my possession, my treasure.
In you may my mind and my heart
be fixed and secure and rooted
forever without any change.
Amen.
A Prayer from the Divine Mercy Chaplet
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.
A short novena to consecrate or reconsecrate oneself to good St. Joseph
DAY 1: FIRST MEDITATION ON ST. JOSEPH
Your thick, wavy brown hair happily
blows in the breeze of God’s will;
Your warm brown eyes twinkle with
contentment, crinkling as you smile.
You protect the holy Babe from Herod’s
hellish hands, which are dripping with blood;
In obedience, you help the Holy Family
evade him and elusively escape to Egypt.
As a worker, you handle the wood of
God’s creation with gentle strength;
With industrious ingenuity, you use
God’s good gifts to serve others.
You shatter lustful temptation with your
carpenter’s mallet of holy purity;
Then, as God’s valiant soldier, you slay
selfishness with the sword of surrender.
In your loving example, you show little Jesus
how to be a good son to His mother;
With your humble heart, you teach Love
how to love, and the angels are amazed.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 2: SECOND MEDITATION ON ST. JOSEPH
You protected the Babe of Light,
In Bethlehem’s most Holy Night.
The magi in their wise hands hold
Both sweet frankincense and gold,
But your strong courageous arms
Save Baby Jesus from all harms.
You are the knight of the Dove,
And on that Holy Night met Love.
Hellishly bloody Herod the Hater
Fears that he’s not the greater,
But you, oh most humble father,
With vainglory don’t even bother.
You protected the Babe of Light,
In Bethlehem’s most Holy Night.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 3: THIRD MEDITATION ON ST. JOSEPH
Christmas,
The night of Christ,
The breathtaking eve when the
Babe of the Incarnation
Heroically came to save us.
St. Joseph,
The Knight of Christ,
The brave, holy man that the
Babe of the Incarnation
Trusted wholeheartedly.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 4: FOURTH MEDITATION ON ST. JOSEPH
St. Joseph the Silent Knight,
Holy man of common sense,
You preached the gospel,
Though often without words,
If you had the knowledge,
You answered your neighbor,
If not, then through divine wisdom
You put your hand over your mouth;
Teach me how to hold my tongue,
To follow the Spirit’s lead,
Instead of getting in trouble
By rashly running ahead of Him;
It’s pleasant to converse,
But it’s far better to be prudent.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 5: FIFTH MEDITATION ON ST. JOSEPH
As you gently
And skillfully
Craft the wood,
You are in no hurry,
For you know
That everything comes
in God’s time;
Therefore,
When the angel
Commands you
To take Maria
As your wife,
Without rushing,
You patiently accept
And trust in God;
And when the angel
Commands you
To go to Egypt,
You move swiftly,
But you do so wisely
And with great faith,
Not at breakneck speed;
We, too, must learn from you,
Good St. Joseph,
Because when worry whirls,
And when anxiety agitates,
We must follow your example,
With calm and great patience,
Trusting wholeheartedly
In the Babe of Divine Mercy.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 6: SIXTH MEDITATION ON ST. JOSEPH
O St. Joseph, the humble one,
Unite your prayers to Our Lord Jesus
With those of the Mystical Rose,
And implore Him to give each of us
What you gave to the Holy Family:
Strength to lead,
Love to inspire,
Wisdom to guide.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 7: MEDITATION ON THE NATIVITY
Here we find the epicenter of the holy earthquake
that destroys the sin of the centuries.
In jubilation, I swiftly and silently cruise through
the cool, crisp air on this holiest of holy nights,
Up above, high in the heavens, is the star of all stars,
powerfully pulsating with bursts of joy;
Below, in the countryside, the shepherds’ fires
crackle with contentment near Bethlehem,
For the Christ child, the Prince of Peace, has been
born in a lowly little stable in the city of David.
I am flanked by a merry multitude of fellow angels,
as we prepare for our descent into little Bethlehem,
From the cloud tops we cascade downward towards
the manger, like a waterfall of invisible light;
The shuffling shepherds who were so startled to
behold us now adore their newborn king on bent knees,
And the majestic magi marvel at the humility of the
Blessed Babe, the long-awaited holy Messiah.
St. Joseph thoughtfully covers the mild mother Maria,
to help heat her on this very chilly night,
The joyful Virgin warmly welcomes little Jesus,
covering Him with her tender kisses and caresses;
Blissful baby Jesus beams a bright smile, covering all
present with His most peaceful benevolence,
And we angels swirl and dance, and exultantly sing,
and rejoice and praise the glory of the good God.
The holy family will live in the dark night of the unseen,
centered in the Light of Limitless Love.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 8: PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH (BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT)
Hail, Joseph the Just,
Wisdom is with you;
Blessed are you among all men,
And blessed is Jesus,
The fruit of Maria,
Your faithful spouse.
Holy Joseph,
Worthy foster father of Jesus Christ,
Pray for us sinners,
And obtain divine wisdom for us,
From God,
Now and at the hour of our death.
O St. Joseph, Knight of the Holy Family, pray for us!
DAY 9: ACT OF CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH
And now, with a heart full of love,
I wholeheartedly consecrate myself to you, Jesus,
through St. Joseph the Humble.
Tuus totus ego sum,
et omnia mea tua sunt.
I am all yours, O my Jesus,
and all that I have is yours,
through holy St. Joseph,
your most faithful foster father.
Amen.
INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS OF THE CHAPLET
The Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, Full of grace, The Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
FIRST DECADE OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Gethsemane” by Carl Bloch
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Gethsemane_Carl_Bloch.jpg
(For optimal viewing, click once on the painting)
Recite the following prayer once:
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.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
SECOND DECADE OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Flagellation” by Lodovico Carracci
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Douai_chartreuse_carracci_flagellation.jpg
(For optimal viewing, click once on the painting)
Recite the following prayer once:
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.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
THIRD DECADE OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Ecce Homo” by Antonio Ciseri
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Ecce_homo_by_Antonio_Ciseri_%281%29.jpg
Recite the following prayer once:
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.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
FOURTH DECADE OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Christ Carrying the Cross” by El Greco
(For optimal viewing, click twice on the painting)
Recite the following prayer once:
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.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
FIFTH DECADE OF THE CHAPLET
SACRED ART: “Christ Crucified” by Diego Velazquez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Crucified_(Vel%C3%A1zquez)#/media/File:Cristo_crucificado.jpg
(For optimal viewing, click twice on the painting)
Recite the following prayer once:
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.
Recite the following prayer ten times:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
CONCLUDING PRAYERS OF THE CHAPLET
Recite the following prayer three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us, And on the whole world.
Recite the following prayer once:
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.
Prologue: The Angels
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
First Movement: The Fruit of the Spirit
O Sancta Maria, Domina Nostra Amoris, ora pro nobis!
O Sancte Iosephe Angelice, ora pro nobis!
Pray that we may be filled with the fruit of the Spirit!
Second Movement: The Holy Spirit
Ô Saint François de Sales, priez pour nous!
Ô Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort, priez pour nous!
Pray that we may follow the Spirit’s lead!
Third Movement: The Divine Mercy
O Święta Faustyna Kowalska, módl się za nami!
O Święty Papież Jan Paweł Drugi, módl się za nami!
Pray that we may have great trust in the Divine Mercy!
Fourth Movement: The Divine Sense of Humor
O Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
O San Giovanni Paolo II, prega per noi!
Pray that we may have the divine sense of humor!
Fifth Movement: The Spiritual Battle
O Due Santi, San Pietro e San Paolo, pregate per noi!
O San Francesco di Assisi, prega per noi!
Pray that we may wisely wield the sword of the Spirit!
Epilogue: The Mission
Jezu ufam Tobie!
Jezu ufam Tobie!
Jezu ufam Tobie!
An Allegorical Meditation
The great saints are the holy knights of Christ,
And when we ask them to pray for us,
They promptly and courageously respond.
And so, I invite ten glorious saints,
Along with my trustworthy guardian angel,
To wholeheartedly pray with me, and for me.
Grasping their swords, the swords of the Spirit,
These Holy Eleven brandish them high in the air,
And they confidently intercede for my intentions.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit,
Their magnificent swords are ignited by their
Faithful and fervent intercessions to The Master.
Then, their prayerful weapons are transfigured
And become as dazzlingly brilliant as the Sonlight,
Shattering the gloom in the deep dark night.
I am not alone, and together we will triumph;
I have great trust in Jesus, The Divine Mercy,
For nothing will be impossible for God!
Amen.
