Julia’s Weekly Shrine Round-up: Feb. 13

By Julia Rose
ShrineofDivineMercy.org

Sorry, everybody — snowy conditions continue here on Eden Hill and, with them, more action photos! At top, our Marian Founder, St. Stanislaus Papczyński, seems to process through the snowbank, undeterred by the weather, inspiring us to soldier on! And above, Bill Reed of our hard-working maintenance crew was keeping up with the unending task of clearing the roadways.

I also encountered Bill as he helped to dismantle the outdoor créche, giving St. Joseph a lift in his golf cart! Steady as she goes — and see you again in 10 months! In the meantime, you can admire the statue of the Foster Father of Jesus on the main drive, our Protector, the first and last thing you'll see when visiting Eden Hill, and beautifully illuminated at night.

Lenten Words of Wisdom
As always, we begin the penitential season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, falling this year on Feb. 18. It's not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it's still important for all Catholics!

“Ashes are an outward sign that one recognizes one’s own sinfulness before God. This demonstrates humility and the desire to repent of one’s personal sins,” explains Fr. Kenneth Dos Santos, MIC. “It is also helpful to recall the prayer prayed by the priest when ashes are distributed: ‘Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.’ This helps one to recall the fragility of one’s mortality, and that our true home is not of this world, but with God in Heaven.”

Lent provides a wonderful opportunity for us to reconsider our daily habits, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and ask God for His mercy. On Ash Wednesday, fasting and abstinence from meat are two practices which we are obliged to observe.

“If one truly internalizes the magnitude of one’s sins, the appropriate response is to atone for them," Fr. Ken adds. "Prayer, fasting, and giving alms are sacrifices offered to God out of love to make reparation for one’s sins.” 

On Ash Wednesday, ashes will be distributed at the 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Masses at the National Shrine. Details here.

An Intentional Gift from God
Entering Lent, Malu, a pilgrim visiting from St. Ann’s Parish in nearby Lenox, Massachusetts, is most looking forward to beginning every morning with disciplined prayer.

“Part of what I want to enter into is just to offer every part of my day to the Lord," she explains, "and stop conceding into that laziness of like snoozing my alarm all the time, but trying to be productive with my mornings as well, and offer Him my first fruits of the day.” 

Malu reverted to the Catholic faith in graduate school, thanks to a friend she calls a “bold” Catholic missionary. Through invitations to Holy Hours, within a few months, Malu found herself reconsidering her beliefs and falling in love with Adoration. Now she considers this her time with her “bestie” (a.k.a. Jesus)!

When Malu moved to the Berkshires a few years ago, she brought with her a cherished gift from her missionary friend: a Divine Mercy Chaplet Rosary (shown above). “I had never heard of the Chaplet before,” she admits. “My friend introduced me to it and then I came here … and I saw that the Shrine was for the Divine Mercy, I was like, ‘This is actually crazy. Like, how did I end up here?’ The Lord is very intentional.”

Since discovering the Shrine, Malu continues to appreciate how Confession is offered every day from 1-2 p.m. “You can see by the lines that so many people are just looking for the Lord's grace, and it's awesome that they get to find it here,” she says. “Divine Mercy is a message of hope and how much the Lord is just like waiting with open arms to love you.”

A Remarkable Couple
The National Shrine welcomes pilgrims new and long-time. Consider Frank and Angela Rizzo from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who have been visiting Eden Hill and volunteering for more than 20 years. 

It all began in 2005, when the couple signed up for a 14-day tour of Poland, Medjugorje, and Italy. In anticipation of their pilgrimage, a friend suggested they visit the National Shrine, which at the time was an hour away from where they had retired in upstate New York. Immediately struck by the unique beauty on Eden Hill, they went to Confession — and were blown away.

“I go to this priest, and I’m in tears at the end of it," Frank recalls. "I felt like I was talking to Jesus. It sounded like Him. It was the best Confession I ever made.”

As Jesus told St. Faustina, “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” (Diary, 1602).

In 2006, the couple volunteered during Divine Mercy Weekend for the first time, and just a few years later, they sold their house to move closer to the National Shrine. Volunteering 40 hours a week, Angela would help in the kitchen while Frank assisted in the volunteer office.

“We did everything you can imagine and loved it,” Frank says. This often included replacing the 1,500 candles near the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, as well as lighting 700 of them!

“We made a conscious decision 18 years ago to spend the rest of our life near a place like this for our spiritual well-being and for any hope of helping other people,” Frank concludes. “The Marian Fathers and the Shrine continue to have an effect on so many people, especially now online. The message is getting spread.”

We need volunteers like the Rizzos for Divine Mercy Weekend! Please consider joining us this year, April 11 and 12. Details here.

Valentine’s Day!
As National Marriage Week nears its end and we approach the Feast of St. Valentine tomorrow, let’s recognize the incredible married couples in our lives, including Frank and Angela Rizzo. Celebrating 60 years of marriage, they truly are an example of a love grounded in faith and a love for God. Congratulations! 

Don't miss the live, in-person talk by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, tomorrow at 11 a.m. (EST) on "The Real St. Valentine."  Watch here on TheDivineMercy.org, on YouTube at our channel Divine Mercy (Official), and on our Facebook page Divine Mercy (Official). You can also watch on our streaming site, DivineMercyPlus.org.  

Happy St. Valentine's Day and Happy Lent, everyone! See you next Friday.
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