The Holy Father has given a new gift to the pro-life movement.
You have likely seen the picture of Jesus standing with his hand pointed to
his heart, from which red and pale rays emanate. The words "Jesus, I trust in
you" are at the bottom. This image represents the devotion to
Divine Mercy, based on revelations
given to St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938). The image itself was revealed to
her, as was the "Chaplet of Divine Mercy," in which we pray the following words:
"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. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and
on the whole world."
Pope John Paul II has fostered this devotion within the Church, and has
declared the Sunday after Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. Many of the
faithful, especially in the pro-life movement, practice this devotion.
Indeed, the link between this devotion and abortion is established by St.
Faustina herself and recorded in her "Diary." Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, who
was a principal translator of St. Faustina's diary, and the postulator of her
cause of canonization, writes the following:
"On at least three occasions, from 8:00-11:00 in the evening, she felt
like her insides were being torn apart. She suffered so much that she thought
she was going to die. The doctors couldn't figure out what was ailing her, and
no medication was able to alleviate her sufferings. Later, she was given to
understand that she was undergoing those pains for mothers who were aborting
their children (Diary, 1276).
"On another occasion, she had a vision of an angel coming with thunderbolts
to destroy one of the most beautiful cities of her country. And she felt
powerless to do anything about it (Diary, 474). What antidote did the Lord give
her? The Chaplet of Divine Mercy. [She explained] that the city was to be
chastised for its sins, primarily the sin of abortion." ("Wombs of
Mercy," Marian Helpers Bulletin, Summer 1995, p.13).
Now the Pope has personally emphasized this connection once again, by signing
a special Papal Blessing for those who pray the Chaplet for an end to abortion.
The blessing, signed on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2003, is
addressed to the Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy and to "all the
faithful worldwide who join them in offering the Divine Mercy Chaplet…for
mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put
to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of
their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic
manipulation, cloning and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government
of peoples, that they may promote the Culture of Life, so as to put an end to
the culture of death."
God cannot fail to hear our prayer; let's not fail to pray it.
