April 7, 2024, Second Sunday of Easter (Sunday of Divine Mercy) Readings include Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 John 5:1-6: Gospel: John 20:19-31
The Psalm for this Sunday, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting,” draws our attention to thank God for all his blessings. Are some of our blessings negative? Many people ask me how can a merciful God bring such tragedies in families, such illnesses, etc.? Not an easy question to answer but through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we now have hope, faith and love, that we accept God’s will. God is good and it is the mystery of life that we enter into the life of Christ. Today we also celebrate the Divine Mercy. “In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000.
The Lord expressed His will with regard to this feast in His very first revelation to St. Faustina. The most comprehensive revelation can be found in her Diary entry 699:
‘My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.’”
Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter – Here at the monastery, we celebrate three parts of the Easter Sunday Vigil Mass at 7:30 pm, March 30, 2024: Blessing of the fire and lighting of the candle; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Baptism. Although there is no one to be baptized, Father Anthony, our Chaplain, does bless the water and there are prayers. The Service of Light is very special since the Paschal candle is lit from the fire (outside our Chapel) and all the small candles that each person is using are also lit. The following prayer is appropriate:
“Father, we share in the light of your glory through your Son, the LIGHT of the world. Make this new fire holy, and inflame us with new hope. Purify our minds by this Easter celebration and bring us one day to the feast of eternal LIGHT.”
Online Retreats – The Benedictine Nuns of Jamberoo offering online retreats. For more information, please click “Retreats,” at Jamberoo Abbey.
FINAL PROFESSION: We are delighted that Sister Stephen made final vows on December 21, 2023, in the presence of our Bishop from Gallup, Bishop James E. Wall. During the Consecration, Bishop James asked Sister Stephen: “Sister Stephen, do you desire to be consecrated to God before all here present and to be recognized in the Church as a sign of Her union with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God? Sister Stephen responded, “Yes, with all my heart I do desire this, in your presence, Bishop James, and before the holy people of God, relying on the mercy of God…”
Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for For April 2024: THE ROLE OF WOMEN – We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.
Sacra Mysteria Venerari (Click for more information)
An apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist by Bishop James S. Wall, Bishop of the Gallup Diocese.
MISSION STATEMENT –The Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert is a monastic community of women in the Benedictine tradition. We profess vows of stability, conversion of life and obedience. Our primary mission, is to seek God through a life of prayer, silence and solitude. Our way of life frees us to give glory and praise to God, intercede through prayer for the needs of the world and hospitality.