When I began seriously discerning a religious vocation, I started to attend daily Mass. One day, I noticed in the pew that someone had left a pamphlet for me on the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I remember thinking, “I don’t want it. I have enough devotions to do.” So, I left the pamphlet in the pew pretending I didn’t see it and thought that was the end of it. I was wrong.
I worked for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and one of my bosses who was a priest wished me a happy Divine Mercy weekend when I left that Friday afternoon. That weekend, I went to a discernment retreat at the motherhouse of the IHM Sisters. Guess what the theme was? You got it – Divine Mercy.
I returned home after a beautiful weekend and checked my mailbox. God, who evidently wanted to make sure I was getting His message, had a sister send me a Divine Mercy pamphlet. I went to my spiritual director and said, “I think God wants me to learn about this devotion.” He said, “How about He wants you to learn about Divine Mercy in general!” He recommended the book, “Divine Mercy In My Soul: Diary of Sister M. Faustina Kowalska,” which I started to read. I was incredibly moved by God’s revelation of His incredible mercy to us! I started praying the chaplet daily – sometimes more than once a day.
A year later, I was in Rome participating in my parish’s 100-year anniversary pilgrimage. We attended Mass daily in various churches and chapels. I saw different people serve as lectors and had wanted to volunteer, but thought I should let the parish lectors do the honor. I said a quick prayer that if God wanted me to serve as a lector, He would make it happen.
One of the priests leading the pilgrimage invited me to be a lector at that Sunday’s Mass in a beautiful cathedral. I was so honored. Then I realized that it would not be just any Sunday, but Divine Mercy Sunday! I knew that was God’s way of telling me, “Yes, I called you a year ago to learn about my Divine Mercy – it was no accident or coincidence!” Ever since then, Divine Mercy has been one of my favorite devotions.
Some time later, I got word that a cousin was dying. He was a great guy, very amiable, but I was pretty sure he was away from the Church. I thought it was important to discuss with my cousin his spiritual preparation for death, but I didn’t know how. I prayed as to how to broach this with him.
I decided to send him a get well card. In it, I wrote: “I have heard you have been sick, and I wanted you to know that I have been praying for you. I love you and want you to know that you can call me if I can do anything for you. If you are not a praying man, now would be a good time to start. Jesus loves you very much! He wants you to have a relationship with him. It would be good to go to Confession. I’m sure Father (I inserted the name of priest who buried his brother) would come and hear your Confession if you can’t make it to church yourself. The church’s number is (…). However, if you can’t get a hold of him, call me and I will. You’ve always been good to me and always made me feel so special. I love you very much!”
I mailed the card, cringing a little. He was my cousin, but we had never had an intimate conversation, and this card was pretty intimate.
I prayed a few Divine Mercy Chaplets for him over the next couple of weeks. I continued to pray for him by name daily. When I found out that my cousin died, God, in His infinite Mercy, amazed me. My cousin died on Divine Mercy Sunday. If that wasn’t powerful enough, I found out that he had, in fact, received my note and had received Last Rites three days before he died. God is so good.
If you are uncomfortable talking about end-of-life issues with your loved ones – especially as it relates to the faith, take it to prayer. Ask God to help you know how best to approach them and share God’s love. The three important things for your loved ones to know are: God loves them, they do have to express sorrow for their sins, and the Church is there to help them.
“Be not afraid!” Jesus tells us over and over again. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet for these souls and commend them to God’s care. You might be afraid to talk to them, but what a comfort it may be – especially if, all this time, they were afraid to talk to you.
Sister M. Emily Vincent Rebalsky, IHM, is the program director at Villa Maria by the Sea Retreat Center, Stone Harbor. For more information about retreats at Villa Maria by the Sea, visit VMbytheSea.com. For information about discerning a vocation with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Malvern, PA, visit ihmimmaculata.org.
Walk through Lent with Sister Emily Vincent
For weeks, the Catholic Star Herald has been bringing you a special series of Lenten video reflections from Sister Emily Vincent Rebalsky, IHM.
As Easter Sunday approaches, continue your Lenten journey with Sister Emily Vincent every Friday on our social media platforms. Or, look back at her past bite-sized videos for insights on spiritual growth this holy season. It’s never too late.
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