Reflections from Divine Mercy Sunday

Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle in
West Hartford Connecticut USA

Divine Mercy Sunday was full of incredible blessings.  We began the day with Mass and a quiet Rosary with my children in the chapel unifying with a Children's Rosary group that was meeting in another town in Connecticut.  As it would turn out, the leader of the group we were unifying prayers with had fallen very sick and was suffering from a stomach flu and could not make it to her Church.  She would later write that she was disappointed that because of her illness her group could not meet.  Yet, Our Lord had by Divine Providence arranged that children would be praying at the exact time of her meeting so children's prayers were indeed still rising to heaven.  

This was the first of many blessings that day.  Another wonderful gift we had on Divine Mercy Sunday was the presence of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The prior night she had arrived through the hands of children.  Yes indeed another Children's Rosary group had made a special trip to bring Our Lady so we might have her at both our Children's Rosary in the morning and in the afternoon.  The afternoon Rosary was for a special Divine Mercy event.  Our Lady came with something else.  We were presented with a surprise: a second class relic of St. John Paul II.  As we held the piece of clothing which St. John Paul II had worn during his life, we were overcome with the beauty of such a gift on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, a day Pope John Paul II had instituted within the Church.  Indeed there was a feeling both St. John Paul II and Our Lady were smiling down on the children and pointing to the importance of the Feast to follow the next day.

As a small group of children arrived to begin our morning Children's Rosary on Divine Mercy Sunday they were overcome by the beauty of Our Lady.  They all marveled at all the detail of her dress and the softness of her face.  As the children prayed the Rosary in front of the Divine Mercy image, at the end of each decade they went and placed a rose at Our Lady's feet.  Many of these children would return in the afternoon for a larger Divine Mercy Event where again the children would hold a Children's Rosary.  During the afternoon event the children were able to be graced to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer.  More children came and we were able to close the Rosary by singing our theme song Rosary Children accompanied by Jeff Batter who was involved in the recording of the song for our CD.  To hear the children singing was so moving.  Looking out one could see smiling eyes and joy.  Indeed grace was flowing and hearts were full of love.  There are no pictures of the afternoon Rosary but in many ways I enjoy the knowledge that no one was distracted during that time in prayer.  We were all enjoying each moment.  

Children participating in Procession at Divine Mercy Event

As the day came to a close around 4PM we emerged to a glorious day with sun and warmth.  As many Children's Rosary groups met on Divine Mercy Sunday this is only a humble reflection of one of many experiences of our groups that day.