Puzzles

This is the chapel of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy located in Stockbridge, Ma. My family and I have visited this shrine many times. The grounds are beautiful and services are daily, small, and intimate. The Marians of the Immaculate Conception and Marian helpers are custodians of the shrine. The shrine venerates “Blessed Virgin Mary.” Other titles for Mary include Holy Queen and Mother of Mercy. To confuse things a little more, the congregation sponsors the work of John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy which restores a focus on devotion to Mary. Addititionally, the devotions draw from the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalski, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Saint Faustina led a life of prayer and sacrifice that culminated in her recieving a message of mercy from the lord in the 1930s that she was told to spread around the world. For skeptics this is hard to accept, including some priest. Experiencing God in prayer is truly a subjective experience that defies words. And rarely do the faithful experience transendent messages. Nor does it need to! Only a few are called to a life of prayer while most of us have other callings, hopefully supported by prayer.