I would like to sharewith you somethoughts on the story

of the Prodigal Son asfound in Luke, chapter 15. As many of you know,

the son asked the father forhis share of the inheritancewithout waiting for thefather to die. The son thenpacked his belongings andleft for a far country, wherehe squandered all hismoney. Because of famine,he found himself hungryand working with swine. Hedecided to go back to thefather, asking for forgive-ness. While he was still at adistance, the father saw himand went to embrace him. The father asked for the

best robe to be put on hisson, and also placed a ring on the son’s finger. Thefather was so happy that he called for the fatted calfto be killed. His older brother became

jealous, but the father told him that it was fitting thatthey celebrate because theyounger brother was dead, and is now alive. He waslost and is now found.The story is one of my

favorites because I, likemany of you, have been theprodigal son. Many yearsago, during a time of per-sonal crisis, I was forced to look atmyself and ask, “Is this what life is all about?” But it was during that difficult time that I faced a fork in the road. It gave me the opportunity to heal and grow.In the Prodigal Son, the son went to

a far off country. In my life, the far offcountry represents being distant andaway from a close relationship withGod. For all of us, it can be the resultof materialism, workaholism, or a thirstfor the things of this world. The desireto be “somebody” and live in a world

of illusion where yourworth is based on the caryou drive or the size of yourhome can be crippling.And in the story, after

the son had spent andsquandered everything, he was so hungry that hewould have eaten the corn-husks that the pigs ate ifthey had been offered tohim. I think that for manyof us it takes a crisis to realize that we have beenliving in a far off place, and that we need to dosomething about it. I was always struck by

the fact that the father saw the son returning froma distance. You see, thefather was not confined tohis elegant quarters, goingon with life as if nothinghad happened. No, he wasout looking for the son,walking and pacing thegrounds, hoping that hewould return. And that ishow God is with us. If wemake one step toward Him, He will take 100toward us. He is the GoodShepherd, and He is outlooking for His lost sheep.Remember how the

father placed a ring on theson’s finger? I suspect thatat that moment the sonrealized he was of nobility.There was an awakening ofwho he really was. So many

of us wonder aimlessly throughout life,never realizing that we are beautifulsons and daughters of God! Saint Faustina stated, “I am going

RAYS OF MERCIFUL LOVEwww.thedivinemercy.org

“ Mercy is

Lov

e that se

eks t

o les

sen the mise

ry of o

thers”

Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy Newsletter Fall/Winter 2013

The Prodigal Son

I was always struck by the fact that the father saw the sonreturning from a distance. The father was out looking for theson, hoping that he would return. And that is how God is withus. If we make one step toward Him, He will take 100 towardus. He is the Good Shepherd, out looking for His lost sheep.

By Bryan Thatcher, MD

Continued on page 5

Our cenacle was officiallyformed in 2003. Since then,through the guidance of the HolySpirit, we have grown and pros-pered. We now have more than 35members and a new cenacle hasbeen formed in our parish consist-ing of members from the localHispanic community. Now we area two-cenacle parish. We have our meetings twice a

month. Since we’ve had manynew members join in the last fewyears, we decided to do Manual 1of the Cenacle FormationManuals over again. In the past 10 years, we have

made a concerted effort to educate the people of the San DiegoArchdiocese about the truth of the Real Presence of Jesus in theEucharist. One way we have done this is by inviting guest speakers for adaylong conference. We were delighted to host Fr. Donald Calloway,MIC, twice, and Mr. Paul Regan, as well as other assorted speakers fromSan Diego. Father Donald is coming back to our parish on Nov. 12.

One of the ladies (Eva Ortiz)from the Hispanic group workedtirelessly to get 24-hour EucharisticAdoration started. It was so success-ful that Father has allowed us tohave it twice a month. Eventually,we hope to have it every Friday. Over the years, we have also

done numerous works of charity.We have raised funds through theconferences, craft fairs, and bakesales to help needy individuals andthe Immaculate Heart of MaryParish. We purchased a very beauti-ful monstrance for Eucharistic

Adoration. We also made a new pro-cessional canopy for the parish. One

of the first items that our cenacle produced was a painting of theDivine Mercy image, created by an artist in our parish, Mrs. JudyNachazel. It hangs in our daily Mass chapel and is used on every DivineMercy occasion. Now, we are supporting a young seminarian, David,who is a student in Rome. We hope that by God’s grace, we will haveanother priest to spread the Divine Mercy message.

The interest in our cenacles has been tremendous. We nowhave five cenacles. There are morethan 35 members in the variousgroups. Members enjoy delvinginto the Diary and sharing its rich spirituality. Here are some of the things we

have done over the past year:In October 2012, the month

of the Holy Rosary, we joined theSpiritual Adoption Program. Wemade Adoption Prayer Beads thatconsisted of nine beads, one beadfor each month of gestation, andprayed for a baby in danger ofabortion. At the end of the ninemonths, we held a baby shower.In addition to the many outfits, diapers, blankets, we raised $100.These gifts were then given to the Heartbeat Center of Flint, Mich.We have created a “Millionaires Club.” Each person prays the St.

Gertrude Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Jesus told St.Gertrude that this prayer releases 1,000 souls from purgatory eachtime it is fervently prayed. At each meeting, we tally the number ofprayers said by each member within the past two weeks. We arethrilled to say that we have surpassed the two million mark. Trustingin Jesus’ promise of Divine Mercy, we continue to pray. We began a “praying for the dying” chain. Members of the

parish inform us when someonethey know is dying. Cenaclemembers pray the Chaplet ofDivine Mercy for the soul of theperson mentioned.The various cenacles pitched

in and hosted our Divine MercySunday celebration. We had morethan 500 people in attendance! Itwas such a beautiful day. Cenaclemembers all wore red sweatersmonogrammed with the words,“Jesus I trust in You” on them.The groups attended Mass togetherand even got to present the gifts. Perhaps our more adventurous

activities are our road trips.Together, we attend concerts and

conferences and visit shrines. We hope to someday visit the NationalShine of The Divine Mercy. Our table at the Church Stewardship Fair promoted awareness of

the message of Divine Mercy. Probably the most spiritually rewarding time for our members is

our hourlong visits in our Adoration Chapel, which has had perpetualadoration for the past 16 years.Most recently, we hosted the “Let It Be — Mary’s Story” Concert

featuring internationally acclaimed artist, Tajci Cameron. It was forOct. 13 in honor of Our Lady of Fatima.

2

In Grand Blanc, Mich., they have five cenacles and 35 memberswho are busy doing many works of mercy including praying forthe Holy Souls, the dying, and babies in danger of abortion.

Members of the cenacles at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parishin Ramona, Calif.

C E N A C L E S ’ U P D A T E

GRAND BLANC, MICH.Mary Bostwick wrote and told us:

RAMONA, CALIF.Dolores Kelly and Nancy Garbo wrote and told us:

3

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.Mary Fodale wrote and told us:There are 15 wonderful members at St.

Mark Catholic Church Each member does avariety of works of mercy, including makingrosaries, visiting the nursing home, and praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet with theresidents. We hosted last year’s Mercy Sundaycelebration and are looking forward to doingthe same next year.This summer, we began an evening cenacle

for those who work during the day.Members are excited about the beginning

of Our Lady of Fatima Home Visitation program. The image of Divine Mercy and astatue of Our Lady will be taken to a differenthome each week. We are excited aboutspreading devotion to the Divine Mercy andOur Lady and encouraging others to pray theChaplet and Rosary. We believe that bringingfamilies together to pray will help sow andnourish the seeds of love and mercy that everyfamily member needs.

DIVINE MERCY FLOOD MY SOUL

Father Leszek Czelusniak, MIC, joins Annie Karto onthe Divine Mercy Chaplet and on other songs as wellas readings from St. Faustina’s Diary. Includes botha spoken and a sung version of the Divine MercyChaplet. A portion of the proceeds from the sale ofthis CD will be used to assist the Marian Fathers’mission in Kibeho, Rwanda.CD: EV4-DMFMS $14.95

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This contemporary melody of The Chaplet ofDivine Mercy in Song seeks to bring togetherChristians of every denomination to implore God’smercy for families and the world. If you loved theoriginal, get this second edition that calls on ourLord’s mercy, leading you to an even more powerfuland prayful experience! CD: EV4-DMSCD2 $14.95

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4

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Excited aboutupcoming OceaniaApostolic Congress

I am writing this before I board the plane to head out tothe Pacific islands. I have fond memories of my firstexperience flying to the Pacific islands. It was in 1996 that I traveled to the Island of Samoa

to meet with Archbishop Pio Taofinu’u, SM. It was my first overseas trip for EADM, and I had no idea what toexpect. The Archbishop loved and embraced our work. The message of Divine Mercy took root and has spreadthroughout the Pacific islands. He appointed a local priest,Fr. Alapati, to be the spiritual director for EADM memberson the island. When the Archbishop died several years ago,Fr. Alapati was appointed Archbishop! In early October, the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia will be

hosting the second Oceania Apostolic Congress on Mercy.Speakers include Bishop Porteous from Sydney; Bishop Mafi from Tonga and Niue; Fr. Patrice Chocholski of Lyon,France, general secretary of the World Apostolic Congresson Mercy; Sr. Alice Hardiman from New Zealand; TuilaepaAiono Sailele Malielegaoi, the prime minister of Samoa;John Canavan from Australia; artist Tommy Canning fromScotland; and myself.I am looking forward to the conference as I will be able

to encourage many people from different countries to begincenacles and to better understand the spirituality of DivineMercy through our formation program.

By Bryan Thatcher, MD

In 1996, Bryan Thatcher, MD, meets with Samoa-ApiaArchbishop Pio Taofinu’u, SM.

WANT TO START A CENACLE?Call the EADM office toll-free at 1-877-380-0727,and we’ll send you a free informational packet witha DVD on the ministry and how to start aDivine Mercy cenacle.

5 © 2013 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. 06510052

“P atience is a virtue,” it is often said. A famous person once commented, “I am praying for patience, and I want it now!” The Rule of the Ten Evangelical Virtues instructs us on how we

can possess and cultivate such patience in our own lives, and how we can endurethe trials and tribulations of life for Christ and receive our reward in heaven. We know that the Archangel Gabriel told Mary that “the Holy Spirit will

come upon you, and thepower of the Most Highwill overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). That is, Marywas filled with the HolySpirit. And one of thefruits of the Spirit ispatience, as it says inGalatians 5:22, “But thefruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,self-control; against suchthere is no law.” The tendency in our

world today is to live afast-paced lifestyle and seek instant gratification. The concept of working forsomething “down the road” is a difficult one to understand. One of the saintsonce said that if we bear slight things patiently, we shall acquire courage andstrength to bear great things. Mary is called “most patient.” Mary rose above the din, confusion, and

disorder of her time to point us toward the path of salvation. She guides us toher Son, Jesus. Think about how she felt when she and Joseph were beingturned away from the inn and she had to give birth in a stable. Imagine howshe made a crib from a manger and filled it with straw. She patiently enduredthe persecution under Herod. She patiently searched with sorrow for her 12-year-old Son, Jesus, when He was in the temple. And she patiently enduredand suffered alongside Jesus during the Crucifixion. Mary put all her hardships into perspective. She suffered and patiently

resigned herself to God’s will. She is “Most Patient.” Through her example,she shows us how, through patience, we may gain a greater love for Christand for our neighbor.

The Ten Evangelical Virtues of Our Lady (Part Eight)

Mary is called “most patient.” Mary rose above the din, confusion,and disorder of her time to point us toward the path of salvation.She guides us to her Son, Jesus.

Most Patient

Marian A

rchives

forward through life amidst rainbows andstorms, but with my head held high with pride, for I am a royal child. I feel that theblood of Jesus is circulating in my veins, and Ihave put my trust in the great mercy of theLord” (Diary, 992). We have all been like the Prodigal Son in

our life, and even like the jealous brother. How

many times do we look askance at someone try-ing to come back to God? We judge, criticize,and mock the person. We beat our breasts likethe Pharisee, saying, “Lord, I sure am glad I’mnot like him.” But we are also called to be like the father

— forgiving and loving those who have hurt us, and giving thanks to God when theyrepent. However, many of us hold on to anger for many years. We say we have buriedthe hatchet, but we all know only too wellwhere we have buried it.

We also must learn to forgive ourselves. Thefather in the story of the Prodigal Son was for-giving; he did not keep reminding the son ofhis past transgressions. Likewise, we must learnfrom our mistakes and move on, for all theguilt, shame, and self-doubt does nothing buthold us back.So today, ask yourself: Do I spiritually live in

a far off country — imprisoned by the chains ofmaterialism and secularism? And if so, comeback to God, for He is waiting for you withopen arms!

PRODIGAL SONContinued from page 1

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NEED A SPEAKER?

I will be speaking in Boca Raton Fla., on Dec. 14; Port St. Lucie, Fla., on March 1;Mesquite, Texas, on March 8; Sugarland,Texas, on March 22-25; and Toronto, Canada,April 30-May 3.

I would love to come to your parish andspeak on Divine Mercy, the Eucharist, OurBlessed Mother, and pro-life issues, as well as continuing efforts to ship medicalsupplies overseas to the poorest of the poor.For more information, call the EADM officeat 1-877-380-0727.

— Dr. Bryan ThatcherEADM director

EADM relies on your generosity to keep the ministry running.Many people write us and thank us for our apostolate. Help uscontinue to bring the message of Divine Mercy to a hurting world.

Please donate to EADM today.

Call 1-800-462-7426Visit marian.org/eadm

Or use the enclosed envelope.

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