About Fr. Ken:
I am Father Ken Geraci, a member of the Fathers of Mercy. The Fathers of Mercy were originally founded in France in the 1800s by Jean-Baptiste and priests with a mission to conduct missions and retreats. We specialize in being professional confessors and preachers, and we spend approximately seven months of the year traveling and fulfilling our mission by conducting parish missions, retreats, and revivals.
Words From Fr. Ken:
"When our Lord appeared to St. Faustina, He gave her a set of prayers to be prayed on a standard rosary. For those unfamiliar with it, a standard rosary consists of starting with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed. On the larger bead, you say, 'Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.' Then, ten times, you recite, 'For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.' This sequence is repeated five times.
Many people speak about these prayers, but what I offer that is unique—though these are my words, not theirs—is that the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is effectively an extension of the liturgy of the Eucharist. When you want to get more out of something, it's not just about how you say it, but it's about the faith with which you pray it. So, even though it may sound contradictory, it all comes down to the faith with which we pray.
Looking at the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, if we pay attention to the first four words, it can change everything. In today's culture, one topic we frequently discuss is the 'father wound,' as many of our fathers were imperfect. They may not have been present or served as witnesses of faith. They may not have been witnesses of presence. Our fathers were imperfect. They were often absent, failing to serve as witnesses of faith and presence.
I have a wonderful young girl who recently converted to the faith, and we're reading St. Thérèse together. We're doing a little book study on 'Story of a Soul.' In our last conversation, she was deeply moved by the remarkable relationship St. Thérèse had with God, referring to her as his little queen and herself as His king. Every girl's heart melts at that thought, as we all desire such a connection. Our Lord gave us Thérèse as a witness to understand that we indeed have that relationship. God the Father sees you, Whitney, and all your listeners as His little queens and princesses. He desires to embrace, kiss, hold, and carry you on His shoulders.
When we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, especially for young women, it can be incredibly healing but also challenging because it demands vulnerability. You can just recite the words, and that's fine. However, if you truly engage with the initial words, 'Eternal Father, I offer you,' picture yourself before the throne of God the Father. Imagine how you are dressed, and consider how God the Father would adorn you because you don't choose your attire; He does. It would be glorious and beautiful, and you are in His divine presence.
Now, visualize that He has invited you into His presence and that you are offering Him something: the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. Where do we find the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus? It is in the Eucharist, and what is the Eucharist? The Eucharist is the Mass, and the Mass is Calvary. You are now, in a sense, wherever you are in the world, before the Father, at Calvary, and in the Mass. All these mystical experiences are happening within your heart and intellect. There you are, presenting Christ for your specific needs.
Consider the wounds and misery in your heart and how you can offer them to Him. Unite your suffering with the misery of Jesus. It's a profound concept. I recently had a discussion with Chris Stefanick last Advent, and he revisited it this past week on forgiveness. We talked about how when you suffer and hold onto hurt, wounds, and unforgiveness, you own them, and they make you miserable and consume you. However, when you unite your misery, woundedness, and unforgiveness with that of Jesus, it becomes part of His story. You become a part of His story in salvation history, and your pain transforms from suffering to something powerful and salvific."
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