Kiss of Mercy Prayer Apostolate + 5th Anniversary

The Kiss of Mercy Prayer Apostolate for Healing from Abortion began five years ago on March 19, 2016, the Feast Day of the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Apostolate was inspired by a talk titled, Confession, by Venerable Fulton Sheen. when he prophetically said:

"Just think how many mentally disturbed women we are going to have in the United States...when the guilt of abortion begins to attack the mind and soul...Years from now, the guilt will come out in a peculiar way, though at present there may not be any."

We were so struck by his words and we thought about how abortion effects so many, not only the women. Today the problem of abortion seems insurmountable. As we prayed about this, we thought of Saint Therese of Lisieux and the simplicity and power of her "Little Way" which is the Love and Mercy of God.

We sought spiritual direction from Fr. Greg Staab, OMV. After prayerful reflection, he said we needed a prayer and it must include the Hail Mary. We wrote a simple prayer which is the essence of the Apostolate. An imprimatur was received on the Kiss of Mercy Prayer on January 25, 2017.

Kiss of Mercy Prayer

To be recited while kissing an image of Jesus

Jesus I trust in You.

May my kiss, 

and Your grace,

convert, heal and 

reconcile to the Father 

one soul wounded by abortion.

Recite one Hail Mary

Nihil Obstat +Arthur L. Kennedy S.T.L., Ph.D.
                        Auxiliiary Bishop of Boston

Permission +Sean P. Cardinal O'Malley, O.F.M., Cap.
                       Archbishop of Boston

Date January 25, 2017

Through the Kiss of Mercy Prayer Apostolate, we pray for conversion, healing and reconciliation to the Father for all souls wounded by abortion, one soul at a time.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, Venerable Fulton Sheen and Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Kiss of Mercy Apostolate for healing from abortion

Reflection: God is rich in mercy

Lent is a time to repent, to turn back to the Lord, seeking forgiveness and healing. When you receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus pours out His grace and mercy on you like the rays of light seen in this image.

Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me of my guilt and of my sin, cleanse me. Psalm 51:3-4

And so it is with the image of Divine Mercy, the rays of Blood and Water flow from the Heart of Jesus into our hearts, a visual image of what happens to souls during confession.

Jesus is calling you by name. Go and receive healing, mercy, forgiveness and peace in confession. Jesus told Saint Faustina to bring her miseries, troubles and griefs to Him at the Throne of Mercy. He is waiting for you to do the same. Run and throw yourself into the arms of Jesus and let Him love you. He will pour out His healing, grace and mercy upon you.

God is rich in mercy. Ephesians 2:4

The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stand for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender Mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. By means of this image, I shall grant many graces to souls. Diary of Saint Faustina 299, 742

O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. Jesus I trust in You.  Opening Prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Jesus to Saint Faustina: My Mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of My Goodness? For you, I descended from heaven to earth; for you, I allowed Myself to be nailed to the Cross; for you, I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of Mercy for you. Come then, with trust, to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart, Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My Mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give Me pleasure if you hand over to Me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace. Diary of Saint Faustina 1485

Jesus I trust in You.

Reflection: Children around the world in prayer

He called a child over, placed it in their midst and said, "Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

Jesus asks us to pray like a child, simple open and trusting. A person who prays like a child, trusts. A person who trusts, prays. Place yourself in the Presence of God, be still and listen.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Turn to God.
Trust in God.
Listen to God.
Ask God.
Thank God.

Heavenly Father, help us to be like little children. Help us to see the plans You have for us. Sweet Jesus, stay with us and keep us close to You. Blessed Mother Mary, protect your little ones. Come Holy Spirit! Come through Mary!

Reflection: Do not worry!

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus speaks to the disciples and to us: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" Mark 6:25

There are so many things in this world that can cause fear and worry. Place yourself in the hands of God and trust that everything is under His Providence. Close your eyes and think about the things that you worry about. Imagine you are sitting with Jesus. Open your heart and tell Him your worries, fears and anxieties.

"Can any of you by worrying, add a single moment of your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin." Mark 6:27-28

Find a quiet place and ponder these words about Jesus by Saint Therese, the Little Flower:
"He set the book of nature before me and I saw all the flowers He has created are lovely. The splendour of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. I realized that if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and there would be no wild flowers to make the meadows gay. It is just the same in the world of souls which is the garden of Jesus. He has created great saints who are like lilies and roses, but He has also created much lesser saints and they must be content to be the daisies or the violets which rejoice His eyes whenever He glances down. Perfection consists in doing His Will, in being that which He wants us to be."

Ponder the book of nature as you sit with Jesus in a field of wildflowers. Place your worries, fears and anxieties in His hands and gaze at the beauty of each little flower knowing that God created YOU, just as He created each little seed and flower petal. God wants to shower you with His grace so you can go and bear fruit.

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father, in My Name, He may give to you." John 15:16

Pray, hope and don't worry.  Saint Padre Pio

First Saturday Devotion

Let us pray to Our Lady of Fatima and ask her intercession to unite our families in love and to heal our relationships. She asked us to practice the First Saturday Devotion. 

The essential elements of the First Saturday Devotion are:

1. Go to confession (can be within 8 days before or after the First Saturday)

2. Receive Holy Communion (if there is no Mass, offer a Spiritual Communion)

3. Pray five decades of the Rosary

4. Keep Our Lady company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary

Our Lady wants us to consecrate ourselves to her Immaculate Heart, a consecration in which we make a complete surrender of self to our Mother, promising her that we will:  Pray her Rosary every day. Offer the little daily sacrifices that come our way for the conversion of sinners. Make the five Communions of Reparation on the first Saturdays of five consecutive months.  

The First Saturday Devotion is offered with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the five offenses to her Immaculate Heart. 

1. Against the Immaculate Conception (denial or ridicule)

2. Against her perpetual virginity

3. Against her divine maternity (refusing to accept her as the Mother of God and of all mankind)

4. Those who implant in children's hearts, indifference, contempt and hate against our Immaculate Mother

5. Insults directed against her sacred images, displays of indifference or ridicule and infliction of damage to them

Our Lady promised that she will assist all who will practice this devotion the graces they need for salvation at the hour of death. Our Lady's promise is not a guarantee into heaven. Our cooperation with grace is always required.  It should be a life-long devotion as a sign of our devotion to her Immaculate Heart and a desire to make reparation for the blasphemies against her.

Our Lady of Fatima appeared between May 13th and October 13th, 1917 to three shepherd children, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco. Mary, the Mother of God, told them that God had sent her with a message for every man, woman and child. 

At the time, there was war, violence and uncertainty in many parts of the world, much as it is today. Mary told the children to pray the Rosary daily. The Blessed Mother appealed to all to pray hard so that the war would end. 

"I am the Lady of the Rosary." With these words, the Mother of God identified herself to the shepherd children of Fatima. Repeatedly during her apparitions to the children, she told them to pray the Rosary daily and to pray the Rosary well, meditating on the mysteries. The Queen of Heaven held out the Rosary to mankind as a means of obtaining the salvation of souls, the conversion of sinners, true world peace, and the conversion of Russia. 

In the last apparition at Fatima Our Lady appeared as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, holding the Scapular in her outstretched hand. The Scapular is the sign of our consecration to Mary's Immaculate Heart. Wearing the scapular daily reminds us of the promise we have made to Mary.

Let us entrust our nation and the whole world to Our Blessed Mother's care and guidance. Her message at Fatima is that of world peace, the conversion of Russia and reconciliation to God. May all men and women heed the call of love and peace of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, we entrust all the names we receive through this ministry to your loving care.

Reflection: Fr. Greg Staab, OMV + Well done, My good and faithful servant

Today we remember, with great fondness, Fr. Greg on the 3rd anniversary of his passing to his eternal home on March 1, 2018.

I have been blessed to know so many beautiful priests, good shepherds. Today I want to remember Father Greg Staab, OMV (Oblates of the Virgin Mary). Fr. Greg was a dear friend and prayer partner of the John 10:10 Prayer Ministry and the first spiritual director of the Kiss of Mercy Prayer Apostolate for Healing from Abortion which began 5 years ago on the Feast Day of Saint Joseph, March 19, 2016.

A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. Sirach 6:14-15

Fr. Greg was a holy, saintly priest who lived his life "all for Jesus through Mary". He was ordained in Rome by Saint John Paul II in 1984. When he was a 19 year old seminarian, he was with his fellow seminarians one day and they were all discussing where their priestly ministries would bring them. Fr. Greg said, "I want to be a saint." His desire to be a saint shaped his life, his priesthood and his ministry. He had a deeply rich priestly ministry which took him from Rome to Boston, Massachusetts, then to California, Argentina, the Philippines and back to Boston. His humility had a profound effect on countless souls.

Fr. Greg had a very rare disease and spent over three years in the hospital where he continued his priestly ministry from his hospital bed. He had the assistance of his brother priests and seminarians of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, as well as two very special friends, Walter and Ria. Being in the presence of Fr. Greg, you were not aware of his suffering for he said he had offered it to God. He had the same twinkle in his eye and love for others that he had before his illness began. Fr. Greg loved everyone.

There was a constant flow of visitors to see Fr. Greg: priests, seminarians, sisters, friends, hospital patients and hospital workers. As long as he was able, he celebrated Mass followed by a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration every day. He continued to offer spiritual direction and the Sacraments from his hospital bed. He inspired me and so many others with his deep love for the Eucharist and for Mary, our Immaculate Mother, his love for prayer and for the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, his devotion to his Guardian Angel and all the Holy Angels, to Saint Joseph, Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Faustina, Saint Francisco and Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He had a burning love for The Divine Mercy of Jesus and continually spread the message of The Divine Mercy of God in Jesus Christ who bestows upon us unimaginable graces when we approach the Fount of His Mercy. Fr. Greg worked tirelessly for the salvation of souls. He offered spiritual direction, based on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius and taught others to make and renew their consecration to Jesus through Mary through Saint Louis de Montfort.

It was a great grace for me to be at Masses Fr. Greg celebrated from his hospital bed. At one Mass, during his homily on the Gospel of Luke 7, Fr. Greg spoke about the widow whose only son had died and how Jesus raised the young boy from the dead. He said Jesus performed the miracle of raising someone from the dead only three times in the Gospels.

The only son of the widow had died and his body was being carried out. A large crowd was with the widow.  Jesus saw her and was moved with pity and said, "Do not weep."  Then Jesus moved forward and touched the coffin and said,

"Young man, I tell you, arise!" Luke 7:14

Immediately, the dead man got up and spoke. Then Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized the crowd and they glorified God.

During the homily, Fr. Greg said the greatest miracle occurs when a person goes to confession. 

Fr. Greg said, "Never stay away from confession.  Go often and go immediately, if you have mortal sin.  If your house is on fire, do you wait six months before you call the fire department?  Of course not.  What would happen if you didn't clean your kitchen for a month?  You can't wait if your house is on fire or if your kitchen has not been cleaned for a month.  And so it is with your soul.  Confession is the place where a soul is resurrected from the death of sin to new life through the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

On my way to Mass the next morning, I was pondering Fr. Greg's homily and I noticed clumps of little yellow flowers which seemed to be sprouting out of the cement at the foot of my church stairs. Drawing closer, I saw beautiful little yellow pansies coming out of a crack between the sidewalk and the granite foundation of the church. I was struck by the beauty of God's creation and how God brings new life in unexpected ways.

The story of the widow whose only son had died is a story of how Jesus brings new life out of death. He wants us to know that all things are possible with Him. He wants us to come to Him, as we are, and He will make new life in us. Jesus will bring new life to you, in unexpected ways.

God brings new life in our spiritual lives too, sometimes in unexpected ways. 

Have you experienced a loss or gone through a period of sadness, when someone speaks a word of comfort that lifts your spirits? 

Have you read a verse of Scripture which touched your heart deeply? 

Have you listened to the music during Mass and felt a surge of love come upon you? 

Have you received the Sacraments and experienced God's love in a new and profound way? 

Have you prayed for something or for someone and your prayers were answered? 

Have you prayed, in confident trust, that your prayers will be answered, in God's perfect timing?

Our hearts are made for love. Fr. Greg led a life of love, love for God and for others. God is always near and He waits for the perfect moment to come inside, to bring us new life. There may be times that we are not open to receive His grace. God will come, even through the tiniest crack or opening in our hearts, like the crack between the sidewalk and the granite foundation of my church, where new life burst forth in tiny yellow pansies.

God delights in you and He wants to do something new and unexpected in your life. Open your heart and invite Him in. Ask Him to help you let go of the things that keep you away from His Presence. He will come to you.  He will help you and He will bring new life in you. Go to confession and go often. Like the little yellow pansies coming out of the crack, Jesus will come into your heart and He will say to you, "Arise!"

Immaculate Mary, Mother of God and Mother of Priests, pray for the repose of the soul of our beloved Fr. Greg Staab, OMV.  May he rest in eternal peace. 

His master said to him, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21