 |
 |
|||||||||||||
|
Home
> News & Events Archive
September 27, 2009 ”If God can touch (and heal) a leper, why can’t he touch us,” Reverend Christopher Crotty C.P.M. asked rhetorically as he spoke at the 8th annual Divine Mercy Conference held in Regina September 25, 26. Crotty a member of the Fathers of Mercy, a preaching and missionary congregation based in Auburn, Kenucky gave three presentations about inner healing to the more than 200 who attended the annual conference held at St. Basil’s Parish Hall. Crotty said tradition at the time of Christ was that a leper was unclean and had leprosy as punishment for the sins of the leper’s father. But the leper (in the biblical story) came to Jesus for healing and the Lord healed him both physically and spiritually. Today, people go to all sorts people seeking healing rather than approaching Christ. “Why do people go to all this garbage,” he again asked rhetorically? Christ is God and He heals. He wants to reach to them.” We don’t have to be perfect to come to God, he said, that’s why we were given the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And going to confession once a year doesn’t cut it, he said. “You’re not going to get to heaven that way.” Crotty described the images of materialism, beauty, fame, power as fleeing. “It all passes away, only God is here,” but materialism is still pursued. “Where are we going as a culture,” and he used the opening line of Dickens famous novel a Tale of Two Cities to describe life today. ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ With all the materialism, “We have crippling desires of the heart.” He gave recent crime statistics to emphasize his point noting that something like 83,000 youth languish in American prisons and he was certain it is a similar story in Canada. The only answer, he said, is the Holy Spirit. “God gives us grace through the Holy Spirit so we can reach heaven,” but we have to be open to receive the message. God is present even when we’re having a bad day, he said, but we have to allow Him in totally and we cannot keep the healing to ourselves. The conference was in 3 sections opening Friday evening with Divine Liturgy in St. Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic Church celebrated by Saskatchewan Eparchy Bishop Bryan Bayda followed by the first presentations of Crotty and Sister Teresa Fuentes. Saturday morning opened with praying of the Rosary, followed by the remaining presentations and ending with an afternoon mass in the adjoining church. Communion Means United “Communion means united and we become an extension of Jesus Himself,” said Sister Teresa de la Fuentes OLM one of two Sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. Sister Teresa spoke about doing the will of God and Sister Guadaloupe Robles spoke of the love of God available to everyone. Both spoke with passion, enthusiasm and animation and both employed humour and stories in their presentations. The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy is the same congregation to which St. Faustina belonged, the founder of the Divine Mercy movement. Both Sisters reside in Boston, the location of the congregation’s only U.S. location and both travel extensively in their ministry of proclaiming God’s love. Fuentes said the union with Christ in Communion is not just spiritual but bodily. “It is a source of love that comes into our hearts.” But in order for that love to enter there must be a trust in Jesus and she referred to the Divine Mercy mantra ‘Jesus, I Trust in You.’ “Trust opens the faucet and love flows in”, she said and that love has to be translated into action. She used the analogy of the Dead Sea to emphasize the point. “The Sea of Galilee is a living body of water. It has water flowing in and flowing out through the Jordan River. The Dead Sea has water flowing in but there is no exit and so it is dead.” She said love is a lifestyle and not something that is done when ever we fell like it. Guadaloupe referred to the prominent portrayal of Divine Mercy with rays emanating from the Heart of Jesus. “These rays are all coming out for you,” she said, “it’s not just a single drop, it’s all of them.” She talked about approaching God and having the right attitude. Some people have a fear of approaching God for several reasons; pride, a fear of not being worthy and for some it’s similar to a child growing up and no longer willing to be seen with a parent. “If we have this false image of God, it is difficult to approach Him.” The whole point of the Commandments, she said, is for everyone’s happiness. God’s will is for everyone to become a saint. “Every person on earth was willed into existence to become a saint.” She too spoke of trust in God and said the moment of that trust is in an individual’s darkest hour. “God’s Mercy is everlasting.” Various religious articles associated with Divine Mercy were available for purchase and there was a fund raising silent auction. Special recognition was given to Reverend Gordon Rushka, Divine Mercy Regina chaplain who recently celebrated 50 years of his ordination. Frank Flegel 
 Click on any photo to see the gallery |
|||||||||||||
|
