Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
As we are about to  begin a new calendar year, and perhaps begin to formulate resolutions for the new year, might I suggest resolutions for the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Here at Sacred Heart Church, we are going to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every Friday morning at the conclusion of the morning Mass.  (It takes about 10 minutes or less when recited).  I also encourage everyone to, perhaps, commit to stopping by the Perpetual Adoration Chapel anytime to say the chaplet individually OR come at 3:00 p.m. when it will be, hopefully, prayed out loud by those who are there.

I encourage everyone to commit to receive the Sacrament of God's Mercy (Reconciliation) more times than you normally do in a year.  For some, that might mean quarterly instead of just during the Advent and Lent seasons.  For some it could be more often than that.  I will be advertising more opportunities for reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation than we currently offer; and perhaps, priests in the area can set aside a time each week and commit to going to each other's churches so people can have the opportunity to go to a priest other than their pastor.  In addition, we are planning at least one religious education offering (probably in the Fall) on the subject of God's Mercy.

Consider a pilgrimage to Little Rock to Our Lady of Good Counsel Church at 1321 South Van Buren Street anytime (but especially on First Saturdays) to go through the Diocesan Door of Mercy and participate in Mass and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation AND visit the House of Formation (of our seminarians) that is on the grounds of Good Council Church. (Look at the insert that was in the bulletin a few weeks ago that I hope you saved).  Commit yourselves to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy (which we will try to highlight each week in the bulletin).

Finally, we will put passages from St. Faustina, who wrote much on God's Mercy that the Lord spoke to her in her prayer time over a number of years, in the bulletin every week.

Spend time this year growing in appreciation and acceptance of God's Mercy in your life and in the lives of others and hopefully find yourself reflexcting God's merciful ways in and through your own life.

May this calendar year be unlike any year you have experienced in your life!!!