What is This Saint of the Year Devotion All About?


This isn't superstition. St. Faustina and her religious order did the same thing!

I would like to explain to you about the practice of picking a saint at random to be your “holy protector and intercessor” for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though.The tradition of letting a saint “pick you,”is not a new one. St. Faustina wrote about it in her diary, "Divine Mercy in My Soul".
The excerpt is below. . .

“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning, during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament,where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”

Excerpt from "Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina"

Monday, January 21, 2013

This meditation is taken from yesterday's "The Word Among Us" ... I found it very fitting for all of us who are praying for so many different things ... I hope this meditation touches you in the same way it touched me, while at the same time, we do need to remember that some unanswered prayers are what God has in mind for us and also, that God does things in His own time, which can be very difficult to bear as a human being ... While praying for our own needs and wants, please keep in mind, those who need extra strength and blessings for theirs ...
 
Do whatever He tells you. (John 2:5)
 
Can we really change God's mind? Well, maybe.
 
Matthew tells of a Canaanite woman who asks Jesus to help her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28). At first, Jesus wasn't very accomadating. But this woman would not be denied. Ultimately, her persistence paid off, and Jesus gave her what she asked for. And who can forget the way Moses convinced God not to destroy the Israelites after they had committed idolatry with the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-14)?
 
When Mary asked Jesus to resolve an embarrasing predicament at a wedding reception, He first told her, "My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4) But then He went ahead and turned jars of water into choice wine, just as she asked Him to do.
 
What's more, Scripture tells us, "The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful" (James 5:16). It is fervent prayer that influenences God. It's faith that moves mountains. So it seems that we really can influence God.
 
Of course, we still have to deal with the question of why some of our prayers appear to go unanswered - even our fervent, faith-filled pleas for help. Here is where we come face-to-face with the mystery of God's will and His wisdom. God knows what is best, and there are times when we simply have to trust Him, as a child trusts its father.
 
This is what makes Mary's response so important for us : "Do whatever He tells you." If you are trying your best to be right with God and if you are persistent in asking for something in prayer, God will hear you. He will do whatever is best for you. You have done all you can do, and now you can leave it in God's hands, surrendering like Mary, committed to doing "whatever He tells you."
 
"Lord, you know my needs. You know my heart. I trust in your wisdom and love"
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