By the way, maybe don’t do a search just with the word Mercy…Divine Mercy would probably ensure you get more of what you are looking for…Lord Have Mercy!
This devotion to the Divine Mercy goes by a few different names: Sometimes it is called: The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, The Divine Mercy Prayer, or Prayer of Devine Mercy.
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.
With this being the year of mercy, there is no shortage of mercy material available out there, so why the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (MIC) you might ask? Well, really it’s because of my fairly recent introduction to Fr. Michael Gaitley of the same Order.
I just finished studying his book on Divine Mercy entitled “Consoling the Heart of Jesus” and it really has changed my whole understanding of Divine Mercy!
If you are interested in learning more about the Mercy of God, I would suggest that this app is a great introduction, but Fr. Michael Gaitley’s book is a must read. That’s why I specifically wanted an app that came from the MIC, because I knew that whatever they put out would be Rock solid teaching.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537303867247{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Let’s Get Back To The Divine Mercy Prayer App” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The app has a very simple set up and is very easy to navigate. The opening page is devoted to covering “The Message” of Divine Mercy.
The introduction covers the basic understanding of Mercy and specifically Divine Mercy prayer. It also introduces you the Saint Faustina who God chose to be the messenger of His mercy to the world.
If any of you have tried to read the “Diary of Saint Faustina” you will know that it is no easy read, but this is what the MIC Fathers do so well, they make the message understandable for all! The Timeline and Saint Faustina sections on this page really provide us with a good understanding of the life and mission of Saint Faustina.
The Diary sections provide excerpts from the Diary for a deeper understanding of the message of Divine Mercy as delivered by God to Saint Faustian. This is awesome, it really helps with being able to dive deeper into the Divine Mercy prayer, and have it mean more, and to allow it to change your heart mind and life.
The Mercy Popes section gives us information on the two Popes which have played a key role in spreading the message of Divine Mercy; Pope Benedict the XVI and Pope John Paul II. I think I would have to add our current Pope, as he has shown Mercy in very concrete ways in his outreach to the poor and imprisoned…but that is just my opinion.
The app provides the Top 10 Mercy Quotes for each Pope, which had a lot of awesome information and great material to reflect and pray on. Finally, there is a section for more resources, which is nice, I always like having these things presented to me so I don’t have to go looking.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537303867247{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”The Devotion” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This page provides you with the actual material to practise a Devotion to Divine Mercy. I love the simple format that is used and I like how everything is organized on the one page.
I could have really used this over Lent when I did my first novena to Divine Mercy, which ended on the Feast of Divine Mercy. Instead I printed out the novena on paper, how very old fashioned![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537303867247{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Mercy Plus” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The last page of information has lots of extra stuff on the work that the MIC are about. It also gives us access to the “Catalogue” which brings you to www.shopmercy.orgwhich has so many more resources.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537303867247{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Overall” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I really liked the simplicity of this app. Even though it has a great deal of wonderful information, it is easy to navigate and doesn’t leave you guessing. I loved that it provides easy access to resources by the MIC, I have grown to really trust and respect the work being done by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and I am excited to explore more.
What I hoped I would find in this app that I didn’t, is more interactive, audio/visual, artistic elements. There really was very little that appeals to the visual person – it was kind of like reading a book. I like books, but I expect more from an app I guess.
The thing is, I know that the MIC have access to lots of great video teachings on Divine Mercy, because I just watched Fr. Michael’s videos on “Consoling the Heart of Jesus“. What I had hoped to find was some of the material from these videos in this app.
I know it’s a free app and it would be unrealistic to expect to find all the material on here, but even very short clips would add so much to the material on this app. I’m sure the Marian Fathers have tons of amazing stuff they could add to this app to make it a bit more engaging to the more visual person, who in this day and age is probably most of us!
There is an interactive Divine Mercy Chaplet on the app (Android and iTunes) that works very well, but again i think that this could be improved with music in the background or the options to have the Chaplet sung.
So overall, I love this app for its simplicity and the fact that I know I’m getting amazing information! It could definitely use a little more life to make it more engaging, something that my kids would find interesting to go through!
Just as a final bit of information, when you first download the app it asks if you want to download MIC’s free Mary app.
Say Yes! The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception know Our Lady, and the app has such great information to offer. The first book I read by Fr. Michael Gaitley was “33 Days to Morning Glory” it absolutely changed the way I understood and approached my Consecration to Mary, I love it. So don’t forget to say yes to this free download as well.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Thank you for the services