LETTERS: FIELD OF CROSSES MARKS LOST LIVES

To the editor:

As you drive through the lovely city of Cape Girardeau down I-55 past Exit 96, you will see 4,400 white crosses representing the number of babies aborted every day in the United States. These crosses, called the Cemetery of the Innocents, were placed there by SEMO Lifesavers, Cape Girardeau's pro-life group. Begun three years ago with just 700 crosses, it was expanded a year ago to 4,400 crosses upon the occasion of President Clinton's visit to Cape Girardeau.

About a month ago, a very large picture of Jesus, called the Divine Mercy, was erected at the front of the cemetery facing the highway. It is 16 feet high and 10 feet across. The idea to recreate the picture was suggested by James Zifferman. David Jansen of Drury Southwest Inc. recreated the picture and placed it at the front of the cemetery.

On Aug. 15, Voice for Life, an organization of Catholic laypeople involved in the pro-life movement, sponsored a blessing of the picture and a candlelight prayer service. SEMO Lifesavers hosted the service, which began about 8 p.m. The service was attended by about 200 people. Msgr. Richard Rolwing blessed the picture and participated in the chanting of the Divine Mercy chaplet, which was led by Donna Kirus.

One of the greatest gifts the Catholic church has been given this century has been the messages given us by Our Lord Jesus through Blessed Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska of Krakow, Poland. One of these gifts has been the chaplet of Divine Mercy, which has given us the strength to persevere and the courage to endure the struggles and sufferings of our lives.

A quote from Sr. Faustina's diary:

"My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. One that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of my mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to me even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all of eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of my tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to me will contemplate my love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of my mercy."

The Lord gave this message to Sr. Faustina toward the end of September 1936, and during her lifetime he repeated it to her 14 times that we know of.

From this, we can without doubt be certain that it is an extremely important devotion to the Lord.

After receiving this message from the Lord, the message being so powerful, Sr. Faustina began feeling the presence of Satan in her room and fell victim to Satanic attacks, and she had to carry her crucifix with her and make the sign of the cross until the presence left her.

A month later, while on an eight-day retreat, Sr. Faustina wrote in her diary:

"Today I was led by an angel to the chasms of Hell. It is a place of great torture. How awesomely large and extensive it is. The kinds of torture I saw:"

The first torture that constitutes Hell is the loss of God. The second is perpetual remorse of conscience. The third is that one's condition will never change. The fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it -- a terrible suffering as it is purely a spiritual fire, lit by God's anger. The fifth torture is a continuous darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned will see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own. The sixth torture is the constant company of Satan. The seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies.

These are the tortures suffered by the damned together, but there are special tortures where one form of agony differs from another. Sr. Faustina states that she would have died at the very sight of these tortures, if the omnipotence of God had not supporter her. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout eternity in those senses which he made use of to sin. She further said that she is writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no Hell or that nobody has ever been there and so no one can say what it is like.

(These words are taken from the book, "Visions of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory," authored by Bob and Penny Lord.)

The following is the chaplet of Divine Mercy, which the Lord said shall be recited on the beads of the rosary in the following manner:

First, say the Our Father, one Hail Mary and then the Apostles Creed. Then on the Our Father beads, say these words:

"Eternal Father, I offer thee the body and blood, soul and divinity of the most beloved son and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in atonement of our sins, and the sins of the whole world."

On the Hail Mary beads, say the following words:

"For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.:

In conclusion, say three times:

"Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and the whole world."

Three o'clock in the afternoon is the hour of great mercy. "at 3 o'clock implore my mercy especially for sinners. And, if only for a brief moment, steep yourself in my passion, particularly in my abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. ... In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of me in virtue of my passion."

CHRISTINE STEPHENS

Cape Girardeau