Our culture lulls us asleep to the effects of sin and worldliness on the souls of our loved ones. Father Heilman asks: “Are you tired of it? Are you motivated to do something? Do you believe in the power of supernatural grace in prayer? If so, then let’s employ the ancient art of fighting for souls: intercessory prayer through the Communion of Saints.”
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| Fr. Rick Heilman |
This talk is not directed toward a personal piety, a way of peaceful and private meditation. Instead, it attempts to shake us out of our lethargy in order to rediscover our fighting spirit as part of the Church Militant.
It demonstrates how prayer can fuse the virtues of charity and mercy with those of courage and sacrifice. For example, the story of a heroic soldier laying down his life for a friend is the inspiration for us to lay down our prayer life for a loved one.
Father Heilman founded the Knights of Divine Mercy (KDM) to foster the kind of prayer life described by our Lord in St. Faustina’s Diary:
“I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first by deed, the second by word, the third by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love of me.”
Boot camp for Lent
This Lent, Father Heilman initiated a unique prayer method called “The Church Militant Boot Camp: Forty Days for Forty Souls.” A practical guide toward fighting for souls, it gives spiritual direction online and through e-mails. (To sign up, simply send an e-mail to: [email protected]) He will explain this Boot Camp and its relationship to the Communion of Saints during his talk on March 29.
Divine Mercy theme
Divine Mercy is prominent in this talk on the “Ancient Art of Fighting for Souls” and in others. On March 5, Father Heilman spoke at the 25th annual Marian Congress in St. Paul, Minn., on the topic, “Mercy and the Family of God.”
On April 29 to May 1, he will direct a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass. This pilgrimage will join with almost 20,000 other pilgrims on Divine Mercy Sunday. All are welcome.
To register for the March 29th talk or for the pilgrimage, call 608-798-3612 or e-mail [email protected] The Knights of Divine Mercy is sponsoring both events.