Divine Mercy Novena, Day 8: Mercy for Souls in Purgatory

God's Justice Regarding Indulgences

"As for the plenary indulgences, I may as well tell you that few, very few people gain them entirely. There has to be such a wonderful disposition of heart and will that it is rare, much rarer than you think it is, to have the entire remission of one's faults. In Purgatory, we receive only the indulgences applied to us by way of suffrage, as God permits according to our dispositions.

"It is true that we have no inclination to sin, but we are no longer in the reign of Mercy but under that of Divine Justice, so that we receive only what God wants us to have. When a soul is near the object of its desires, namely Heaven, it may be delivered and admitted to eternal joy by the efficacy of one plenary indulgence well gained, or even gained only in half and applied to its intentions, but for other souls it is not so. They have often during life despised or made little use of indulgences, and God who is always just, rewards them according to their works. They gain something, as it pleases God, but hardly ever the full benefit of the indulgence."

~ Sr. M.G., a deceased nun, to Sr. M. de L.C., from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

St. Michael Chaplet: Promises and Prayers

Are the promises made to those who recite the rosary of St. Michael true?

"The promises are real, but you need not think that people who recite it out of routine and without any pains to become holy are taken out of Purgatory at once. That would be false. St. Michael does more than he promises, but he is not over anxious to relieve those who are condemned to a long Purgatory. Certainly as a reward for their devotion to the Archangel their sufferings are shortened, but as to delivering them at once, not so. I, who used to say it, can serve as an example of this. Immediate deliverance takes place only in the case of those who have worked with courage at their perfection and who have little to expiate in Purgatory."

~ Sr. M. G., a deceased nun: excerpts from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

CHAPLET OF ST. MICHAEL

St. Michael, appearing one day to Antonia d'Astonac, a most devout servant of God, told her that he wished to be honored by nine salutations corresponding to the nine Choirs of Angels, which should consist of one Hour Father and three Hail Marys in honor of each of the angelic choirs.

Whosoever would practice this devotion in his honor, before receiving Holy Communion, would have an escort of nine angels chosen from each one of the nine choirs. In addition, for the daily recital of these nine salutations he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life, and after death deliverance form purgatory for themselves and their relations.

~ Related from the Life of Antonia d'Astonac, Vol. III, Chapter LXXIV ~

The chaplet is begun by saying the following invocation

V. O God, come to my assistance.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

In honor of the nine choirs of angels pray one Our Fathers, and three Hail Mary's before each of the following nine salutations:

1. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim, may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen.

2. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim, may the Lord vouchsafe to grant us grace to leave the ways of wickedness to run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.

3. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones, may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen.

4. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominions, may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and subdue our unruly passions. Amen.

5. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers, may the Lord vouchsafe to protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil. Amen.

6. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and suffer us not to fall into temptation. Amen.

7. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities, may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.

8. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels, may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works, in order that we gain the glory of Paradise. Amen.

9. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels, may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted hereafter to eternal glory. Amen.

Pray one Our Father in honor of each of the following leading angels:
St. Michael, St. Gabriel, 12 St. Raphael, our Guardian Angel.

The chaplet is concluded with the following prayers:

O glorious Prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King, and our admirable conductor, thou who dost shine with excellence and superhuman virtue, vouchsafe to deliver us from all evil, who turn to thee with confidence, and enable us by thy gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ.
R. That we may be made worthy of His promises.

PRAYER
Almighty and Everlasting God, who by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, hast appointed the most glorious Archangel, St. Michael, Prince of Thy Church, make us worthy, we beseech Thee, to be delivered from all our enemies that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted, by him into the august presence of Thy Divine Majesty. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(With Ecclesiastical Approval)

True Sanctity

"True sanctity consists in

renouncing oneself from morning to night,

in being a living sacrifice,

in constantly putting aside the human self,

in allowing God to work in and with you as He pleases,

to receive the graces He sends you with profound humility,

recognizing yourself quite unworthy of them,

to live as constantly as possible in the Divine Presence,

to perform all your actions under the eye of God,

wanting Him only to be the witness of your efforts and your only reward.

This is the sanctity wished for and demanded by Jesus

of all those who desire to be His only and to live His life.

All the rest is pure illusion."

~ Sr. M.G. from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

Out of the Depths I Cry to You, O Lord!

Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the dawn. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Pie Jesu: Lord, Have Mercy! Grant Them Rest!

Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,
Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,
Qui tollis peccata mundi;
Dona eis requiem,
Dona eis requiem.

Angus Dei, Angus Dei,
Angus Dei, Angus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi;
Dona eis requiem,
Dona eis requiem.
Sempiternam, sempiternam requiem.

English translation

Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy,
You who take away the sins of the world;
Grant them rest,
Grant them rest.

Lamb of God, Lamb of God,
Lamb of God, Lamb of God,
You who take away the sins of the world;
Grant them rest,
Grant them rest.
Everlasting, everlasting, rest.

Prayer for a Good Death

O Jesus, while I adore Your dying breath, I beg You to receive mine.
Since I do not know whether I shall have command of my senses when I depart from this world,
I offer You even now my last agony and all the sorrows of my passing.
I give my soul into Your hands for You are my Father and my Savior.
Grant that the last beat of my heart may be an act of perfect love for You.
Amen.

Atheist Medical Doctor's Near Death Experience Leads to Conversion

Medical Dr. Donald Whitaker falls ill and has Near Death Experience.

He returns with a testimony of Hell and a transformed worldview.

Most Merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray You, by the agony of Your most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Your Immaculate Mother, to wash in Your Most Precious Blood, the sinners of the world who are now in their agony, and who will die today. Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the dying. Amen.

Fr. Anthony Brankin: Endless Battles With Satan

Fr. Anthony Brankin: Purgatory is Testimony to Divine Mercy

"Even our belief in purgatory—as much as it is testimony to Our Lord’s justice—is even more so testimony to His merciful Heart—that Jesus for no other reason than love will accept even our poorest and most imperfect protestations of sorrow for sin as reason enough to bring us to heaven.

"This is the God I have always believed in—a God of immense wisdom, and perfect understanding who looks with the eyes of the Sacred Heart at these poor, confused and troubled humans and sees them in all their weakness, and for them He becomes a God of mercy, a God of compassion, a God of forgiveness—the Sacred Heart is Divine Mercy personified. That is who Our Blessed Lord is.

"Of course, He then asks us—in our dealings with others—who are also confused and troubled and weak, He asks us to see as He sees—to love as He loves—to be indulgent as He is indulgent, and to act with the same mercy and same compassion and same forgiveness which we have received from Him."

~ Fr. Anthony Brankin, pastor of St. Odilo Parish, excerpts from the bulletin ~

St. Odilo Church is the only parish in the United States dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory. It was founded and sanctioned as the Shrine of the Poor Souls by His Eminence, George Cardinal Mundelein, in 1928, with a special indulgence of 200 days granted upon each visit to the shrine.

Offering to Immaculate Mary for Souls in Purgatory

Immaculate Mary, Mother of Mercy,

who saw the sacred Body of Your beloved Son raised on the Cross,

looked at the soil soaked with His Blood,

and were present at His cruel death,

we offer you, most Holy Mother, the souls suffering in purgatory,

and we beg you to be so kind as to look upon them with your merciful eyes

and ask for their release from their torments.

In order to receive your forgiveness, O Immaculate Mother,

we sincerely and heartily forgive all those who have insulted us,

and through your intercession,

we beg Jesus to grant them every goodness, grace, and blessing

in exchange for the wrong they did to us or wished upon us.

Through your hands, O Holy Virgin,

we offer to the Lord this act of love,

asking His mercy for the souls that are being purged. Amen.

Our Lady of Fatima Confirms That Heaven Exists

Pious Invocations for the Souls in Purgatory

"It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins." (2 Machabees 12:46)

Please add after each invocation the ejaculation: My Jesus Mercy!

O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood which Thou didst shed in the Garden of Olives, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that is most abandoned. Place it today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood Thou didst shed during Thy scourging, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that did most good during life. Place it today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood Thou didst shed during Thy crowning with thorns, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that was most devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Place it today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood which Thou didst shed in the carrying of Thy Cross, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that is suffering because of my bad example. Place it today in heaven that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the chalice of Thy precious Blood which Thou didst present to Thine Apostles at the last supper, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that is most devoted to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Place it today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the precious Blood which flowed from Thy Sacred wounds, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the souls of those to whose care Thou didst confide me on earth. Place them today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother they may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the precious Blood which flowed from Thy Sacred Heart, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the souls that did most to propagate devotion to Thy Blessed Heart. Place it today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the merits of Thy holy resignation on the cross, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that hath most to suffer through me. Place it today in heaven that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the tears shed by the Blessed Virgin at the foot of Thy cross, deign to help and release the souls in purgatory, particularly the soul that is dearest to Thee. Place it today in heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother, it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

Let us pray
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants departed, the remission of all their sins, that through pious supplications they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired; who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

Copies of this item available from: Our Lady of the Rosary Library

Blessed Ana of the Angels: Heroic Helper of Souls in Purgatory

...King Phillip IV of Spain, a Dominican tertiary, appeared to Ana after his death in 1665 asking her intercession and revealed to her later that he had entered heaven three days after his death thanks to her prayers.

Ana's spiritual life was molded largely on that of St. Nicholas of Tolentine, Patron of Holy Souls. One day she beheld in a vision the Mother of God seated on a golden throne with St. Nicholas and a legion of angels beside her. St. Nicholas conducted her to purgatory where she saw with horror a great throng of souls crowded together in the purifying flames. The saint said to her: "On earth I helped the Poor Souls; I now consign that noble office to you." The compassionate nun offered to take upon herself the sufferings of the most abandoned souls in purgatory and God accepted the offer. Although she was by this time eighty years of age, she accepted the unusual apostolate and suffered ten years of atrocious moral and physical torments. She was a beautiful model of the purest chastity and of the communion of saints.

Ana's decade of atonement, during which she lost her sight completely, was sweetened by periods of divine consolation. Angels came to relieve her suffering and souls from purgatory appeared at her bedside to thank her for her prayers. St. Bernard appeared with the Sacred Host for her communion and adoration. St. Nicholas showed her the thousands of souls which had entered heaven thanks to her charity.

Ana died on January 10, 1686 at the age of ninety and when her body was later exhumed it was found incorrupt and fragrant. Many Miracles of healing occured during and after her burial.

~ The entire article from which these excerpts were taken and prayers for the intercession of Blessed Ana are here. ~

Pride Comes Before the Fall

"Those who are lost are lost because they willed it, because to arrive at damnation they must have refused thousands of graces and good inspirations that God gave them, hence it is their own fault."

~ Sr. M.G. from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

Bishop Robert Morlino: The Communion of Saints at Mass

"We should be mindful of the mystery of the communion of saints and remember that we live out that communion most especially at the Mass. When we get to the moment of the great Eucharistic Prayer and we are invited to “lift up our hearts,” that means we are going mystically to heaven. Through the liturgy of the Church, the Holy Spirit reminds us of all the truth about Jesus. And at the Mass we are lifted mystically up to heaven and there we are with the Lord, with Mary, the Queen of all Saints, with Joseph, with all of the Apostles, and the martyrs, and the angels...

"What reverence should overtake us during the Eucharistic prayer! We should be overcome with reverence because, in a mystical way, we get to be right there with the saints in heaven and, very importantly too, we get to be with all the souls in purgatory.

"November is the month of the holy souls and we should remember that the closest we can come to our loved ones who have died, the closest that I can come to my mother and father, to my grandparents, to all my family members and good friends who have died, the closest that I can get to them, to be one with them in prayer is at Mass! Our faith in this mystery is indicated in those few words, “I believe in the communion of saints.” Mass is a Holy place to be..."

~ Bishop Robert Morlino, from Importance of the Communion of Saints ~

Two Morning Offering Prayers

1. O my God,I offer Thee all my prayers, works, and sufferings in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the intentions for which He pleads and offers Himself in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in thanksgiving for Thy favors, in reparation for my offenses, and in humble supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the wants of our holy Mother the Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the relief of the poor souls in purgatory. I have the intention to gain all the indulgences attached to the prayers I shall say, and to the good works I shall perform this day.

(Some versions of the prayer add: I resolve to gain all of the indulgences I can in favor of the souls in purgatory.)

2. O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word, and action of this day. I desire to gain every indulgence and merit I can, offering them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, whom Thou hast appointed the dispenser of the merits of Thy Precious Blood, especially by means of this Scapular [Here kiss your Brown Scapular] that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Amen.

Fr. Bill Casey: What Kind of A Friend Are You?

St. Faustina: A Prayer to Be Merciful

+O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.

+I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, 0 Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue.

Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.

+You yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy.
The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind.
The second: the word of mercy - if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words.
The third: prayer - if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.

O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for you can do all things.

( Prayer of St. Maria Faustina, Diary, 163)

Jesus: "Lend Your Heart to Creatures..."

"Lend your heart to creatures
that they may love by you
and that you may love in them;
make them glorify, exalt and love their Creator.
Love with the bird that sings,
with the cloud that floats in space,
with the leaf which quivers in the breeze.
Give a soul with intelligence,
and a heart that beats to all these beings created by love."

~ Jesus to Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche ~
from The Love and Service of God, Infinite Love
by Mother Louise Margaret, Tan Books and Publishers



"We cannot always keep saying to God that we love Him;

we have but one voice to tell Him we love Him.

But by going to creatures,

by lending them our hearts,

a multitude of voices are raised,

all singing of Infinite Love."

~ Mother Louise Margaret ~

The Resurrection of the Body

989 We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives for ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like his own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity:

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you.

990 The term "flesh" refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality. The "resurrection of the flesh" (the literal formulation of the Apostles' Creed) means not only that the immortal soul will live on after death, but that even our "mortal body" will come to life again.

~ Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church ~

Purgatory on Earth

"Some souls have their Purgatory on earth by suffering, others by love, for love is a true martyrdom. The soul that really tries to love Jesus finds that notwithstanding all its efforts it does not love Him as much as it wants to, and that is for that soul a perpetual martyrdom caused by a love which is not without great suffering. It is, as I told you, rather like the state of a soul in Purgatory, who continually leaps up towards Him who is its only desire, and who at the same time is hurled back because its expiation is not completed."

~ Sr. M. G., from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

St. Faustina: Satan's Complaint

520 "During the night, a soul I had already seen before visited me. However, it did not ask for prayer, but reproached me, saying that I used to be very haughty and vain... "and now you are interceding for others while you yourself still have certain vices." I answered that I indeed had been vain and haughty, but that I had confessed this and had done penance for my stupidity, and that I trusted in the goodness of my God, and that if I still fell occasionally, this was indeliberate and never premeditated, even in the smallest things. Still, the soul continued to reproach me, saying, "Why are you unwilling to recognize my greatness? Why do you alone not glorify me for my great deeds as all others do?" Then I saw that this was Satan under the assumed appearance of this soul and I said, "Glory is due to God alone; begone Satan!" And in an instant this soul fell into an abyss, horrible beyond all description. And I said to the wretched soul that I would tell the whole Church about this."

~ St. Faustina, from her Diary ~

Poor Souls to St. Faustina: "Do the Will of God."

"In the evening, when I was walking in the garden saying my rosary and came to the cemetery, I opened the gate a little and began to pray for a while, and I asked them interiorly, ‘You are very happy are you not?’ Then I heard the words, ‘We are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God’s will’ – and then silence as before. I became introspective and reflected for a long time on how I am fulfilling God’s will and how I am profiting from the time that God has given me." (Diary, 515)

"On the evening of that same day, when I had already gone to bed, a certain soul came to me, woke me up by tapping on the night table and asked me to pray for her. I wanted to ask who she was, but I mortified my curiosity and joined this little mortification to my prayer and offered them for her." (Diary, 516)

"Before All Souls’ Day, I went to the cemetery at dusk. Although it was locked I managed to open the gate a bit and said, ‘If you need something, my dear little souls, I will be glad to help you to the extent that the rule permits me.’ I then heard these words, ‘Do the will of God. We are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God’s will.’" (Diary, 518)

~ St. Maria Faustina ~

Jesus, Mary and Joseph Prayer

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

(A beautiful little prayer, easily memorized and repeated when inspired to do so. When my mother-in-law was in her final days and hours on earth, she appreciated help in saying this prayer which she had prayed throughout her life and remained a source of comfort to her).

Divine Mercy Novena: Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Don't forget to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day of the Divine Mercy Novena--as requested by Jesus. (It's never too late to begin).

"The Lord told me to say this chaplet for nine days before the Feast of Mercy.

It is to begin on Good Friday.

By this novena I will grant every possible grace to souls."

~ St. Faustina, Diary 796 ~

"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you.

Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death.

Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope.

Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once,

will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy.

I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy.

I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy...."

"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying,

I will stand between My Father and the dying person

not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior".

Divine Mercy Novena Requested by Jesus

Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:

"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."

(For the Novena and the promises of Jesus about the Feast of Divine Mercy, click here.)

Marino Restrepo Conversion Testimony

Marino Restrepo is a Catholic lay missionary from Colombia who travels the world sharing his testimony. Marino was born a Catholic but disregarded his faith at an early age and embraced all the self-seeking illusions of the world. He chose to experience a life of drugs, unhealthy relationships and New Age philosophies. His acting/musical career led him to Hollywood where he was a producer and musician. Marino thought he had it all until a visit home to Columbia in 1997 for Christmas. His sister encouraged him to pray a novena prayer to the baby Jesus. He accepted thinking it would give him an extra ounce of 'good luck'. Following the novena, Marino went on his way to visit his uncle. His visit was short-lived as Marino was kidnapped by guerrilla rebels of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and held captive in the jungle for six months. They told him they would kill him once they had received ransom for his kidnap. For 15 days he lay in a cave full of bats and infested with numerous insects and bugs. It was here, in his complete isolation and despair, that Marino had a mystical experience of God. His life changed forever.

Marino was miraculously released from captivity after a miracle of God, and after his release he went back to his Catholic faith. Eighteen months later he became a full time missionary for the Catholic Church leaving all of his past, and his worldly possessions behind.