THE HOUR OF GRACE

Ask and You Shall Receive the Mercy and Grace of God

The Hour of Grace is celebrated between noon and 1:00PM on December 8, - the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On this day in 1947, Our Blessed Mother herself gave us the Hour of Grace.

Our Lady appeared to Sister Pierina in a little church in Montichiari, Italy, a total of eleven times that year. On the first appearance She told Sister Pierina that She wanted to be known as the “Mystical Rose” and that an hour of grace should be kept at noon, December 8th, in all the Catholic Churches of the world.

Sister Pierina asked Our Blessed Mother how to prepare for this hour, She replied: “with prayers and penance. Pray the 51st Psalm with outstretched arms three times. During the Hour of Grace, many spiritual graces would be granted. The most hard-hearted sinners will be touched by the grace of God.” Our Lady also promised that whatever a person asked of Her for during this Hour of Grace (even in impossible cases) would be granted to them if it was in accordance with the Will of the Eternal Father.

HOW TO CELEBRATE THE HOUR OF GRACE

During this hour the person making the "Hour of Grace" either at home or in Church will put away all distractions (do not answer the telephone, or answer any doors, or do anything but totally concentrate on your union with God during this hour).

Begin by praying Psalm 51 three times with outstretched arms. In English this psalm is known by its first verse in the King James Version of the Bible, "Have mercy upon me, O God". ... It is the best known of the penitential psalms and one of the best-loved psalms of all. It speaks to the deep pain we feel inside us when we sin, and then it shows us the mercy of God. In 1638, a singer in the Sistine Chapel Choir of the Vatican composed a setting of Psalm 51 to be sung there during Holy Week. That singer was Gregorio Allegri, and his setting, now commonly known as Miserere , is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. A gorgeous way to begin the Hour of Grace is to listen to this ethereal piece of music and meditate upon the words.

The rest of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent communication with God, meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, saying the Holy Rosary, praising God in your own way or by using favorite prayers, singing hymns, meditating upon other Psalms, etc.

Today, on this special day, staff at St. Peter Claver Catholic School, will observe the Hour of Grace on behalf of the intentions and needs of our beloved Angels of GRACE past and present who, through their support, have allowed 30 students to experience the blessing of a quality Catholic education at our school in 2020.

If you would like to find out more about joining our Angles of GRACE and support needs-based scholarships at St. Peter Claver Catholic School, please visit GRACE Scholars or contact Regina Sweeney at (203) 912-1768 or rsweeney@spccatholicschool.org

“Our Lady also promised that whatever a person asked of Her for during this Hour of Grace (even in impossible cases) would be granted to them if it was in accordance with the Will of the Eternal Father.”