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My name is James Mark. I am the author of the “Divine Mercy Chaplet – A Deep Meditation.” I am 74 years old. My wife and I have 2 children and 5 grandchildren (one by adoption and one through marriage). I now live in a small rural town about 20 miles south of Joliet, Illinois.

I attended high school and first year college in the Chicago Diocese’s minor seminary. I left the seminary and graduated from Blackburn College in rural southern Illinois. After graduation I spent 2 years in the Peace Corps in Malaysia on the Island of Borneo. My Peace Corps training was in Hawaii for three months. There I learned the Malay language, customs and about tuberculosis, a very common and deadly disease in Malaysia at that time. When I finally arrived in Malaysia I worked in hospitals and clinics. I worked in the lab identifying samples that may contain the tuberculosis germ or not.

Later I went out into the field and helped vaccinate children against the disease. The cure for tuberculosis at that time required taking 3 medications for two years. Many times, people would not come to the clinic to get their monthly supply of meds, so I would drive on my motorcycle to the kampongs to make sure they had their meds. One time at the local school the science teacher had to leave so I filled in for about a month as well as doing my duties in the clinic.

When I returned to America, I attended Illinois State University where I earned a master’s degree in Special Education. It was also where I met my wife, Donna. I taught in Sp.Ed. classrooms for 27 years before retiring. After retiring from teaching I started a small lawn mowing business and helped out at my local parish, Immaculate Conception. There I am a teacher of religious education, lector, Eucharistic Minister, and help with general maintenance of the parish from time to time.

This is book is prayer adapted from the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer given to the world to a Polish nun named, Faustina Kawalska, to whom Jesus appeared over the last 10 years of her short life during 1930s. He taught her that mercy is greatest attribute of God. He commissioned her to spread the news of his divine mercy prayer and chaplet along with the picture/painting of Jesus as Divine Mercy which can be found in churches throughout the world as on the cover on this book. She wrote the book called a Diary of St. Faustina chronicling her encounters with Jesus and describing in great detail her conversations with Jesus. In one of those conversations, Jesus says it’s very important to think about his sufferings during the last 24 hours of his life (his passion, death, and resurrection) and it brings him great joy when we do this.

The book begins on Holy Thursday night after the Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane. The Devil interrupts his prayer trying to convince Jesus he should run away because the human race will not follow him and continue to sin greatly, so greatly that he sweats blood. The Devil tells Jesus he is wasting his time. Jesus humbles himself before God the Father and says “Still not my will but yours be done.” Judas then comes guarding the soldiers of the Temple Guard to arrest Jesus. They take him to trial at the court. Illegally find him guilty and take him to the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate to carry the death sentence – crucifixion. He undergoes much suffering at the hands of the Roman soldiers – scourging (whipping) crowning with thorns, knocking him, and beating him. He then carries a 125 lb crossbeam to the hill Calvary where his hands and feet are nailed to very cross he carried and dies from a loss of blood and asphyxiation after over 3 hours of hanging on the cross as his mother looks on.

Then 3 days later, joy as he is resurrected from the dead.

“Revisiting the Passion of Christ Through an Immersion in Divine Mercy Chaplet

“The Divine Mercy Chaplet” is a Christian devotion to the Divine Mercy focused on the Christological apparitions of Jesus mentioned by Saint Faustina Kowalska, known as “the Apostle of Divine Mercy.” In her diary written during the late 1920’s to the middle 1930’s when she died of tuberculosis. In 2000, she was canonized as a Catholic saint and sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. This chaplet recounts the crucifixion of Jesus and immerses the faithful in His passion.

While reading the diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska, Jim, a teacher of religious education, lector, and Eucharistic Minister, became committed to the belief that God’s greatest attribute is His Mercy as well as the promise He made to all who pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at the bed of a dying person: that that person will die a peaceful death and that Jesus will stand as Mediator of Divine Mercy and not as just Judge. Upon witnessing the peaceful death of a friend for whom he prayed the regular chaplet, he became a very strong believer and advocate of this prayer. However, Mark also realized that Jesus instructs us to reflect on his sorrowful passion rather than just repeating phrases. Compelled by this, he inserted meditative thoughts to go along with the prayer.

James Mark, with the approval of the Diocese of Joliet, published “The Divine Mercy Chaplet: A Deep Meditation.” Outlining the Divine Mercy message and devotion as well as incorporating meditative thoughts, the chaplet will help readers meditate more effectively and get closer to God. Mark provides a narration of the passion of Christ that’s closer to home and more relatable. It produces an immersive experience that will transport readers back to the pain and anguish of Jesus as He is beaten, flogged, crowned with thorns, is mocked, spat upon, and carries His cross with the burden of all humanity’s sins. Finally, He is nailed to the cross and prays for all of us, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Every Christian is familiar with the redemption story. We know that Jesus was prophesied to be born, to minister, and to bear the sins of the world through the cross. We’ve looked at His life and works, as well as the miracles He performed. But have we, on the other hand, take the time to feel his anguish and sorrow? Have we imagined ourselves bearing the cross with blood gushing from every pore of our skin?

Be one in Jesus as you meditate the Divine Mercy. Get a copy now.”