The Feast of John the Baptist. During morning prayer Fr suggested we think about each word and sentence in each prayer. Rather than rattling them off automatically. Most of us know the Divine Mercy chaplet so well that we can say it without thinking.
We were brought by coach into Vilnius to the Cathedral. I brought my knitting with me and knitted on the way in and the way back. I was knitting socks so I was able enjoy the sights as well.
Between 1956 and approx 1988 the Cathedral functioned as an Art Gallery, but it was returned to the church and consecrated on 5 February 1989. We were given a guided tour by a Lithuanian guide. One of the ladies said that he was very easy on the eyes as some of the priests seem to be and she hoped she would be able to concentrate on prayers. We agreed that we were just admiring the beauty of God’s creation!

St Casimir is the Patron saint of Lithuania and there is a chapel in his honour in the Cathedral – an Icon of him has three hands, apparently the artist didn’t like the hand and tried to replace it but the original hand kept coming back so in the end he left it.

We had a little time to wander around before we had lunch. I remembered that there was a wool shop from last year and went looking for it. Unfortunately it was closed. A good many of the shops were closed because it was the Feast day of John the Baptist

After lunch we had Holy Mass in the Divine Mercy shrine. It was concelebrated by the Cardinal Backis and the priests with our group. The Divine Mercy Shrine is where the original painting of Jesus of Mercy is. It was such a privilege to be there in front of a picture of Jesus just as Jesus had wanted it painted. There was a picture of our Lady – Mother of Divine engraved on one wall to the right of the Altar and on the left of the Altar was another engraving- Jesus I trust in you in a number of Languages. I thought it was beautiful. Nuns from the congregation of the Crucified Christ led the singing. There were about five or six and most were in their twenties! Brothers from the new order – Brothers of Divine Mercy were also at Mass. Also very young.

After that we headed to the house where it was painted. Fr. Sopocko was a neighbour of the artist. One of the houses is now the convent for the sisters of Merciful Jesus, (the order founded by Fr Sopocko as requested by Our Lord to St Faustina) and the other house is a ruin, but with the help of Divine Mercy in Action the sisters hope to renovate it to a hospice. The sisters provide palliative care for the dying in Vilnius and there is no hospice. The sister superior of the convent was so full of joy in her work when she spoke of the help they bring to the terminally ill to ease their time.