Amazing Divine Mercy (re: Ditched Airliner)

[Indyann]

I found this in my inbox this AM and I thought it was worth sharing. The “Vinny” is the author of several Catholic CDs and books.

Saturday, January 24, 2009
Subject: Passenger of Flight 1549

Vinny,

I sincerely hope this email finds its way to you. I was a passenger on flight 1549 and my name is Fred Berretta. You might have caught a glimpse of me or heard me on CNN or Fox the night of the crash. I interviewed with Lou Dobbs, Wolf Blitzer and Bill O’Reilly and discussed the crash that night.

I had been on a one day business trip to NY and sat in seat 16A just behind the left engine. My trip was a last minute decision the day before. I finished my meetings early on Thursday and realized I had time to attend the 12 noon mass at St. Patrick Cathedral. It was unusual for me to have the extra time, but that day I did. After Mass, I stopped by the gift shop just across from the cathedral and purchased your book, “7 Secrets of the Eucharist.” As I waited to board flight 1549 bound for Charlotte, where I live, I began reading your book. I continued reading while we taxied until just after take off.

I think I got through about half of it and then decided to close my eyes and reflect on the incredible insights your book gave me regarding the Eucharist. We were climbing out and just a minute or so into the flight I heard the impact of the bird strikes and then the explosion in the left engine. I could see it on fire and the cabin began to smell like jet fuel. As a private pilot, once I realized the second engine was also not functioning, things became quite tense.

While I had known about and prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet years before, I had not really focused on it in quite a long time. Ironically, I had prayed the chaplet the day before at 3 pm. I had forgotten that in my briefcase I had long kept a copy of a booklet of the Divine Mercy chaplet which had excerpts from St. Faustina’s diary. When I arrived in NY, I had some time at my hotel and decided to clean out my briefcase, something long overdue. I found the Divine Mercy booklet, prayed the chaplet, and read some of the words of Jesus to Faustina.

Before we hit the water, I thought about the words Jesus said, that nothing would be refused if asked for during the hour of mercy.* I really thought there was a good chance myself and others would die that day, but I asked God to be merciful to us, I prayed the Lord’ prayer and a Hail Mary. I then prayed to St. Michael, and we impacted the water. The odds were not with us that day, but God clearly was. I believe it is the only jet airliner to successfully ditch in the water without fatalities in the history of aviation.

I just want you to know that your book gave me comfort as we were going down, and for that I am grateful. I know a lot of people prayed on that plane, and I believe the Miracle on the Hudson was a testament to the mercy of God, and a sign of hope.

Take care and may God continue to bless your ministry and all you do to spread the message of Divine Mercy and the wonders of Holy Communion.

Best regards,

Fred Berretta

*Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River during the 3 o’clock hour (at about 3:30 pm), which Christ told St. Faustina is “the hour of great mercy.” It was during this hour that His heart was pierced by a lance, and blood and water gushed forth as a fountain of mercy for the world. “In this hour,” He told her, “I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.” (Diary of Saint Faustina, #1182, 1320.)

1. WHAT WAS FRED BERRETTA READING AND PRAYING?
   You can get a free CD containing the Divine Mercy Chaplet (and the Rosary), as well as free CDs of Vinny Flynn’s “Seven Secrets of the Eucharist” and “Healing and Holiness” from the Mary Foundation here:

secure.catholicity.com/cds/

You can order Vinny Flynn’s bestselling book (including a new audio book), “7 Secrets of the Eucharist,” from MercySong Ministries, here:

mercysong.bigcartel.com/category/7-secrets-of-the-

 

[masondoggy]

Absolutely amazing! But I’m not surprised. The first thing I thought of as I watched the breaking news coverage right after the impact was that it was the Hour of Mercy. I just knew this was not a coincidence!

 

[Morwenna]

I’m bumping this old thread because somehow I missed hearing about the Divine Mercy connection back at the time this happened. Just today, I heard about it on Immaculate Heart Radio … wow!

Here is the article online:

thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=3493

A few excerpts:

A banker on a business trip in New York City, Fred Berretta had just checked into his hotel room. He had about 20 minutes down time before he had to meet his colleagues.

For some reason he decided to clean out his briefcase, something he hadn’t done in a long time. As he emptied it out, he came across a booklet he had stuffed into a pocket years ago on praying the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy. He recalls having prayed it a few times years ago. But by Jan. 15, 2009, it was a good intention mislaid — among spreadsheets and quarterly reports and matters that seemed far more pressing.

Only two weeks prior, Fred had made a New Year’s resolution to try to get into better spiritual shape. Here in this hotel room was an opportunity to fulfill it. So he followed along in the booklet and prayed the chaplet, a prayer our Lord gave to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s during a series of revelations that have sparked the modern Divine Mercy movement.

The time happened to be 3 o’clock, known as the Hour of Great Mercy, when Jesus died on the cross. Fred would consider that detail the following day — as he was preparing to die.

…

“Prepare for impact,” the pilot would say over the PA system.

What was the promise? Suddenly, it would come to him, the last passage he read before heading off to his meeting. Jesus said to St. Faustina, "This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary of St. Faustina, 1320).

As the ground surged into view, Fred would look at his watch. It would be 3:30, the Hour of Great Mercy!

…

You’ve probably heard about the crash landing of Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on Jan. 15. No one was seriously injured. Politicians and news anchors quickly dubbed it the “Miracle on the Hudson.” In the history of aviation no jet airliner had ever made an emergency landing on water without casualties.

…

One more thing to mention. A couple weeks before the flight, Fred had prayed the Rosary for the first time in years. He had recently learned of the 15 promises that, as legend has it, the Virgin Mary made to St. Dominic and Blessed Alanus to all who pray the Rosary with a faithful heart. Fred remembers thinking at the time, “Are those promises real?” He feels he recently received his answer.

“I still have my boarding pass from the flight,” Fred said this week, “and I couldn’t help but to notice all the 15s associated with the flight. We left on Jan. 15, from gate 15. It was Flight 1549, with 155 passengers. Also, it took off during the 15th hour, by military time, which is what the world of aviation uses. I smiled when it hit me later. There was my answer right there.”
Full article here: thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=3493

 

[Eucharisted]

O Lord, may the truth set many free from the bondage of sin, indifference, and ignorance. Amen.