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Celebrating Mercy Sunday Devotion to The Divine Mercy TRUST IN JESUS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY.
Forms of Devotion: The Image of The Divine Mercy "By means of this image I shall be granting many graces to souls; so let every soul have access to it" (570). The Feast of Divine Mercy "The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy" (699). "I want the image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it" (341). The Hour of Great Mercy "ŠAs often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soulŠ" (1572). The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy The Chaplet is a very powerful prayer for the dying (1797); for the conversion of sinners (687); to obtain special graces and favors (1541); to appease God's anger (476); to avert natural disasters (474, 1128); and to dispel the attacks of the evil one (1798). It is to be prayed in a spirit of trust and humility. The Chaplet as a Novena Before the Feast of Mercy "By this Novena (of chaplets) I will grant every possible grace to souls" (796). The chaplet is said at anytime but Our Lord asked specifically that it be recited as a novena before the Feast of Mercy. Our Lord also gave St. Faustina a novena for her private use with specific intentions for each day. It has become a popular pious practice to recite these prayers along with the chaplet before the Feast. However, it is optional. Our Lord only asked for the novena of chaplets to be said before the Feast of Mercy. The Chaplet in the Presence of the Dying "Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as a just Judge but as the merciful Savior" (1541). Jesus Asked Everyone to Proclaim His Mercy... "Proclaim to the whole world My unfathomable mercy (1142) "Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hand are crowned with mercy" (301) "Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a judge for them, but the Merciful Savior" (1075) "Do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace" (1074) "Tell my priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak" (1521). The Feast of Mercy Not
only are we to ASK for God's Mercy with TRUST, we are to BE
MERCIFUL. Our
Lord said: Conditions:
A Special Promise Our
Lord's promise to grant complete forgiveness of sins and punishment
on the Feast of Mercy is recorded three times in the Diary of
St. Faustina. This is not a Plenary Indulgence. A Plenary Indulgence is a canonical term for the total remission, by the Church, of the punishment due to forgiven sins. Jesus attached the great grace of complete forgiveness of sins and punishment for those who receive Holy Communion worthily on the Feast after having gone to Confession during Lent. This grace is equal only to the one we receive in the Sacrament of Baptism. Confession and Holy Communion "On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fountain of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened" (699) Through this promise, Our Lord is emphasizing the infinite value of Confession and Holy Communion as miracles of mercy. He wants us to realize that since the Eucharist is His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, it is the FOUNTAIN OF LIFE (300). The Eucharist is Jesus Himself, the Living God, longing to pour His mercy into our hearts. Why the emphasis on these sacraments? Many people today do not understand or believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Many others receive the Eucharist out of habit or when they are not in the state of grace. Scripture says they eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, "without recognizing the body of the Lord" (1Cor. 11:27-29). Confession: "According to the Church's command, 'after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.' Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession" Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1457 We Need A Change Of Heart Our Lord speaks to St. Faustina about the indifference of mankind: "My great delight is to unite Myself with soulsŠWhen I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object" (1385). "Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of My love" (1447). TRUST
"Since trust is the means of approaching Mercy, we must conclude
that the deep meaning of the desires and promises connected
with the Feast is the following: On the day of His Feast, Jesus
wants to bestow upon us all - especially upon sinners - an extraordinary
abundance of graces. He waits on this day for us to approach
His Mercy with the greatest trust possible."
Quotations from The Diary of St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, ©Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA, 1996 Ed. Home - Mission Statement - Intercession for Priests - Mother of God, Mother of Priests - King of Mercy - The Image of Mercy - Enthronement - Mercy Sunday - St. Maria Faustina Kowalska - The Chaplet of Mercy - St. Pio - Mother Teresa - Products - Links - Contact |
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