So Much Mercy
Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! What a wonderful, awesome day St. Pope John Paul II gave us! If you are a Bible reader you already know that Scripture is full of promises of mercy. Some feel that the Lord is selective on who receives His mercy. Not true! God is so generous with His mercy that He would have forgiven Judas if only he would have asked. 
What about you and me? Do we have a sin from our past that is following us around? Well, the Lord revealed to Sister Faustina the ways to eternal life, Divine Mercy. Yes, today we have a special day to celebrate this mystery, but we can celebrate it and pray at any time. (By the way, if I have struck a heartstring, then get a copy of Saint Faustina’s Diary). For me, Divine Mercy can be a small thing or a great thing. I continue to be amazed at the many things that God does for me each day. 
I would like to tell you a story I watched recently on EWTN. It's about a husband and a wife that had two children and were expecting another. A few weeks into her pregnancy the wife had an ultrasound. The doctor had some concerns about the baby's health. A few more weeks went by and another ultrasound revealed heart and brain issues. It was quite serious. She was told that the baby would not survive and was advised to terminate the pregnancy. She said no, no matter what. She and her husband agreed to continue carrying the child in her womb. They both asked family, friends, and neighbors to pray, pray, and pray for the little boy they named Steven. 
After another ultrasound many more problems showed up. I believe there were 10 all together. The husband asked the doctor to list all of the issues for him. He wrote them all down on a sticky note and stuck it on the refrigerator. After the next ultrasound the doctor noticed one of the issues had been resolved and was no longer there. The husband went to the refrigerator and crossed it off. A few weeks later two or three more disappeared. Then another and another and another. 
Eventually there was only one issue left on the sticky note. It was a serious heart problem. The greatest desire for this mom and dad was to be able to hold a living baby Steven. At 30 plus weeks along, the baby was delivered by C-section. He was alive! Mom and dad got to hold him and love him for a little over an hour! Sad story? No way! God in His infinite mercy allowed their baby to be born.
If you are not familiar with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, I would encourage you to look it up and pray it. Next to the rosary, I think it's the most powerful devotion I have ever prayed.
Serving with joy! 
By Deacon Dan Schneider