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!
¡Feliz Domingo de la Divina Misericordia! ¡Qué día tan maravilloso nos dio el Papa San Juan Pablo II! Si lees la Biblia, ya sabes que las Escrituras están llenas de promesas de misericordia. Algunos piensan que el Señor es selectivo en cuanto a quién recibe Su misericordia. ¡No es cierto! Dios es tan generoso con Su misericordia que hubiera perdonado a Judas si tan solo se lo hubiera pedido.
¿Y qué pasa contigo y conmigo? ¿Tenemos algún pecado de nuestro pasado que nos persigue? Bueno, el Señor le reveló a la Hermana Faustina los caminos hacia la vida eterna, la Divina Misericordia. Sí, hoy tenemos un día especial para celebrar este misterio, pero podemos celebrarlo y orar en cualquier momento. (Por cierto, si te llama la atención, puedes conseguir una copia del Diario de Santa Faustina). Para mí, la Divina Misericordia puede ser algo pequeño o algo grande. Sigo sorprendiéndome por las muchas cosas que Dios hace por mí cada día.
Me gustaría contarles una historia que vi recientemente en EWTN. Se trata de unos esposos que tenían dos hijos y estaban esperando otro. A las pocas semanas de embarazo, la mujer se hizo una ecografía. El médico tenía algunas preocupaciones sobre la salud del bebé. Pasaron unas semanas más y otra ecografía reveló problemas cardíacos y cerebrales. Era bastante grave. Le dijeron que el bebé no sobreviviría y le aconsejaron terminar el embarazo. Ella dijo que no, pasara lo que pasara. Ella y su esposo acordaron seguir llevando al niño en su vientre. Ambos pidieron a familiares, amigos y vecinos que rezaran, rezaran y rezaran por el pequeño al que llamaron Steven.
Después de otra ecografía aparecieron muchos más problemas. Creo que eran 10 en total. El marido le pidió al médico que enumerara todos los problemas. Los anotó todos en una nota adhesiva y la pegó en el refrigerador. Después de la siguiente ecografía, el médico notó que uno de los problemas se había resuelto y ya no existía. El marido fue al refrigerador y lo tachó. Unas semanas después desaparecieron dos o tres más. Luego otro y otro y otro.
Al final, solo quedaba un problema pendiente en la nota adhesiva. Era un problema cardíaco grave. El mayor deseo de esta mamá y este papá era poder cargar a su bebé, Steven, vivo en sus brazos. A más de 30 semanas de embarazo, el bebé nació por cesárea. ¡Estaba vivo! ¡Mamá y papá pudieron cargarlo y amarlo durante más de una hora! ¿Es una historia triste? ¡De ninguna forma! Dios, en su infinita misericordia, permitió que su bebé naciera.
Si no estás familiarizado con la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia, te animo a que la investigues y la reces. Junto con el rosario, creo que es la devoción más poderosa que he rezado.
¡Sirviendo con alegría!
Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki have been married for over 55 years. They are the parents of eight children and thirty-one grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002. He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.
Featured Image Credit: Author Unknown, art.diocesan.com/stock-photo/divine-mercy-16719/
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