divine mercy
Posted on

6 Things You Need To Know About Divine Mercy Sunday

In the year 2000, St. John Paul II established Divine Mercy Sunday, to be celebrated the Sunday following Easter. Even with nearly 2 decades of celebration, many of us still aren’t quite sure what this celebration is all about. Here is a quick primer:

  1. Divine Mercy Sunday is based on the revelations received by a Polish nun, Sr. Faustina Kowalska (now St. Faustina.) A devout nun, St. Faustina had very little formal education, but as Jesus revealed himself to her, He asked that she record His words. She dutifully kept journals. One revelation was:

    My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. 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 fount 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. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. 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.

  2. At St. Faustina’s canonization, St. John Paul said that she was meant to remind the world of the merciful love of God. He also said was called by Christ to spread devotion to the image of Divine Mercy (which was revealed to her), and she was meant to begin “the apostolic movement of the Divine Mercy which undertakes the task of proclaiming and entreating God’s mercy for the world and strives for Christian perfection.”
  3. Jesus told St. Faustina: “My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners…[I]t is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy.”
  4. The popular prayer, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, is prayed on ordinary rosary beads. You can learn how here.
  5. The image of Jesus, known as Divine Mercy, was revealed to St. Faustina. He appeared with rays radiating from His Sacred Heart, and then told Sr. Faustina (who had no art training!) to paint this image, including the words, “Jesus, I trust in you.” He also promised that those who venerated the image would not perish.  “By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works.”
  6. Here in the U.S., there is a Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, MA, which is cared for by the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Originally a Polish congregation, they are best known for spreading the message of Divine Mercy.

It is fitting that as we continue to joyfully celebrate the Easter season, we take time to remember the merciful love that Jesus has for each of us. This year, (if you haven’t already) make the Divine Mercy image a part of your home. It is a wonderful reminder that there is no end to the mercy Christ has for each of us.

heart of mercy
Posted on

A Merciful Heart In The Year Of Mercy

The second Sunday of Easter was declared “Divine Mercy Sunday” by St. John Paul II in 2000.  In this Year of Mercy, we are called in a special way to show mercy, to live out mercy, to have a merciful heart. How can Divine Mercy Sunday help us with that?

First, the history of Divine Mercy. A Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, under the obedience of her spiritual director, kept a diary of her experiences: Jesus appearing to her. Jesus, at one time, showed her his Sacred Heart, pointed to it, and said “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the prayer, ‘Jesus, I trust in you.'”

The Church decrees that private revelations, such as St. Faustina’s experience, are not required belief. However, since the Church has also approved St. Faustina’s experiences as reliable and truthful, we are free to to use this particular devotion in our own spiritual lives. Also, given that the Church now celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday annually, we can be assured that this devotion is a sound one.

In 2001, St. John Paul II gave a homily on the first Divine Mercy Sunday. In it, he said:

The Heart of Christ! His “Sacred Heart” has given men everything:  redemption, salvation, sanctification. St Faustina Kowalska saw coming from this Heart that was overflowing with generous love, two rays of light which illuminated the world. “The two rays”, according to what Jesus himself told her, “represent the blood and the water” (Diary, p. 132). The blood recalls the sacrifice of Golgotha and the mystery of the Eucharist; the water, according to the rich symbolism of the Evangelist John, makes us think of Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3: 5; 4: 14).

Through the mystery of this wounded heart, the restorative tide of God’s merciful love continues to spread over the men and women of our time. Here alone can those who long for true and lasting happiness find its secret.

One writer sums up the message of Divine Mercy as “A, B, C:”

A — Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B — Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C — Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

We experience Christ’s “wounded heart” every day. It may be the wounds we carry in our own hearts. That wounded heart may be the heart of a child who is struggling, or the heart of a loved one who is ill. Each and every person we encounter has been wounded by sin and sometimes, shame. It must be part of who we are as Catholics to bring the “restorative tide” of mercy to the world. Our own hearts must mirror Christ’s: a merciful heart, full of love and assured that the answer to the longing of every human heart is found in Christ.