Today is Divine Mercy Sunday

Jesus revealed to St. Faustyna that on this day, He would pour out a whole ocean of graces upon anyone who would go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on this day. Jesus said to Faustyna, “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 Fountain of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” 699

To receive this great Mercy for ourselves or for a deceased person in purgatory, Jesus explained that we should go to Confession and receive Holy Communion (Pope Benedict XVI extended the time to go to Confession up to twenty days after Divine Mercy Sunday if we go with the intention of fulfilling the requirements of the Feast.) 

To receive the indulgence, we must also pray one Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Pope. And though not absolutely necessary, Jesus encouraged us to venerate an Image of Divine Mercy by displaying it in a place of honor in our home and parish. And to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet on this day.

Jesus said, “I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.” (Diary 1160)

If we want to receive the Mercy of God, then we must give Mercy to others. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

Jesus said to St. Faustyna, “If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment.  Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy.” (Diary 1317)

Again, Jesus said to St. Faustyna, “I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first, by deed, the second, by word, the third, by prayer.  In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me…Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted.  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.” Diary 742

If we want the Mercy of God, then we must give mercy to others by deeds, by words, and by prayer. The Catechism teaches us that the works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. 

First, the Spiritual works of mercy: Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently.

The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity. It is also a work of justice pleasing to God. We always think of the corporal works of mercy, taking care of the materially poor. And we should. However, what our wealthy Western culture suffers from most is first, a spiritual poverty that comes from a lack of relationship with God, and second, loneliness. I call it friendship deficit syndrome. We lack real friendship and community.

So why not combine them both by regularly inviting family and friends to get together and do good things together, like a meal or drinks, or a walk, and talk while you do it. (That is the problem of socializing in front of entertainment on screens, we don’t talk, and we leave lonelier than we came). And then invite them to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Rosary with you.

That would be a great act of Mercy!

The second way Jesus wants us to give mercy is by our words. One way to give mercy to someone by your words is to demonstrate just how good it is that they exist and how they make the world a better place just by being in it.

How do we do that? Simply get to know them better by learning their personal story. It may be the story of their past, how they got to this point today. It may be their current story of what is going on in their life. Or it might be the hoped-for story of their future, comprised of their desires and dreams. Either way, one of the greatest acts of mercy is to be genuinely interested in the people in your life, to delight in them, and show that you really think the world is a better place just because they are in it. By our words let us express to one another, “it is good that you exist, how wonderful you are.”

The third way Jesus commanded us to live mercy is by prayer. But I think we fail to pray with confidence. 

Yet, listen to the testimony of the devil himself. Faustyna writes, “Taking the form of an apparition the devil said, “Do not pray for sinners, but for yourself, for you will be damned.”  Paying no attention to Satan, I continued to pray with redoubled fervor for sinners.  The Evil Spirit howled with fury, “Oh, if I had power over you!” and disappeared.  I saw that my suffering and prayer shackled Satan and snatched many souls from his clutches.”

And don’t say Faustyna’s prayer is more powerful than yours. All the power of prayer rests in the power of Jesus.  The only difference between you and Faustyna is that she recognized the spiritual battle, that souls were at stake, and that prayer is a powerful weapon. So have confidence in Jesus and pray for souls

Jesus said, “Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.” 187

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.

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