Divine Mercy Sunday - Feast of Divine Mercy.

By TOM DENNEHY

The greatest gift and the most important message that God has given mankind in these modern times is the gift of His Divine Mercy.

Jesus wants the whole of Creation to know of His great love and unfathomable mercy. He wants us all to seek His mercy so that we can have eternal joy with Him in Heaven.

He gave the task of letting the world know about His great mercy to Saint Faustina. During the last four years of her short life, Jesus asked her to keep a diary. In this diary, “Divine Mercy in My Soul”, she reveals the enormous depth of spiritual encounters of her soul with Jesus and her mission to spread God’s mercy to the world.

On 22 February, 1931, Jesus, dressed in a white robe, appeared to St. Faustina and asked her to paint the image she had been shown with the signature, “Jesus I trust in You.” Jesus had His right hand raised in blessing, with the other touching His breast. From the opening in the garment at the breast came forth red and pale rays. Later Jesus explained to her, “The pale rays stand for the water which makes souls righteous and the red rays stand for the blood which is the life of souls. These rays issued forth from the depths of My most tender mercy at that moment when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross.” The image is the victory of His Resurrection. The Water symbolises Confession and the cleansing of the soul and the Blood is the Eucharist and symbolises the renewal of the soul.

The Feast of Divine Mercy

In her Diary entry 699, Jesus gives St. Faustina specific instructions about the Feast of

Divine Mercy. He asks that the feast be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.

Jesus wants that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls. You should go to confession and your soul must be in a state of grace when you receive Holy Communion.

The great promise on the Feast of Divine Mercy is that the soul will be cleansed of all sins and all punishment due to sin. This extraordinary grace promised by Jesus in connection with the Feast of Mercy is far greater than a plenary indulgence. It is complete cleansing of the soul similar to a second baptism.

The Importance of the Chaplet of Mercy for the Dying

Jesus tells St. Faustina that when the chaplet is said in the presence of the dying, He will stand between His Father and the dying person, “not as a judge but as a merciful Saviour”. It is recommended to sinners as the last hope of salvation. Even if a hardened sinner were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from His infinite mercy. St. Faustina spent much of her life praying and offering her sufferings for our conversion. Her experience of visiting Hell and Purgatory made her very conscious of the need to pray for the holy souls and those close to death and in need of God’s mercy.

Conversion prayer

“O blood and water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you.”

Pray this prayer any time but especially at 3 o clock, the hour of great mercy.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Begin with; one Our Father; one

Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed. On the large beads say; Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the ten small beads say; for the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

At the end of 5 decades say; “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world” three times.

“Jesus I trust in you” three times Jesus promised that through this chaplet of Divine Mercy you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.

Prayer of Consecration to the Divine Mercy

Jesus, the Divine Mercy, I consecrate my entire life, from this day on, to You without reserve. Into Your hands I abandon my past, my present and my future, from this day forward, make me a true follower of your teaching, let your Divine Mercy image protect my home and my family from all the powers of evil in this world today. May all who venerate it never perish, may it be their joy in life, their hope in death, and their glory in eternity. Amen.