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Devotion to Divine Mercy
Devotion to the Divine Mercy
By TOM DENNEHY
We celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on the first Sunday after Easter. It is now an important feast day in the Church calendar. Saint Faustina, a wonderful Polish nun, was born of a poor family and had only two years of formal education. During her short life, she suffered the Passion of Christ for the salvation of souls.
The Image of Divine Mercy
On 22 February 1931, Jesus appeared to St. Faustina dressed in a white robe and asked her to paint the image that she had been shown with the signature, Jesus I Trust in You - Jesus with 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 ray stands for the Water which make souls righteous and the red rays stand for the Blood which is the life of souls. These rays issued forth from the debts of my most tender mercy at that time when my agonising Heart was opened by a lance on the cross…” St. Faustina, known as the Apostle of Divine Mercy, has given us a great insight into the ocean of God’s unfathomable mercy for mankind in her diary, “Divine Mercy in my Soul.” Jesus asked her to do whatever was in her power to spread devotion to His Mercy and to tell “aching” mankind to come close to His merciful Heart and he would fill them with peace.
Divine Mercy Feast Day:
Jesus asked her specifically for a Feast Day celebrating His Divine Mercy. “I desire that the feast of Mercy… be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter… The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion (in a state of grace on this day) shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and all punishment.” Saint Faustina saw Jesus more than sixty times during Adoration and the Celebration of Holy Mass signifying the great power and presence of Jesus during Holy Mass and Adoration. Saint Faustina’s experience of visiting Purgatory and Hell made her very conscious of the need to pray earnestly for souls and the conversion of sinners. Jesus told her “The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners” The conversion prayer “O blood and water which gushed from the Heart of Jesus as fount of mercy for us, I trust in you.” Diary 187.
Chaplet of Divine Mercy:
First say one Our Father, one Hail Mary and The Creed. Then 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 that of the whole world. On the smaller beads say: For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and the whole world. After the five decades- say three times: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us and the whole world. Amen. Jesus promised that anything we ask for by praying the Divine Mercy chaplet will be granted provided it is “Compatible with My will”.
When to pray The Divine Mercy:
We can pray the Divine Mercy any time but especially at 3 o clock (hour of great mercy) and when we are uniting ourselves with the great sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to God Our Father in atonement for the sins of the whole world.
Promise to the dying:
“When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between my father and the dying person, not as a just judge but as a merciful Saviour.” “Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have thought you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy the hour of death. “Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites the Chaplet even once, will receive grace from my infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know my infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy.” Diary 687 What Jesus wants most from us is our trust in His Divine Mercy. The more we trust, the more powerful our prayer. We should repeat often, “Jesus I trust in you.” Saint Faustina was canonized by Saint Pope John Paul on Divine Mercy Sunday in the year 2000.
