Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday

After the Easter Triduum and Christmas, Divine Mercy Sunday is my favourite feast day. Though Divine Mercy Sunday was only officially designated on 30th April 2000 by Pope John Paul II as part of the canonisation process of Saint Faustina Kowalska, largely thanks to the enthusiasm of my father, I have known the devotion all my life. 

My father's two great devotions are to Padre Pio and Divine Mercy. Some of my earliest memories involve travelling around the country with my father to Padre Pio and Divine Mercy events in order to set up stalls, distribute leaflets, sell books and spread the word via cine projector. In the times before these devotions were fully embraced in the Universal Calendar of the Church, the events were often national gatherings of the devout, the curious, the eccentric and the downright crazy - a microcosm of the Universal Church.

Jesus, I Trust in You

For the uninitiated, the devotion to Divine Mercy is based on an encounter with Christ as reported by Saint Fasutina in which He made special provision for his Mercy upon the world. Specifically, Jesus states that the soul that goes to Sacramental Confession and receives Holy Eucharistic Communion on that day shall obtain the total forgiveness of all sins and reparation. The Church also grants a plenary indulgence to those who complete the devotion, pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and venerate the Divine Mercy image.

Though I am very conscious of the dangers of living faith by emotion alone (hence my reticence to get involved with evangelical movements and liturgy), I often experience a great spiritual lift at the end of Divine Mercy Sunday when I consider the power of the promises made by Christ and the state of the faithful soul that affords itself of the graces made available. 

I really cannot recommend this devotion highly enough and more details of the Divine Mercy Chaplet can be found at http://www.catholicity.com/prayer/divinemercy.html. In particular, there is something quite beautiful about praying the chaplet at 3 O'Clock, the hour of Christ's death.

The Divine Mery Image

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,

have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Jesu, Ufam Tobie! Jesus, I trust in you!